10 replies to this topic

[spice_miner]

I have a 2yr old LG front load washer that started making a high pitched squeal while spinning then stopped turning at all. There were no error codes displayed. I took the back cover off and found black dust right under the drive motor. I was really ticked off that the machine was new and highly rated, (< 5% failure rate). I was going out of town for a month and leaving my wife at home caring for our 8 month old grandson. He makes a lot of laundry So I called a local repair shop to come look at it. The repair guy turned the drum by hand and said "Well, it looks like your drum bearings are shot and you used too much detergent causing the seal to go and water leaked into your bearings". He gave me an estimate of $600 to fix it. I learned all of this through my wife since I was at work at the time. I wasn't going to pay that much to have it fixed. I bought a new washer and hauled the old one out to the garage. Fast forward two months and I'm working around the washer still strapped to the dolly out in my workshop. I couldn't resist, so I removed the back panel to look at it again. I thought I would see how hard it would be to replace the seal and bearings and maybe sell the thing to recoup some money. The first thing I noticed was that the bolt on the back of the rotor was loose. That is the retaining bolt that goes into the main shaft. It was finger loose. I quizzed my wife ( ok I pleasantly begged my wife) to find out if the repair guy had loosened the bolt. She said he NEVER removed the back cover. I removed the bolt and rotor to find that the splines in the rotor are stripped out. The drum turns fine and I don't feel any play in the bearings. My question is: Did the loose bolt cause the splines to shear off, or did the splines go first, loosening the bolt? Are the bearings heating up at high speed and seizing up? Can I replace the rotor or should I tear the whole thing apart and replace the tub support and the rotor? It looks like the rear tub support comes with bearings but I'm not sure. I would hate to just replace the rotor and have it do the same thing down the road to the poor sucker that buys it from me. Thanks for your help!

[appl.tech.29501]

whats really gonna piss ya off is that the parts should be covered under warranty per your owners manual.

Look on page 35

Stainless drum has a lifetime warranty

rotor, stator, and hall sensor have a 7 year warranty.

more than likely the nut got loose causing the splines to shear off.

You can get the tub support w/o the tub

If you were to call LG and explain the fataal failure in only a 2 year old machine
you may be surprised..they may take care of the whole thing...worth a shot

[spice_miner]

Sensi,

The repairman really did me dirty on this one. I was aware of the warranty on the motor and drum. I left instructions with my wife for the repairman about the warranty. Without even removing the rear inspection panel, he diagnosed the problem as seal/bearing failure that LG wouldn't warranty because we used too much detergent. He said that people use too much detergent and it eats away the seal, then water enters the bearing assembly causing failure. I was in a pinch for time and needed a washer before I left for a month. I will get with LG before making any repairs myself. I guess I can always sell it for a fraction of what i paid for it. :wallbash:Thanks for the info.

[john63]

It's highly unlikely that the bearing has failed.

Although no SERVICE BULLETIN was published for this symptom (that I'm aware of)...

A production run of these WM0642 washers *did* have this problem. It appears limited to SERIAL numbers beginning with an 8 or 9.

During manufacturing---someone forgot to add LOCTITE to the ROTOR BOLT.

This then becomes loose. The washer becomes noisier over time during the spin cycle. Eventually it won't spin at all.

The plastic SPLINES on the ROTOR have become "stripped".

The solution is to replace the ROTOR (4413ER1003A) and add LOCTITE to the BOLT.

aapl.tech. is right---this is covered (part only) from the 2nd thru 7th year. Contacting LG is a good idea. In many cases they will grant what's known as a CONCESSION NUMBER to allow an authorized LG servicer make all necessary repairs for free. Especially in your case---as the original servicer clearly misdiagnosed the washer & at a minimum was unaware of the warranty on certain components.

Edited by john63, 25 June 2011 - 11:40 PM.

[john63]

<<<he diagnosed the problem as seal/bearing failure that LG wouldn't warranty because we used too much detergent.>>>

*************

False.

[BLTH15]

This is the 5th time I've heard of this in the last two months. May be an on going or should i say an up and coming thing for the future. Nice thing about LG rebuild is it seems you only need a #2 phillips,10mm socket and a pair of pliers to get the job done.

[john63]

<<<This is the 5th time I've heard of this in the last two months>>>

****************

Of which? Loose bolt or bearing failure?

[spice_miner]

This keeps getting more interesting. My serial # is 806kwqw#####. I read a lot of posts including the lack of Loctite from the factory. The threads have zero loctite on them. I use a lot of loctite at work and know what it looks like and smells like before and after being applied. The repairman made a poor diagnosis. He assumed it was a bearing failure. Maybe regardless of what the problem actually was, he has instructions to replace the whole drum support as company policy. That way you don't get a call-back. I'm an electrician and have had simular orders when wiring A/C units after failures. Over size the wire and use anti-oxidation compound generously on new disconnects. You never get called back for the same failure. The customer pays more, but it works. I'll call LG Monday and get the low down on all this and post the results.

[john63]

<<<Maybe regardless of what the problem actually was, he has instructions to replace the whole drum support as company policy.>>>

*******************

For this type of appliance & area of problem---no policy exists that mandates any specific course of action.

It's at the discretion of the servicer (in the field).

[spice_miner]

I made the call to LG this afternoon. The representative told me that I would have to have another authorized repair shop look at the washer and then call LG's tech support center to validate the problem. We talked for 30 minutes about the chain of events and that I am a loyal LG customer, even buying ANOTHER LG washer after the first one died in two years. I play the odds of getting two lemons in a row. The rep wasn't softening up at all. Then I layed it on the table. I told her that I opened the back of the washer, GASP!, and found the retaining bolt loose and the rotor splines stripped out. Then I told her that I had heard of simular instances of that happening to other loyal LG owners. Her come back was " Well just removing the back of the washer can void your warranty". She really wasn't interested in helping me at all. I am thinking of calling the company that misdiagnosed the problem and giving them a chance to redeem themselves and make more money on the deal from LG. I can't see gambling that LG will cover the entire cost of the repair based on what a repair shop tells them. She said that in two years, that bolt could have come loose from many different causes other than a factory mistake. I told her that my mom had a Maytag that lasted 38 yrs without a problem with anything "loosening up". It all went downhill from there.

I will order a new rotor from this sites sponsor and add a few cents worth of Loctite to the bolt and be good to go, lesson learned. When a company starts spouting about "voiding warranties" and other veiled threats I know they are full of bull. I wish I would have had the time to meet with the repairman and help him diagnose the problem. I am fully confident in my own abilities as a troubleshooter and repairman as Iv'e been an electrician for 25yrs and hardly burnt anything up too bad.

[john63]

I failed to mention that...

Customer Service Representatives (CSR) have absolutely no authority to grant any type of concession. None.

It is best to tell the CSR that you'd like to speak with a SUPERVISOR.

Think of a CSR as a military guard/sentry at a *sensitive military facility*.

Without a pass/clearance---the guard will NEVER/EVER permit anyone into restricted area.

A SUPERVISOR would be akin to the base *commander*.

Only the *commander* can override the obedient guard at the gate.

If you spoke with a lowly "guard"---it doesn't hurt to try it again.

Tell the CSR that you want to speak with a commander (SUPERVISOR).

My advice: Leave out *any* mention of being a "loyal" customer.

What the SUPERVISOR needs to hear most---is that you've been *contemplating* purchasing/buying many more LG products and that if he/she can keep YOU a satisfied customer---you'll continue to do so.