Zanussi Washing Machine E10

[sotal]

Now a few weeks after the dishwasher, the washing machine has gone wrong!


It is coming up with E10 on the screen.

According to the Manual this indicates that it took too long to fill. Looking online this specified that it took longer than 3 minutes to fill and was most likely the water inlet valve.

My first thoughts were that I doubted this as the machine starts the cycle and you can hear the machine fill and visibly see it filling in the drum quite quickly - then it starts to spin, it then fails a few minutes after.

I took the top off the washing machine and removed the water inlet valve. I made up a test lead reconnected the water and tested each solenoid in turn, both worked flawlessly. I tried repeating 20 times with each and both worked fine every time.

I reassembled everything and put the machine on a quick (24 minute) cycle. I got bored watching when it got to 15 mins left and went off for a drink (it wasn't getting this far before so I hoped just the dismantling and reassembly had fixed it) when I came back about 15 mins later it was back to E10 on the screen.


Any ideas what it could be?

 

[yardie]

Maybe test the pressure sensor.

 

[jj4091]

Check the pressure switch actuates & de-actuates & pipe from drain pump isn't blocked. (remove the pipe from the switch & blow down, you should here air bubbling in drain pump) then blow into switch & you should hear it actuate & de-actuate.

 

[sotal]

Thanks, I take it the drain is all working correctly as when it gives the error I turn it off for 2 minutes then turn it back on and set it to drain only which is just a 1 minute program. It then drains all the water quickly.



I have taken out the pressure switch. I can easily blow down the pipe that was connected and doing so blows bubbles in the water at the bottom.

I can hear something inside the pressure switch when I blow in it, although I've had a quick try with the multimeter and can't detect a change in continuity between any of the pins when I blow in to it.

It is only 3 pins. The switch itself is SPS-L11LS 302401400003 DC 5V.

Any ideas of which pins I should be testing? I presume a continuity test is best?

On the continuity setting, my multimeter shows 1 when it is an open circuit, then it when it detects a circuit it gives a 3 digit number which gets closer to zero the better the connection.

Without blowing in to the switch, the continuity test on my multimeter shows:

Pin 1 to Pin 2: 1
Pin 1 to Pin 3: 025
Pin 2 to Pin 3: 1

When I blow in to hear the switch actuate I get:

Pin 1 to Pin 2: 1
Pin 1 to Pin 3: 025
Pin 2 to Pin 3: 1

I also get the same results as above when I put it on the 2k resistance setting.


Does this all indicate that the switch is dead?

 

[yardie]

You may need to check in situ for voltage when operating with 5v as I don't think yours is a simple switch.

 

[sotal]

Thanks for the reply.

The switch is this one:

https://zanussi.site.powa.com/product/4055066502/Washing+Machine+Pressure+Switch

The washing machine is a zwg1140m

 

[yardie]

Are there def 3 wires to the pressure switch?

 

[sotal]

Yep 3 wires, exactly as per the picture on the link above.

When I say pin 1 that is the furthest away pin on the picture - that has a blue wire going to it, the next is a yellow wire and the final pin has an orange wire going to it.


Thanks

 

[yardie]

See which one has the 5v, I suspect the pin your calling no 3.

And the 5v should switch to either pin 1(when switch not active) or pin 2 (when switch activated).

 

[sotal]

See which one has the 5v, I suspect the pin your calling no 3.

And the 5v should switch to either pin 1(when switch not active) or pin 2 (when switch activated).

At the moment it isn't switching at all, there is some continuity to pin 1 but it is not switching to pin 2 when activated.

I am not applying 5v though but I presume it is just a simple switch?

Is that right - if so I'd better order a replacement.

I can see a used one on ebay for about £8 or a new one for about £28 from Zanussi themselves.

 

[yardie]

You could ask the seller to check it has continuity between pins1&3 and 2&3 when active.

 

[sotal]

You could ask the seller to check it has continuity between pins1&3 and 2&3 when active.

Message sent to seller!



So do you think it does sound like the switch is knackered?

 

[yardie]

I reckon so.

 

[sotal]

Ebay one was a no go,

Ordered one from Zanussi, but heard nothing from them since. Now we're into bank holidays so I doubt I'll see it for a while!

 

[sotal]

Still no part in the post

Did some more testing today to see if I could work anything else out.

I put the pressure switch back in place.

With the multimeter set to 20k I got the following with the pressure switch connected put the appliance still unplugged:

Yellow - Orange = 8.73
Yellow - Blue = 0.03
Orange - Blue = 10.14

I then plugged it in to the mains and ran the drain program. Once the drum had drained I checked again and got the following:

Yellow - Orange = 1.
Yellow - Blue = 0.20
Orange - Blue = -12.99



I then put the machine on a quick wash (24 mins) and watched it. As it was on the wash part of the cycle the values stayed roughly the same as above. It did the complete "wash" part of the cycle and started the rinse. It was during the rinse part that the E10 displayed on the screen and it stopped.

Before this when the machine drained I checked again and got:

Yellow - Orange = -13.02
Yellow - Blue = 0.00
Orange - Blue = 1.

Which appears to show a switch from one state to another?


Whilst the machine was on I checked the resistance between gnd and the pins, the only interesting one was the orange pin which changed between -2.96 and 0.7 as the drum was spinning.

I also checked voltages at this point during the wash cycle. At this point I got:

GND - Yellow = 2.66v
GND - Orange = 0v - 0.05v (as the drum spins)
GND - Blue = 2.66v



So does any of that mean anything? Is the switch functioning correctly?

If so what could it be?


I'm already in enough trouble seeing as we haven't had a washing machine for a week!