Bosch Maxx Classic Problem
Hi all,
I have an issue with my Bosch Maxx Classic front loader that I am hoping someone can help me with.
Basically the drum will not spin and makes a humming type noise when attempting to do so.
When I put the washer on 'spin' with no load (nothing inside) it will not turn but if I commence the spinning manually myself like helping it to start turning it picks up speed and performs as normal.
So basically the drum does spin but just cannot START turning under its own power. Would this indicate that I am dealing with a brush issue or perhaps a faulty capacitor?
Thanks for any help you can give me with this
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 Classic drum would not start spinning but would run if helped by hand
- The problem
- A Bosch Maxx Classic front-loading washing machine would not start the drum spinning and made a humming noise. On a spin cycle with no load, the drum would not begin turning by itself, but if manually started it would then accelerate and spin normally.
- Likely cause
- The discussion supports a motor brush fault more strongly than a capacitor fault. Inspection found one carbon brush apparently healthy with about 20mm remaining, while the other appeared charred and different in wear pattern. A contributor advised that one brush can fail while the other still looks acceptable, and that both brushes should be replaced if one is charred. An earlier accepted reply suggested that if the machine had a brushless motor the PCB controller could be at fault, but the original poster later confirmed the motor had carbon brushes fitted.
- What fixed it
- Recommended action was to inspect the commutator for raised bars and replace both carbon brushes, as one brush appeared damaged/charred even though both still had usable length left. The exact repair carried out was not confirmed in the thread.
- Checks to try
- Observed that the drum would not start on spin but would spin normally if turned by hand first
- Motor removed for inspection
- Both motor brushes checked and found to have about 20mm remaining
- Soot noticed around the motor mounting area
- One brush appeared healthy with a shiny contact surface
- The other brush appeared charred and had an unusual contact profile
- Parts or tools mentioned
- Motor carbon brushes
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
13 Answers
It sounds more like a brushelss motor which could have a problem with the pcb controller. If it has brushes by all means check them out but it would normally spark quite a bit if brushes are so bad they aren't working until the drum is manually spun.
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It's a Bosch that's the problem. The Bosch engineer told me unless it's a high end model then there made in Poland!
Our Bosch washer dryer is 3 years old cost 600 and had 2 new boot gaskets, new element, new motor and a whole new bearing cross all under warranty. The motor went out of warranty but I made them replace it free of charge. No way I was paying 260!
Oh and it's faulty again as per my post! Gonna scrap it I think. Looking at a decent washer dryer but they all look crap unless it's a miele
I've stripped down several different leading brands of washing machine recently and I can honestly say there's very little to choose between them, they all look virtually the same inside, and all use virtually the same parts made by the same companies. The differences come mostly from what they look like, what specifications they have, style and repairability.
If you want to buy the best washing machine by far (it's not perfect but miles ahead of all the others) then there's sadly only one choice and that's Miele (Miele washing machines review)
I also stripped down two new Bosch washing machines, one made in Germany and one made in Poland. I did not see any significant difference in apparent build quality. The one made in Germany was the more expensive one and therefore had better specs but Ironically the one in Poland was more repairable!
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So I've taken the motor out to inspect the brushes and noticed a lot of soot around where it was mounted. Both brushes have about 20mm left.
I'm confused now, is this the original poster under a new name or a second different washing machine and issue?
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For carbon brushes diagnostics read this article , it focusses on Hotpoint and Creda but the principles are exactly the same for any carbon brush - carbon brushes diagnostics
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what new name? the original post was under the name pikla, the photos were under the name pikla and this post is under the name pikla
Thanks I read the guide to washers but still not sure if they may be the problem. Is it possible or even probable that one brush is fine whilst the other needs replacing? What length do they usually need replacing as they both have around 20mm.
I did, however, notice that the slightly narrower brush appears slightly charred and as you can see in the profile shot has two angles on the contact surface.
Thoughts?
Harria01
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I have no idea who Harria01 is
Yes it's quite possible for just one brush to be charred. Your first photo shows a carbon brush in perfect health. It's making really good contact and the nice shiny surface shows it's not sparking. The second one looks completely charred. Both brushes would need replacing. If the second one was not charred they would both be fine because there is plenty of length left in them.
Both carbon brushes should be exactly the same by the way. They sometimes have a holder for left and right side but the actual carbon brush inside any holder is exactly the same. If one of them looks quite different it may have got damaged. Check the condition of the commutator that the brushes run on to make sure there isn't any raised comm bars.
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I didn't see the names on all the posts so when the second person added their comments I was assuming it was you. That's why I got confused
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