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Whirlpool Vertical Modular Washer (VMW), United Servicers Regional Training in Albany, NY


Samurai Appliance Repair Man

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Starting to get my notes and photos together from an excellent United Servicers Association regional training in Albany, NY. Here's my summary of the training. Dave Shertzer was the instructor; he did a great job. This is a very easy machine to work on. Tears down in about 10 minutes; 15 minutes if you're one-armed, one-legged, or one-eyed.

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You're gonna want a set of these to facilitate electrical measurements on those tiny-ass wire harnesses.

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Inside the control panel the VM washer. Panel comes apart differently. Two clips in front, either end. Can press in with a putty knife or credit card while pushing back on the panel. Can also undo them by reaching underneath the top panel.

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Main control board and water inlet valve inside the control panel, closer look.

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Looking into the tub with the top panel removed. Kind of a funky z-maneuver to get the top panel off. Have to remove the hinge screws in back and then do the z-maneuver to lift off the top panel.

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Looking at the drive guts underneath the washer, laying on its front panel. The only two ways you'll be working on this machine: through the top or the bottom, as shown here. Do not remove the back panel.

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Belt cage and belt removed. Motor and main yellow drive pulley.

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Main yellow drive pulley removed. Seeing part of the splutch assembly.

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With splutch removed.

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Splutch assembly.

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Mode shifter motor. Shifts the splutch between spin and agitate modes. This has been a common fail item so far in this machine. Very easy to replace.

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16 Comments


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KurtiusInterupptus

Posted

except for that damn top....what kind of asshat engineer came up with a lid that wont hinge???

no choice but to lean it against the wall and hope it dont fall and cream ya in the head or rip the harness...

had to pull the basket out of one of these yesterday and it was one more bitch...spline shaft had evidentally seized , basket to gearcase shaft, and i had to drop the gearcase down and beat that sumbeech in to submission till the gearcase fell in the floor.

my customer was most impressed ,i'm sure!

  • Like 3
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Just an overgrown version of the Breadmaker Portable (World Washer), probably gonna be the same issues

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  • Team Samurai
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Posted

Good question, John! That is a noise filter. A simple coil of wire acts as an inductive filter to help keep harmonics out of the control board.

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Thanks :)

Looking at the photos---I can't help but notice a reduction/drop in the amount of cast aluminum or iron.

Much more stamped-metal (lower maunufacturing cost) and the usual amount of injection-molded plastics (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

I serviced one these recently (Maytag-label).

Removing the top was *awkward*.

Like all things though---it'll eventually become a known quantity/familiar.

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By the way---the washer that I serviced had a failed LID SWITCH ASSY.

Now that was **different**!

Long wire harness and a completely different type lock mechanism.

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lol we service these frequently... DONT FORGET TO RUN THE CALIBRATION CYCLE AFTER CHANGING MOST PARTS. Mostly Control, basket, gearcase etc... its in the tech sheet... the damn thing forgets its calibration also... (ie cust says it doesn't wash well. instruct them on good washing habbits in this and then calibrate it before leaving... )

gearcase is very easy to remove... i have a training cd around here somewhere. if i find it, ill give it to the the samurai for his viewing/maybe posting something pleasure.

common failures thus far:

Mode shifter (now truck stock for us)

Lid switch (truck stock)

Splutch (truck stock)

Control (not truck stock for me)

and most common issue is.....

roll the drums...

LOOSE WIRES!! its crazy how often i find loose wires to the control or motor assembly. its terrible.

  • Like 2
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Also look for broken wires at drain pump, and motor capacitor mount breaks and breaks wires. Lid switches are dropping like flys, and can fool you into thinking the control is bad.

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Trying to help

Posted

Pomona test leads are a must. Shifter and pump will appear to have voltage present there at all times if tests done not under load because of the triacs on the board (including stand by mode). YOU MUST HAVE WIRES ON for any voltage test to be valid. You can not get into the pump with normal leads with the connector on, shifter yes, pump no. I have had multiple call backs on techs pulling wires off and getting fooled. Did your instructor tell you that in Albany Samurai? The one here in Atlanta pounded it into the techs at the USA meetings, he must be better then the one in Albany... Also, cam ring can be put on upside down resulting in a short 8 second slow spin. You have to try to do it, but I have had calls where that is all it was after prior companies replaced splutches.

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applianceman18007260692

Posted

How do I calibrate this washer? I replaced a broken lid switch. Before replacing the switch the idiot lights would work now nothing AND the new switch is locked.

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  • Team Samurai
Samurai Appliance Repair Man

Posted

Tech sheet is in a pouch behind the front panel, LHS. Get it and put the control into diagnostic mode. Can also check the control status by the green LED on the control board. Download this video for more ==> http://dl.dropbox.co...ostic-Entry.mov (35 MB, .mov download)

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Is thi link correct? Won't let me access it, just goes around & around.

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First machine I've ran into that the model number couldn't be found on the  machine.  Question is if it's the mode shift motor can it sometimes work and at other times not?  Second question.. When the basket does spin it doesn't seem to have any kind of break to slow basket after shut off.  Is that normal or is there another problem i'm not aware of?

 

Thanks

 

PS: I'm having trouble with the above video as well.

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no break on any of the new style top loaders, that's why they have lid locks.

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