Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

[DavePrkl]

(also Aquarius extra and 1000 spin)

Went out today leaving the machine washing (not usual practice but anyway that’s what happened today) and returned to find the machine stopped with a half-emptied drum and all six red lights (from “door locked” to “end”) flashing sequentially. Interrupted cycle with “!” and after it had stopped and the door was released selected slow spin and tried again. Drain pump started and emptied the drum but the pump continued to run without starting to spin. Stopped the machine again and logged on here!

I had a search and read the excellent “Washing machine not spinning sometimes” sticky by Dave_Conway and all the linked articles and decided to check the filter. Took the plastic panel off the back and removed the rubber bellows filter housing from below the outer drum and found various small bits of celluloid and plastic and a quantity of gunge. Cleaned and re-assembled (also blew through the waste water hose, poked about inside the pump and cleaned inside the plastic moulding which goes back up towards the top of the machine with a toothbrush as well as I could but didn’t remove it completely) and tried slow spin again with about half the original load. The drain pump ran followed by the spin cycle – success! – or so I thought.

Tried slow spin again with the other half of the load but it wouldn’t spin this time. I had watched the successful spin with the plastic panel off (I was very careful, honest!) and saw a bit of sparking (or rather the illumination caused by sparking and not it’s source) while the motor was doing the slow stuff before starting the spin proper. I now suspect the brushes.

The motor is a C.E.SET and I haven’t yet inspected the brushes since they seem to be at the front (i.e. innermost end) of the motor and I’m not sure how best to get access. First thought was to tip the machine on it’s back but I can’t find the transit screws and I’m not sure whether it’s OK to do this without everything locked up. So..

Are the brushes the next most likely suspect and if so, how do I get access to inspect/replace?

Apologies for the ridiculously long post and thanks in advance for any assistance you can give.

Dave

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

Brushes would be the very first thing to check, some people do it by tilting the machine back but that is not advisable as access to one of the brushes is still very difficult.

The correct way is to remove the motor completely and then you can work on it with ease, clean the commutator correctly etc. It takes less than five minutes to remove the motor, not worth faffing around underneath.

All with the mains plug removed of course.

[taffska]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

EVENING DAVE,probably is the brushes buddy,you can either remove the motor itself from the rear of the cabinet and removing both the drive belt and wiring harness or you can bring the washer forward and tip backwards,WITH THE PLUGTOP REMOVED FROM THE POWER SOCKET!!!!you can gain access from the front,the top brush can be a bit of a fiddle,regards taffska.

[DavePrkl]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

I’d come back to report that I’ve now tried a no-load spin (after reading some more posts) but with no joy, only to find both your ultra quick responses! Many thanks.

Point taken about working on the motor being much easier with it out. I’d wanted to do it in situ because I’d anticipated trouble re-fitting the belt. Is it also a five minute job to replace the motor? 🙂

Dave

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

Is there an echo in here. 🙂

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

DavePrkl wrote:I’d come back to report that I’ve now tried a no-load spin (after reading some more posts) but with no joy, only to find both your ultra quick responses! Many thanks.

Point taken about working on the motor being much easier with it out. I’d wanted to do it in situ because I’d anticipated trouble re-fitting the belt. Is it also a five minute job to replace the motor? 🙂

Dave

there is a simple trick, refit the motor, lash the belt to the drum pulley with a large, plastic bag tie then feed the belt onto the motor, from inside the door, rotate the drum to wind the belt onto the drum pulley, seconds of a job once you have refitted the motor.

[DavePrkl]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

Ah – there’s a simple trick! That’s good enough for me although I may be back at re-fitting time to ask you to clarify. 🙂 I’ll return in any event to report progress or otherwise.

I’ve painful memories of making up a belt puller from a wire coathanger fed though holes in the bottom of the machine to re-fit a tumble dryer belt. 🙁

Thanks again for the speedy help.

Dave

[DavePrkl]

Re: Hotpoint WMA40 spin problem

Removed the brushes and found them completely worn down. The replacements arrived yesterday (good service from your parts people since they were ordered standard delivery on Monday evening) and I fitted them this morning.

Did a no-load rinse and spin and then a full wash and it would appear that the problem is sorted. Many thanks for your help iadom.

Confession time: I didn’t remove the motor. However after a couple of hours struggling on my back on the kitchen floor and running the risk of rounding off the retaining screws or snapping the connector tags on the brushes it was perfectly obvious, even to a half-wit like me, that it would have been far easier to have done the job the professional way. So for the benefit of anyone else who needs to do this job (or any other for that matter) if a professional takes the trouble to tell you the best way to do a job, be a good chap and do as you’re told. 🙂

Thanks again,

Dave

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