hotpoint WF321G Acting Oddly

[RobGuest]

Hi there, i have a hotpoint wf321g that is just over 3 years old, about a week ago my wife turned it on and there was a big bang and the machine did not respond at all, so i stripped it down and looked at the main control module, i could see some black marks on both sides of the board and the main damage was where a leg had blown off of a capacitor, there was also a few drops of water on the board, so i replaced the board, upon stripping it further i found the pump was clogged with about £2 in loose change, so i cleaned it all out and also took the black pipe that runs from the drum to the pump (has a ball inside) off and cleaned it as there was alot of soap scum all inside, i also had a good feel (as far as my little fingers can reach) around in between the drum and the casing and could not feel any obstructions, so i went to do the first cycle and the 1st light (wash enhance) was flashing along with the on/off light, i got a little leaflet with the pcb that said the cause of this was the pressure switch, so i replaced it, but it still did it, here is what i have found so far but am stuck now,

if i put the machine on fast spin with the little black pipe connected to the pressure switch, the machine will rotate slowly a couple of times, then the pump will start and the wash enhance light will start flashing and it will stay like that with the pump spinning, but if i take the pipe off the pressure switch, and blow into the pressure switch the machine will rotate slowly endlessly, however if i blow into the pressure switch for a couple of minutes then turn the machine off, connect the black pipe to the pressure switch then turn the machine back on, it will resume the cycke then start the fast spin for 1 cycle, then the lights start flashing, i have spent all day yesterday and today trying to sort it out but am completely stuck now, has anybody got any ideas?

 

[zipper]

Check connector J3 is clean & tight on both the pcb & pressure switch side. You should also check the cables for continuity.
When the drum is empty there should be continuity on J3 plug pins 2 & 4. When the drum is filled to normal water level there should be continuity on pins 2 & 3. Continuity on pins 1 & 2 would signal that the drum is overfilled. A damp pcb could also give the symptoms you describe. So if there is any remaining dampness dry the pcb thoroughly with a hairdryer or similar. On rare occasions poor water pressure or very slow fill could cause an issue similar to yours.

 

[RobGuest]

ok thanks i got a multimeter coming later today so i will check and report back.

 

[RobGuest]

ok i put a multimeter accrosss the switch and all is as it should be, the connectors are tight and clean, the pcb is completely dry, i did abit more research today and according to hotpoints website, if light number 1 is flashing (wash enhance in my case) this is a fault f08 which is "Heater relay cannot be activated " so i rang the company who i bought the control module and they said that the heater relay is a common fault with these boards so they always replace them for new ones before they send them out regardless of if they need it or not, somebody suggested to me that it might be the heating element but i do not have access to a megger is there any other way to test it?

 

[zipper]

Check the element resistance with your multimeter on a 1 x scale, it should read 25ish ohms it it is good. Then put the multimeter on the highest resistance scale & measure the resistance to earth. Not ideal as a multimeter only puts out a couple of volts, but in the absence of a 500v megger that's all you have to work with. Anyhow, if the element had an earth fault it should trip your rcd, did this happen?

 

[RobGuest]

no it doesn't trip the RCD at all, everything is fine, it just will not do a spin for some reason, everything else works fine. one thing i did forget to mention though, not sure if it is significant, but if the machine is plugged in and the socket is left switched on, but the machine is not physically turned on (no lights on) after a couple of minutes i can hear a click, which sounds like the pressure switch, the machine will come out of standby and the wash enhance light and the on/off light start dancing away.

 

[RobGuest]

ok upon closer inspection it is not the pressure switch clicking, its the main control module, it sounds like a relay, however if i disconnect the connector from the pressure switch, i can still hear the relay go click, but the lights do not start flashing and the machine does not bring itself out of standby.

 

[zipper]

Have you checked the motor brushes?

 

[RobGuest]

no i havn't i will check them out now, shouldn't be too hard for me, i use to rewind and overhaul electric motors for a living!

 

[zipper]

Me too...Now there's a coincidence

 

[RobGuest]

Wow, winders are few and far between mate, very rare trade, what a coincidence, right just ripped the motor out and checked the brushes, they are fine, bout 3cm left, the com could do with a clean but that is not causing the problem, this is really doin my head in now and if i hadn't already spent over £100 trying to fix it, on top of the £350 it cost us 3 years ago, it prob would have went through the window along time ago!!!

 

[RobGuest]

i don't think it can be anything to do with the motor, surely a fault in the motor would not bring the machine out of standby would it?

 

[zipper]

Did you have the original pcb repaired or get a re-con (programmed) pcb? Because if you bought a new pcb it would require programming with a smart-card & card reader. I would assume since you say it came with a leaflet that the pressure switch caused failure then you got a re-con board. However; I have never heard of a pressostat fault that took out a pcb? Faulty door switches, pumps, motors & heaters yes....pressostat, no
With a bit of luck Rocks1 will kick in here & help pinpoint the problem. In the meantime reset the machine by pulling out the plug for min 2 mins & give it another try. Otherwise it sounds to me like the replacement pcb may in fact be faulty, especially if all other components check out ok.

 

[RobGuest]

yeah i agree, have rang the company i got it from and they want me to send it back for testing, ur right it is a re-con board as its about half the price of a new one and i wouldn't know how to program it.

 

[zipper]

Programming a new pcb is just plug & play. But you need a smart card & card reader to do it, & they cost nearly as much as a new pcb. Recon boards shouldn't need programming & the few companies that repair washer pcb's usually do a very good job. I suppose occasionally a duff pcb could get through, things happen sometimes. I am sure they will do all they can to help identify any problem. Hope you get it sorted...