Australasian Appliance Forum

Hi all,
Firstly a huge thanks to the admins and moderators here - I've already learnt a huge amount about my faulty washing machine. Thanks!

I'm hoping I could get some help with my washing machine please.

It's a Fisher & Paykel Smartdrive 708, 7.5kg top-loader. Here's my sorry story (My apologies for the long post - being in IT tech support, I'd rather customers told me the whole story so I can pick out the important bits myself)

Originally, Last week it started "stuttering" whilst filling. i.e. the fill would start-stop-start-stop for maybe 5secs on, 3secs off until it would eventually stop and beep at me and show some lights. I didn't record the lights at the time as I didn't realise they were fault codes.

I started to trouble-shoot what I thought originally may have been a faulty Overbalance Sensor. I could hear the reed switch clicking freely and there was no gunk or corrosion around it.
So that seemed ok.

I've unplugged the display module from the other orange computer in the top section multiple times + unplugged all cables from the other orange computer multiple times too.
I've also blown down the clear tube (water level sensor?) to try and remove any obstructions. I could hear the air bubbling out the other end so that seems fine.

Then after plugging everything back together the machine and display powered on ok and allowed me to select the cycle I wanted but wouldn't actually start the cycle. It just sat there alternating between it's "ready" state and the flashing "paused" state when I toggled the Start/Pause button.

Short-version is that I shorted out the lid sensor by cutting and joining the wires together. The machine started "working" again, but was still stuttering when filling.

Then I found you guys and found out how to do the diags on the unit.
Slow+Hold lights lit shows the lights (L->R) 10000011

From my search and research here that appears to indicate an RPS fault?
So I tipped the machine over, pulled the white plastic nut and grey plastic cover-shield off. I removed the 4 bolts holding the large coil unit to the central shaft and then removed the only little circuit board attached to the coil wheel (stator?). Is this the RPS board?

The board was moderately grimey and copper-corroded so I gave the circuit board a good clean with a circuit cleaner then put the whole thing back together and fired it up again.

No go still stuttering whilst filling. After stuttering a few times it stopped and errored out with (L->R) 01101001 lights.

Diag lights (Hold+Slow) show 10000011 again.

During the course of my troubleshooting, I could force the cold and hot solenoids open and closed on command (Temp Up or Temp Down for those reading and wondering). I could also keep them open for an extended period. In diags mode, the water flower smoothly.
I also tested the pump in diags mode (regular wash button), and it (nearly) emptied the machine completely and correctly.

So, over to brains trust. Do I need a new RPS module and/or is something else likely to be the culprit?

Thanks for any and all assistance.
Tim

RPS most likely culprit if you're sure that the wiring is intact. It's really a Hall Effect Sensor, BTW.

Penguin45.

Awesome, thanks Penguin.
Wiring looks clean enough. No corrosion or frays.

Have ordered a new Hall Effect Sensor from F&P spares. p/n 420296P. AU$54 + postage for anyone else interested.

Will let you know how we go.

Cheers again!
Tim

Hey Tim how did you go?
I have a gw708 smart drive and it powers up you select the cycle and nothing happens!!!!!!!!!!!
It works every other day but not every day....
I just ripped the whole thing to bits only to find the rps circuit board and its connections corroded.
I have a spare gw708 in the shed for parts so pulled the one off it.
I will resume assembly ands let you know what happens..
My machine is over 10 years old now
Most of the buttons on the touch pad have holes worn in them .
I got error code 00001001 reading left to right.
I dont know what this means..
Im thinking a comms error?
My wife loves the machine and it will be a sad day when we have to retire it
cheers Rileyp

Yup, new RPS/HES arrived from Stokes, installed and working perfectly first go.

Penguin will be able to decode the fault code for you, but if it powers up but doesn't start, I'd be looking at either the Overbalance switch or the Lid sensor.

In my case, The lid sensor was also borked. I cut and shorted-out the wires (black and blue) about an inch from the sensor plug behind the top panel of the machine.

Thanks for the help Penguin!
Tim

Hi all, great site, have learned buckets about the Fizzle & Pop GW708 in the laundry...

Same story, motor control board was fried, got that fixed and now it powers up, the solenoids open for about half a second when the whole shebang shuts down. Fires up about 5 seconds later and repeats the whole thing


Have been duly informed after being able to download the technical manual, that the likely culprit is the RPS... needs an RPG more like...
Since having pulled it all off the bottom, the RPS looks ok, with the exception of a few black marks on the PCB tracks, is this the "flashover" from the RPS to the stator that I should be looking for?


The other possible problem is the plastic stator itself has two small cracks in it, on opposite sides, is this likely to cause a drama and should I just revert back to the Rocket Powered Grenade?


Cheers

Don't worry about the cracks..... Yup, RPS is likely candidate, but check the lid switch and out of balance switch for corrosion issues first - bit cheaper to replace!

Penguin45.

Thanks Penguin, you are a legend, will let you know how it goes!
Cheers

Ok, replaced RPS, currently looking to source that RPG as it still not happening..

After having installed the RPS, I checked the resistance over the 3 phases, got back around 13 ohms each after locating a short prob (1.2 ohms) across 2 of them... all ok, tested resistance at board before firing up. Checked lid and OOB switches, even shorted them to remove them from the equation...

It did some different things to before, then I got back fault code (L to R) 10001000, 136 motor stall? Agitator spins no prob, is this a case of sending the motor control module back to the rebuilder with nasty words or have I missed something? Not happy, Jan! (Aussie joke)

Please help, the wifey is losing confidence in my superhero fixing anything ability...

Cheers