LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

[stagger321]

Hi there,

I have a LG WM-16331FDK Washing Machine. Yesterday it started making a heck of a lot of noise – on the final spin. I don’t believe we loaded it more that the max of 8kg – nothing near that in fact.
Video and machines label shown below. The video does not really capture the noise which is significant
https://flic.kr/p/FusBhW
https://flic.kr/p/Fushbj

This unit comes I think with a 10yr guarantee on the drive, but it looks like the drive is working.
Any advise welcomed.

Cheers

Stagger

[electrofix]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

sound like your drum bearings
the motor has a 10year guarantee but the bearings do not

when the bearing are going you will get rusty water leaking on to the floor at the back of the machine

Dave

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Many thanks Dave,

So its not likely to be the support springs and suspension shocks as well.
I have looked at the repair videos for replacing the bearing/seal and it looks like an almost complete stripdown/re-assembly so don’t want to have to do this twice.

Cheers

Stagger

[electrofix]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

open the top of the machine
put your hand in the middle of the drum
push down hard and try to bounce it like a ball
if all is ok then the shocks will stop you. yes the drum will move but it wont be excessive but it should be even if it seems to want to go to one side you may have one shock gone

Yes its a big strip down but its not a bad job on that machine but you need to strip it first before you buy the parts. after you strip it you need to inspect the drum spider (support) for wear. you need to check where the seal sits to make sure it has no groove and where the bearing fit

Dave

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Thanks Dave. Will let you know how I get on.

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

OK, so I have finally got round to doing this. Wife has had enough of doing the washing in the bath by hand.
I have striped the machine and I have two issues. One of the three legs on the “Drum Bearing Spider” that provides the drive shaft and drum mount has failed/snapped. I also has a leak somewhere, and I can’t find out from what. Its partially blown the the laminate flooring in the utility.
As I have to replace the spider I thought it best to replace the bearings and seal (including tub seal, and after some serious brute force they are now removed.
I have an issue however. I cannot for the life of me remove any of the 10mm stainless bolts attaching the spider to the tub. I have tried masses of penetrating fluid. and tried on several occasions including after leaving for an hour or so to soak in.
They are fused solid. What’s the best policy here? Heat to the spider arms? Drill out, grind off?

[electrofix]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

making sure there is no plastic near by (paddles) that will melt get the blowlamp out

drill as a last resort. to be honest not had an lg one snap yet they seem pretty tough

also try tightening the bolt a bit, quarter of a mill or so, to break it free

Dave

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Hi electrofix,

Many thanks for your help. It took a heck of a job, and many applications of heat via blowtorch, but I finally got the damn stainless bolts out and removed the spider
Take a look – completed fractured.
https://flic.kr/p/HtQzmL
The bolts were threadlocked to hell. so no wonder difficult to remove.
I have re-assembled and got it working fine.
One question though.
I get an annoying squeal on washing. Sounds like a rubber rubbing sound.
I tried capturing it – and you get a bit of it in attached at the end of the wash vid.
This sound is constant during the wash cycle, when the drum is rotating. Have I done something wrong, like not pushed the bearing seal home correctly, or there is else something rubbing that shouldn’t? Or is the seal just needing to be bedded in?
https://flic.kr/p/GGNz4C (having difficulty getting this to play in Flickr)
BTW the water leak had been caused by the drum rubbing away a groove in the tub due to the broke spider!!
I closed with with epoxy resin.

[iadom]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Worth noting that damage like that is usually as a direct result of constant low temperature washes often combined with liquid or gel sachet use. Especially bad in soft water areas.
Worth giving THIS article a good read. 😉

[electrofix]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

your squeal

assume its during the washing phase so cant be drum its moving too slow

most LG autos have 2 pumps. pump 1 drains the machine. pump 2 recirculates the water during wash and sprays water from the top of the door rubber onto the washing.
sometimes when these pumps are failing they can make a heck of a racket

Dave

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Its not the pumps. Its a rubber rubbing noise that you can only hear at low drum speed rotations, and the volume and pitch of the squeal is related to the speed of the drum. So when the drum slowly stops – so does the noise.
I wouldn’t normally concern myself with it, but fixing this broken spider issue meant taking the whole friggin washer apart, and I’d rather know if I’ve got an issue before something catastrophic happens or a rubber item wears away and I get another leak.
Laminate in the utility is already looking very second hand after the last leak caused by the drum eating its way through the tub.

[stagger321]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

iadom wrote:Worth noting that damage like that is usually as a direct result of constant low temperature washes often combined with liquid or gel sachet use. Especially bad in soft water areas.
Worth giving THIS article a good read. 😉

Thanks. I have informed my better 1/2.
She has been using liquitabs and low temp washes to save the planet, so I’ve pointed out that all the heartache here was entirely her fault – which obviously went down a storm 😈

[iadom]

Re: LG Direct Drive Washing machine making heck of a row

Tell her that in her attempt to save the planet she has been washing her clothes in such a way as to leave them riddled with bacteria even after washing. 🙁

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