Did The Engineer Break My Machine?
So, my Bosch Maxx washing machine (unkown age, perhaps 7 years) stopped rotating. A local engineer came and replaced the brushes, whcih were evidently worn. It worked,. It made some screechy noises, but he said this was normal and was bedding in. Then after 3 or 4 cycles, it tripped the RCD. The motor is apparently burnt out, with plastic melted around it.
He obviously says it was a worn machine and this might have happened anyway. I find the timing just too unlikely that it wasn't him that caused it. Is there any way of telling?
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Bosch Maxx stopped rotating; motor later burnt out after brush replacement
- The problem
- A Bosch Maxx washing machine, about 7 years old, stopped rotating. An engineer replaced worn motor brushes and the machine then ran for 3 or 4 cycles, with a screechy or ratchety noise at first. After that it tripped the RCD and the motor was said to be burnt out, with melted plastic around it. The question was whether the engineer caused the later failure.
- Likely cause
- The discussion supports worn brushes as the original fault. The later motor failure could have been caused by badly fitted brushes, wrong brushes, excessive sparking, or an already worn armature/rapidly deteriorating motor. The thread states it is not possible to prove responsibility without examining the motor, so the exact cause was not confirmed.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was that initial noise from new brushes can be normal while they bed in, but excessive sparking should not be ignored. To determine whether the repair was faulty or the motor was already failing, an independent engineer would need to inspect the motor. Replacement of the motor or replacement of the machine were mentioned as possible next steps, but no repair was confirmed.
- Checks to try
- Brushes were evidently worn before replacement
- Machine worked after brush replacement for 3 or 4 cycles
- Initial screechy/ratchety noise after new brushes
- Machine later tripped the RCD
- Motor reportedly burnt out with melted plastic around it
- Forum advised that only an independent engineer examining the motor could assess likely responsibility
- Parts or tools mentioned
- Motor brushes
- Motor
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
2 Answers
New brushes tend to make a motor noisier at first, creating a ratchety sound until they've bedded in so that part is normal unless it was making more concerning noises which might have indicated excessive sparking, which should not have been left.
If the new brush was sparking excessively and he saw it but ignored it then he would be responsible but it's possible it seemed ok when they were first fitted but then started sparking heavily when you tried it with laundry inside. I always tested my repaired washing machines with a load of laundry to put a proper load onto the motor. Some faults can only show themselves under heavy load conditions.
Unfortunately it's not going to be possible to prove anything unless an independent engineer can say what he thinks happened. He could have done a bad job, fitted the brushes badly, fitted the wrong type brushes, or just ignored a clearly worn armature and hoped the brushes would bed in. But it could also just be that the brushes seem to be okay but the motor deteriorated rapidly.
If the engineer didn't seem trustworthy the only thing you could do is get a different engineer and hope he can work out what happened but if the engineer seemed okay it might not have been his fault. It's impossible to say without being able to examine the motor.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Difficult one. He could have damaged a brush when installing it. Maybe he didn't check and clean the commutator. Maybe he didn't test the motor properly. I think you have two choices here. Firstly, replace the motor for a new one, or secondly buy a new machine. My machine is older than yours, much older and I have replaced virtually every single part over the years. My motto, if the machine does a good job and repairs are cheaper than a new machine, then repair it. I am lucky, because there are no labour costs involved because I repair it myself. If you can replace the motor yourself, then it might be worth it but only you know the answer to that question. I paid £100 for a brand new motor about 3 years ago. My machine has been brilliant ever since.
Your Answer
Sign in to share your expertise and post an answer.
Related Questions
Disconnecting washing machine
0 answers • 2 replies
Power button not turning on washing machine
0 answers • 2 replies
Can this washer be repaired?
1 answer • 1 reply
Hotpoint F7 E2 Fault
1 answer • 1 reply
My Bosch washing machine is stuck on 33 minutes remaining
1 answer • 1 reply
Bosch washing machine door lock accidentally triggered with the door open – how I reset it
0 answers • 2 replies
Cant identify the correct replacement carbon brushea
0 answers • 2 replies
LG washing machine making intermittent noise — video link included
1 answer • 4 replies
Washing machine beeps then shuts down
1 answer • 1 reply
Candy washing machine below slip
1 answer • 1 reply