Australasian Appliance Forum

[kali]

I have a Fisher & Paykel SmartDrive 053 washing machine.
I thought it had completed its wash cycle, it was off.
When I removed blanket and other things, they were still
dripping wet, but the bowl of water was empty; so this
probably happened during the spin cycle.
But the machine would not start again to finish the spin
cycle. It would not power on at all.

So, I'm guessing that it unbalanced under full load, and
maybe something happened to it then.
Will unbalancing blow an internal fuse or toggle a switch?
Will unbalancing during spin damage some internal part?

I've had the top cover off, looked at connections
haven't found a fuse nor reset switch. It has NO response
to toggling power on/off.
And I cannot see any external switch at all - nor internal
switch either.

I have checked the wall outlet. It is supplying power.
Also, checked the extension cord - it is working fine.
The problem is squarely at/in the machine.

Any thoughts?

[Penguin45]

Check pump. Check lid function. Apart from that, more or less has to be board fault.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[kali]

Thanks.
Do you know if parts are available for a washer of this vintage?
- pump
- a lid switch
- a motor board

I read from one of your other posts that testing the lid switch on another model (708), resistance should be less than 2 ohms, and corrosion/wiring problems might exist. Is that the same for a model 053?

Also, is the "board", the top board (with all the lights and buttons)? Or is it located elsewhere?
Is the board a repairable item or only replaceable item?

[Penguin45]

All parts are still available. Don't go mad though - buying electronics for a ten year old appliance is probably not a cost effective solution. There are sources of repaired boards, should it prove to be neccessary. Do the basics first - meter out the switch and pump and check for function.

Cheers,
Penguin45.

[Quisla]

In the past I have been using discarded washing machines and most of the time it is a worn out controller (mechanical program control device) which can be made to run again using spray such as CRC556 - often used for cars when you have an electrical problem or for lubrication.
I found that about 50% of discarded machines would work after thorough spraying. The other 50% would have something else obviously wrong with them, like a burnt out motor. Do not spend money on repairs on an old machine. Spare parts can be found for free among discarded machines (often stacked on the backside of the dealer who has to take all the returns).
Naturally you only do repairs if you have the time to spend.

Regarding the smartdrive you may be interested to know that the motor is very popular among wind turbine and water turbine home builders since it can be modified to a generator. Before scrapping your machine you could maybe get a small sum from someone interested this area. (Probably not more than £10 though)
Good luck
Quisla