Washing Machine assistance please!!!


  #1  
Old 12-03-17, 08:27 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Washing Machine assistance please!!!

Howdy... I have a Whirlpool WTW5810SW0 that I got from costco about 10 years ago. I use it barely twice a month but just recently towels would end up still being wet and it did not seem to have enough torque to spin effectively. I replaced the clutch thinking that was the issue. Direct drive components looked fine so I did not bother replacing them. Started it back up and it filled and started agitating normally, however when it was time to rinse and spin, it would drain, but not start spinning at all. Kinda sounded like it was straining to do something. I did some more research and it sounds like my timer is bad??? The only thing that is making me wonder about that is after I installed the clutch before I did a load, I moved the dial to "spin" and closed the lid and it started spinning like a maniac and seemed fine. Once it filled and went through a cycle it never got spinning again. Would that still be a timer issue or did I mess something up when I replaced the clutch? Thanks!!
 
  #2  
Old 12-03-17, 08:37 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,816
Received 3,922 Upvotes on 3,518 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

When the machine is agitating.... the motor spins in the forward direction. When it comes time to drain.... the motor is run in reverse for one space on the timer dial which is usually three minutes. After that three minute period.... the motor should stop for 3-5 seconds and then restart. That pause causes the transmission to shift into spin. Listen for that pause after the drain. If you don't hear it.... the timer is most likely the problem.

You can also test this by waiting for approx three minutes, lifting the lid and then reclose it. That should put it into spin.
 
  #3  
Old 12-03-17, 08:45 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I do hear the pause after it drains, but when it pops back on it just sounds like its in pain. I took all the wet clothes out and when it was empty I manually set it to spin and closed the lid which caused it to start spinning like crazy, but the agitator was spinning too, which according to what you just said is wrong for spin cycle right? So are you still thinking timer or did I mess something up when I was putting it back together after clutch replacement?

THANKS so much for the fast reply!!!
 
  #4  
Old 12-03-17, 08:54 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Its spinning clockwise if that tells you anything.... what seems to be a pretty fast strong spin... it just wont do it when there is a bunch of wet clothes in there.
 
  #5  
Old 12-03-17, 08:57 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,816
Received 3,922 Upvotes on 3,518 Posts
That would not be a timer issue. That would be a problem in possibly the clutch.
Did you use the blue spring ?
 
  #6  
Old 12-03-17, 09:03 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The kit came with a light blue extra spring but the one that was already installed seemed to match the existing but now that I think about it I should have looked more closely. Could I have destroyed something if I did indeed need to use the other spring?
 
  #7  
Old 12-03-17, 10:10 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,816
Received 3,922 Upvotes on 3,518 Posts
No... nothing damaged.
The HD spring allows the clutch to lock up tighter with a larger tub and load size.
 
  #8  
Old 12-04-17, 02:22 AM
pugsl's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 8,161
Received 77 Upvotes on 70 Posts
Lean washer back against wall and look under it. About 6 inches up around cabinet is there a streak of oil? If there you need a top gearcase seal. One thing to try is jump lid switch (2 wires not colored green) put washer in spin and try to help it to start spinning. I have done a lot of them and I can tell if clutch is slipping by holding tub, if it takes light pressure to hold than clutch is slipping.
 
  #9  
Old 12-04-17, 11:25 AM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Did not see any oil, but I definitely used the wrong spring and will be switching it out later today. Hopefully that fixes it, but if it does end up being the gear case seal - do you know about how much the seal is and how difficult it is to replace? Thanks.

edit: just watched video for gear case seal replacement and it looks pretty easy. Hopefully its just the spring though.
 
  #10  
Old 12-04-17, 01:16 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Pulled the new clutch out to replace the spring and I noticed what looks like metal shavings? Is this a sign of something or should I just still assume using the wrong spring was problem?

 
  #11  
Old 12-04-17, 02:00 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Seems like the spring was the issue - running a load know but I'm feeling confident.... thanks for the help!!!
 
  #12  
Old 12-04-17, 02:02 PM
pugsl's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 8,161
Received 77 Upvotes on 70 Posts
Don't think I have seen shaving in clutch like that. Look up at the plastic piece that engages the clutch to see if any obvious wear. If no oil than seal should be ok.
 
  #13  
Old 12-04-17, 02:34 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Ok so when I started the load after changing the spring it seemed ok.... the first time it wanted to spin during the load it cranked up and seemed fine, but at the end of the cycle, the water drained.... I heard the pause... it clicked over... then started sounding like it was in pain again..... I took all the wet clothes out and went to manually initiate a spin cycle but now just the agitator spins, not the basket. That is the first time Ive seen that. When I tested it empty before this load the basket and agitator where spinning. Any thoughts? Thanks again for the help... this is starting to get frustrating....

Are you still thinking its the seal? This is really getting agitating... pun intended.
 

Last edited by obliviousfool; 12-04-17 at 04:57 PM.
  #14  
Old 12-04-17, 05:39 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
To the two saints who have been helping me with this... I do truly appreciate it... getting ready to give up but I was able to get the basket spinning to top speed with a full heavy load of wet towels, but I had to spin in manually then slam the lid quickly and that got it going.... Does that give you any indication as to what the problem is?

Thanks again.

Recap: New clutch, proper spring, couplers are fine - maybe leaning back towards timer being issue? Did not see any oil but maybe it was long drained out and wiped away? Do you think these current symptoms still point towards seal?
 
  #15  
Old 12-05-17, 03:28 AM
pugsl's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 8,161
Received 77 Upvotes on 70 Posts
Slight possibility that there is something under basket, I have found all sorts of things under there. If timer goes to spin and you hear motor run than it is not timer.
 
  #16  
Old 12-05-17, 03:10 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
OK so this is really getting frustrating... someone has to have run across this problem before: Cycle goes along normally - fills, agitates, drains, SPINS fulls speed no problem even with towels, then fills again, does its thing, drains, pauses, click back and then the motor just runs during the final spin cycle until the timer goes off, but it never starts spinning again. I can hack it by going back to the earlier phase where it spins and just cut it off before it starts filling again for final rinse. Like seriously WTF.... why would it spin max speed no problem in the middle of the cycle, but not at the end?!?!?!?!?!? New clutch, couplers are fine, new dogs, but there where fine anyway - timer is really the only other thing I can replace but for 110 amazon prime I think Id be better off just getting a used machine off craigslist.

Thanks again for the contributions... really hope someone runs across this thread having seen this before... its a WHIRLPOOL WTW5810SW0 that I got at costco about 9 years ago and have used it maybe twice a month since then.
 
  #17  
Old 12-05-17, 04:00 PM
pugsl's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 8,161
Received 77 Upvotes on 70 Posts
Looking for wiring diagram for your washer but have not had any luck. If remember right spin is controlled by the same contacts in timer in both spins.
 
  #18  
Old 12-05-17, 05:07 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,816
Received 3,922 Upvotes on 3,518 Posts
This should be the same as the wiring for that machine....
forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15726.0;attach=8942


Grab this too. I won't be leaving it active. This is the L-55 service manual.
L-55-washer-manual/
 

Last edited by PJmax; 12-05-17 at 05:32 PM.
  #19  
Old 12-05-17, 05:27 PM
O
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I know my way around an electrical box, but this is a little bit above my pay grade. Are you trying to decipher if it could be the timer? I thought I read somewhere that these about 10 year old whirlpools had some kind of electronic sensor or switch not related to the timer that can fail and when it does its not worth getting it fixed. Just read it yesterday but I can not find the site.
 
  #20  
Old 12-06-17, 03:29 AM
pugsl's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 8,161
Received 77 Upvotes on 70 Posts
I see your washer has a ATC swkitch (auto temp control) that is a known problem. I had changed many but retired a few years ago and can't remember why. At motor see if you have 120 to the blue wire and than orange in the spin you are having problem. Will have to jump lid switch to do this.
Thanks Pete Please see if you see anything different.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: