Whirlpool Duet Sport Washing Machine

Tuesday night was diaper wash night. I finally felt like I was getting a routine washing my diapers every other day at night, then hanging them out to dry by the fire. It meant that in the morning everything would be clean and dry and ready to be used again. Sadly Tuesday was the day our washing machine went on the fritz.

I had started a wash in the morning but when I hit start the machine didn't run like it usually did. So I did what any normal human  being would do, I canceled the cycle, reset the machine and started it again. Although this time when I hit start instead of running the cycle, the machine beeped once and turned off. I tried again with the same result and then shared some choice words with no one in particular.

What followed was two days of reading the internet trying to figure out what the problem was. I found a lot of people who had the same issue and similar issues but I didn't really find a solution per se. So Tuesday Night I started by opening up the machine and cleaning out the drain. I found some earrings and other items that had collected in the drain but nothing that would have plugged it. I also found the guide to the error codes safely tucked away inside the machine. I followed it's instructions and found out that the machine had registered an F01 code - which hinted that perhaps the problem was with the Central Control Unit (ccu). I also tried running the diagnostic test and when that didn't work I thought that it indicated a problem with the door locking mechanism. Some further reading on the internet indicated that perhaps it was a problem with the Motor Control Unit (MCU).

Guide to error codes attached to inside of the lower front panel

Drain - turn counter clockwise and be prepared for water to come gushing out, pull to remove

Wednesday I was able to take my load of dirty diapers over to a friend's house and wash them. Words can't even express how grateful I was. Not only did it mean my diapers weren't going to get ruined it also relieved some of the stress and allowed me to work another day on the machine. My goal was to find out where the problem was so when we called a repairman out we would at least know what he had to fix.

I began my "repairs" with the CCU. I decided I would remove it from the machine and take a look to see if anything had burned out. I started by unplugging all the wires that were plugged into it. Thankfully I remembered to take a picture of the wires when they were plugged in so I would remember where to put them back. After I removed the wires I realized I wasn't going to be able to get the CCU out. Frustrated I decided to plug the wires back into the CCU. And much to my surprise the machine worked!

It works! Now to put back the top  and bottom front covers  

I'm not sure if it was a loose wire or if the act of unplugging the CCU and replugging everything in reset the machine but I am grateful to say we have a working machine. Phew!