Beko washing machine wont spin - motor or controller fault?

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Hi all,

I have a Beko ECO WMB81445LW washing machine which, after me pausing it mid-cycle yesterday now refuses to spin. All cycles still complete; it just doesn't spin during the spin sections.

Here's what I know:
  • The belt is intact.
  • The drum spins freely by hand when the belt is removed.
  • When the belt is connected to drum and motor, the drum can be spun by hand but it is stiff and juddery.
  • The motor spindle is stiff and juddery both with and without the belt attached. The spindle turns a quarter rotation under resistance before settling into place, then repeats around a full rotation.
  • This indicates the problem is at the motor end, not the drum.
However, things change when I unplug a wire...

Motor Controller Board info: Arcelik SW v61 P/N 2419801001
Motor info: Arcelik 2841940200 / BLW072P8L42Y-01

There are two sets of wires going from motor controller board to motor.
  • Plug 1 has 3 wires: white/red, green/red, white/orange. This goes to "KN5" on the board.
  • Plug 2 has 2 wires: green/blue, blue/green. This goes to "KN1" the board ("T1 & T2").

When I remove Plug 1 from either the board or the motor, the spindle suddenly spins freely.
Plug 2 has no effect regardless of Plug 1's position.
The same is true both when the machine is plugged into the mains, and after being unplugged for a couple of hours.

I then removed all other wires going to the board and plugged just plug1 into board and motor and the problem appeared again, so I believe it's one or the other at fault.

So, I am now left wondering if the motor is faulty, or the board? Both items are very expensive, and whilst I'm happy to pay for the right one, I obviously don't want to buy the wrong one!

Are there further tests I can undertake to determine which is faulty please?

Many thanks.
 
Last edited:
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Sorry, just confirm you're first paragraph, what happens if you just put it on a spin cycle.
 
Hi, it pumps out the water as normal for about a minute, then it should spin for a couple of mins, then pump, spin etc for a total of 15 mins.
It goes through the full 15 min cycle, but at the points when it should spin, nothing happens. No noise, nothing. After that minute or two is up, it empties again, then another nothingness for 1-2 mins, repeated until cycle completes.
Thanks

EDIT: By the way, the motor is brushless so I can't try a brush replacement. :(
 
So, if it's on a normal washing cycle, does the drum turn then.
 
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Try pressing the stop/pause/cancel button for 3 seconds to do a factory reset.
 
Thank you. I'm going to take it to a local agent tomorrow to see if he can offer a replacement. Many thanks!
 
I was thinking about this a little more... If the motor spins freely when disconnected from the board, but goes tight and juddery when connected (and won't spin automatically) does this not point more toward the board being faulty?
 
Not necessarily as I believe that there is another board inside the motor & the 2 of them communicate so it could still be either. As you say prices for both items is high & there is no way of proving which is the faulty one, other than part swopping. Your best bet is probably to cut your losses or try & get a fixed price repair (parts & labour) from the manufacturer or one of the other national appliance repair companies. Or if there is no hurry take out an insurance policy ------ & I am sure you can work out the rest.
 
Thank you.
I have taken the machine to a local repair shop today (who said the exact same thing as you). They are going to inspect it and provide a free report of the fault before I proceed. Many thanks!
 
Just a quick follow-up for completeness...
The shop diagnosed a faulty motor control board but advised these are out of stock and very expensive. I have therefore bought a better quality machine with a decent guarantee. Thanks for your help!
 

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