Samsung Washer WA5471 error code 3E

[slburris]

Hi,

I have a Samsung WA5471 washing machine that failed washing two blankets with an error code 3E.  I unloaded the washer and tried a wash cycle with it empty, same error code.  The documentation says 3E is a motor/tachometer error.  

 

OK, so I tried some diagnosis.  I put the washer into service mode and set it to do a spin test.  What I get is some mechanical clunking sounds and the pulsator in the bottom turns poorly or not at all and the tub jerks around.  Either the washer gets stuck at this point and throws new error codes 3E1 or 3E2, or it gets past that and starts the spinning.  Then I see it smoothly spin up to slightly over 1000 RPM (the RPM is shown on the display during service mode), then stop the test and spin down as the service manual says it should.

 

This suggests to me that neither the direct drive motor, nor the tachometer is broken.  Could this actually be a problem with the clutch?  I'm assuming the clutch provides the two spin modes, A: where the tub stays still and the pulsator turns back and forth, and B: the tub and pulsator spin as a unit.  Is that how a washer with a direct drive motor really operates?  Do you think I should order a new clutch at this point or some other mechanical part?  Or is my diagnosis off base?  It's odd that I don't see codes about the clutch, but I'm assuming the clutch is broken somehow and that impedes spinning the tub and that's what throws the motor fault code.

 

Scott