WTW4950XW3 will not advance to Spin

[Fran D]

Nine year old WTW4950XW3 recently stopped advancing to spin for any wash cycle. Sometimes, SPIN and blinking Lid Locked LEDs illuminated, or just SPIN and nothing else. Can sometime Clear and force a spin on Drain & Spin, but never gets fully up to speed. Found codes F7E1, F7E5, and F7E7, so on preponderance of evidence, bought and installed new shift actuator. But, somehow, this "new" shift actuator seems worse. Takes a long time to go through sensing on cycle start and when it tries to go to SPIN, the clutch grinds and then stops. I can never get this thing to go through even a partial cyle, like the bad, "old," shift actuator, and it always grinds trying to get to SPIN. It also throws a F7E5 (the only code it throws) almost immediately. If I put the bad, "old" actuator back in, I can get partial advance of a cycle up to spin, and can finagle it to go to spin by selecting Drain & Spin. Now, the bad, "old" actuator is only throwing F7E1.

I'm a bit flummoxed. Is the "new" actuator actually bad, and is the actuator actually the problem? Looking for some insightful help.

[16345Ed]

Or shifter was installed incorrectly... there is a plastic lever that needs to be engaged. 

[Fran D]

Yup, it was installed correctly ...each time.

[16345Ed]

Going to have to pull tub and check tub gear and also inspect clutch underneath (that’s what the shifter hooks onto). 

[Fran D]

Well...that seemed like way too much work, so I took the coward's way out and tried another shift actuator. It seems to be fixed...for now.

I exchanged the "new" actuator that didn't work with another "new" actuator from my parts shop. It had the same exact part number, but my parts guy asked for the SN of the washer to report the failure of the first actuator he sold me. I don't know if there are different versions of these things floating around, but the second one did the trick.

[Ian B]

The gear case has something called a spluch. This could be worn. It’s all plastic and is attached to the gear case underneath. I was on one where it was making a rubbing noise while agitation. The nut was loose and hitting the cover. Grinding while spinning could be a worn splutch or hopefully not the gear case 

[Fran D]

It appears that the grinding I was experiencing was only due to the first "new" actuator I installed. The second one has been quiet. No grinding or rubbing, just smooth operation. For now.