I am new to the forum. I am experiencing a problem with my Kenmore Elite washer. At first, I noticed that the machine was not spinning because the clothes were dripping wet.
So what I did was I bypassed the lid switch to see if the basket is actually moving and I was right. It just stayed in place. I placed it on a spin cycle and assisted it in turning and it now spins. However it makes this grinding noise and I don’t know what is wrong with it. Could it be the clutch? The basket stops if I hold it. I wonder if that is normal. On a side note, during the agitation cycle there is no noise and it sounds like it functions normally other than i just noticed the dog ears are worn out.
I checked the clutch and I do not know how to diagnose if it is a bad or a good one. I can actually turn it with my finger though.
I am linking a video and also the pics of the clutch. Thanks in advance for anyone who can shed a light on this.
The poor spin does seem indicative of a worn clutch, however, those six pad clutches usually don’t fail too often. Does the inside of the clutch seem oily at all? Is there oil on the interior of the cabinet?
Appliance Ninja said:
The poor spin does seem indicative of a worn clutch, however, those six pad clutches usually don’t fail too often. Does the inside of the clutch seem oily at all? Is there oil on the interior of the cabinet?
There was no oil inside the cabinet. Everything under there looks new and clean. Can the spinner be stopped by hand with no effort? I can try and replace the clutch first if that is the case. I did notice that the spin is a little slow. How big is the chance of a failed gearcase?
If it is spinning the clutch, the gearcase is not suspect. Since the tub is slow turning but does spin, I suspect the clutch is worn. The heavy duty clutch is available at the link below.
That sure sounds like some clothing caught between the tubs to me which would also cause the clutch to slip. The 3 pad clutches actually provide higher and more consistent torque than the 6 pad ones according to Whirlpool documentation.
The tub spins smoothly and easily in the video so clothing between the tubs would be unlikely. Sure wouldn’t hurt to have a look and use that opportunity to clean the inner tub, though!
Yes. It did not matter with or without clothes. In the video I just placed clothes for load. It sounds like an intermittent loud zipping noise. it got progressively loud as it spins faster that is why i had to stop it.
does clothing actually make it in between the tubs? so basically i will need to take the cabinet out and pull the steel tub right? it’s the first time i am doing this. i wrench cars as a hobby but never did it with appliances before.
It’s not uncommon for socks and underwear to get between the tubs when doing very large loads. The noise is very strange to me. Could also be a drive block issue. You can inspect the top of the drive block with the agitator off. Make sure the slots in the drive block are intact as well as the tabs on the spin tube and that they are fully engaged. To get the tub out, you will need to remove the cabinet and remove the tub nut which we usually do with a spanner wrench.
Eric, you were right on the money about something getting lodged between tubs. Since I needed to get it resolved quickly, i bought a 3 pad clutch from a local appliance parts store and tested the spinner. The noise was still there but the tub was spinning faster probably more torque because of new pads. I let it spin for a few more seconds and noticed some black rubber strings on the tub. eventually when it stopped i saw part of a broken hose. upon further investigation and confusion because i could not find it on the parts diagram, i realized it was the bleach hose and part of the tub ring assembly. Now it spins great! I am trying to avoid buying that hose since I may need to buy the entire tub ring assembly. We do not use bleach anyway. Do i still need to replace it? now it is mended with duck tape and electrical tape so we can get our laundry going.
That hose needs to be intact and in place as pressurized water will flow through it when the bleach solenoid is activated during the wash cycle. Either that or just unplug the connector at the bleach valve solenoid connection.
