Eurotech Front-Loading Washer Not Working - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gmercoleza · #1 07-27-2011, 10:54 AM

The drum fills up and the selector dial advances through the cycle as normal, except the drum never actually moves. This just started last night, ran 100 percent fine with no issues for 7 years from new. Any thoughts on where to start looking? Perhaps sources of troubleshooting information?

Thanks in advance!

gmercoleza · #2 07-27-2011, 10:57 AM

The drum fills up with water, and the selector dial advances through the cycle as normal, except the drum never actually moves. This just started last night, ran 100 percent fine with no issues for 7 years from new (quite impressive, actually).

Any thoughts on where to start looking? Perhaps sources of troubleshooting information?

Thanks in advance!

The Clk Man · #3 07-27-2011, 11:11 AM

There is a guy here named Lorainefurniture, pm him and he will have the answer, I guarantee it.

gmercoleza · #4 07-27-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

There is a guy here named Lorainefurniture, pm him and he will have the answer, I guarantee it.

I actually had his name in mind, but didn't get a chance to verify that he was the one. I knew there was an appliance repair person here. Such a diverse crew of knowledgeable folks here on MercedesShop. I'll PM him. Thanks!

lorainfurniture · #5 07-27-2011, 04:57 PM

can you supply a model #?

Does it fill with water?
does it agitate?
Does it spin?
Does it pump the water out?

When it is going through its cycle, do you hear any noises? Or does it sound dead?

gmercoleza · #6 07-28-2011, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorainfurniture

can you supply a model #?

Does it fill with water?
does it agitate?
Does it spin?
Does it pump the water out?

When it is going through its cycle, do you hear any noises? Or does it sound dead?

Model #EWF 172.
It fills with water and pumps it out when the cycle is done.
It doesn't agitate or spin at all.
While it's running, you can hear and see the rotary setting knob clicking and advancing through the cycle slowly (as normal). There are no other noises.

Thanks in advance!

vwbuge · #7 07-28-2011, 11:55 AM

www.repairclinic.com

lorainfurniture · #8 07-28-2011, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmercoleza

Model #EWF 172.
It fills with water and pumps it out when the cycle is done.
It doesn't agitate or spin at all.
While it's running, you can hear and see the rotary setting knob clicking and advancing through the cycle slowly (as normal). There are no other noises.

Thanks in advance!

I would say its the motor control board. I cant look up that unit in my database, but it kinda reminds me of those little bosch washers.

The motor control board is usually on the bottom of the machine. The mechanical timer sends a signal to the board and tells it what part of the wash cycle its at. The motor control board processes the tumbling back and forth part, as well as spin speed etc.

gmercoleza · #9 07-28-2011, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorainfurniture

I would say its the motor control board. I cant look up that unit in my database, but it kinda reminds me of those little bosch washers.

The motor control board is usually on the bottom of the machine. The mechanical timer sends a signal to the board and tells it what part of the wash cycle its at. The motor control board processes the tumbling back and forth part, as well as spin speed etc.

Yes, it's very similar to the Bosch units.

Is there a way to test the motor control board? I imagine it's expensive and probably best to make sure it's bad before ordering one? Where would I get one? Since it's not a Kenmore or other standard domestic brand I'm having trouble finding parts.

lorainfurniture · #10 07-29-2011, 05:22 PM

You would have to locate it near the bottom of the machine. I believe in the back there would be an oval shaped cover that would come off. Also, the top has a few screws in the back, then the top should slide forward, then off.

I have never worked on a machine like this, so it may be at the top.

Once in there, find the wiring diagram, Hopefully there will be a trouble shooting page in there.

Otherwise, pull out your trusty volt-o-meter, and set the machine to a wash cycle, and confirm that the MCB is getting juice. Check all the connections for corrosion, and clean as necessary. If you can confirm that the MCB is getting power, then I would gamble on the board. If not, then its a crapshoot.

A picture of the guts of your machine would really help me identify who actually built it.

gmercoleza · #11 08-02-2011, 11:21 AM

OK, here are some pics. I believe the manufacturer is Asko.

The motor spins freely and smoothly; I suspect it would spin right up with 100v applied. Should I try that? I removed the PCB. See what appears to be an overheated or burned connection? Is that anything to be concerned about? I removed the fuse and tested positive for continuity on it.

lorainfurniture · #12 08-02-2011, 02:45 PM

That burn spot is exactly your problem.. Look on the back side of the board, and see if the conection is burnt up. You might be able to drop a dab of solder and fix it right up.

Do NOT apply direct voltage to the motor. You found the failed part, so everything else should be working proper.

By the looks of that board, the output of the fuse (main power for that board) Channels the electricity right to that black (capacitor?) Wafer thing. snap a pic of the other side.

If only I was this good at fixing my cars...

Jim H · #13 08-02-2011, 03:53 PM

The black part seems to be labeled "TDR1" so I would suspect that it is in the motor start circuit. It might be a capacitor to protect a Time Delay of some sort...

You might be able to re-solder the connection, but the "TDR1" part may already be toasted. So, I strongly suggest a replacement board. Check with the manufacturer or a trusty repair shop to see if that model any circuit board has replacement Service Bulletins.

On a similar note, I have seen such a failure in a furnace control circuit board that allowed the burner to start, but failed to start the main blower. The result was the burner stayed on and burned up the furnace, putting a lot of soot through the house, but fortunately not starting the house on fire. The circuit board in the furnace was an older model that should have been replaced under a Service Bulletin, but it had ntobeen replaced. I'm not sure who will win the lawsuit...

gmercoleza · #14 08-02-2011, 05:30 PM

Thanks guys. I didn't hear back right away, so I went ahead and ordered the part. $350 + $20 shipping. They are right next door in Plano but don't do walk-up transactions, so I had to pay tax also. The girl on the order line told me repairclinic.com sells parts too, but they were out of stock. Too bad - their price was over $100 less.

It is not a cheap part. I could easily buy a top-load washing machine for the same amount of money. But this washer is super quiet, super compact, and super efficient. A new one is in the ballpark of $1600 to $2000. Seeing the burn marks makes me pretty confident the board is the culprit. There's really nothing else inside there that looks like it can fail.

Thanks again. I'll report back with my results, hopefully in a few days.

lorainfurniture · #15 08-03-2011, 04:15 PM

I would have just soldered it. Ive done it dozens of times with about 95% success rate.

It looks like it was drawing a bit more power than that tiny solder connection could handle. You can still try it and see if it works. It wont hurt anything.