Model #GLTF2940ES3, the failure reported on this front load washer was a horrible noise and not draining water. Many different failures come to mind given those symptoms, but this call is one that demonstrates the need for good communication between the technician and the customer. And why asking opened ended questions of the customer is important to identify the machine failure so we are not spending a lot of time on the symptoms. This isn't going to be one of my typical service call posts with hows and whys of one of my service adventures, but rather a post on how a simple failure can give some unrelated symptoms.



The customers complaint of noise and not draining would usually lead me in the direction of the drain pump because if it's plugged or not working, well the water goes nowhere. This can also provide for some rather unnerving sounds in the process along with preventing the washer from completing a spin cycle. But upon my arrival, I found the actual failure to be something much simpler and thus the reason for this post.

As far as the customer was concerned, the noise and not draining was the problem to be dealt with, but after asking some open ended questions, you know the ones encouraging the customer to speak freely, I found out that the noise seemed to come and go during the cycle, while the not draining was actually noticed more on bulky clothing items. This can still indicate many things, but it does get me thinking the problem is more likely the washer not spinning then not draining. A blocked or broken pump will leave standing water in the tub, but a washer not draining will leave much more water in the clothes which the customer assumes is because it's not draining.

This conclusion lead me to the door latch which if not closed properly, will allow the washer to do everything it is supposed to do, expect spin out the clothes. Opening the door, I noticed some rubbing where the strike meets the latch itself which can definitely result in door issues. Looking further at the door and how it closes, I found it didn't seem to sit properly in the frame and would even rub on the door seal making it difficult to latch. This most certainly is now pointing toward an alignment problem and after having a look at the door hinges, the source of these symptoms came to light.

The bottom hinge on this washer had become hyper extended at one point causing the bottom of the door to push toward the latch. This along with a leaking dispenser, likely caused by not using he detergents as demonstrated by the trail of water and soap down the front, resulted in the hinge also rusting. As the rust became worse, the door become harder to close resulting in the customer needing more force to get it shut. Once closed, the door would latch, but when it was locked, the solenoid inside the latch would not be able to fully engage the strike making for a loud buzzing sound. And because it wasn't fully closed, the control board would not initiate the spin cycle at the appropriate time of the wash.

So the problems the customer was having with this washer, all came down to a simple door hinge. Once the door hinge was replaced, the door closed properly again, and some quick testing had the machine washing and spinning all without any noise. The customer was happy to have a working washer, and glad that by answering a few questions, the problem could be solved.

For the techs in the audience. The moral of this story is to always talk with your customers and ask questions. Never take your troubleshooting ques from a third party such as your dispatch or phone people. The information they provide is important, but use your own communication skills to solve problems.

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