Hotpoint BWD129 door locked light flashing

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Hotpoint BWD129 door will not open normally, door lock light flashing

The problem

On a Hotpoint BWD129, the wash cycle completes and drains correctly, but the door lock light flashes at the end and the door cannot be opened normally. The door can only be released using a piece of string. Replacing the door interlock made no difference.

Likely cause

The strongest supported diagnosis is a mechanical fault in the door opening mechanism, such as the door catch or related release linkage, rather than the interlock itself. A pressure system blockage was mentioned only as a possibility if the door opened normally at other times, but the later replies point more strongly to a mechanical opening fault because the door will not open at all without using the string.

What fixed it

Investigate the door opening mechanism and door catch to see why the normal door release is not pulling the same part that the string is pulling to open the door. The exact repair was not confirmed in the discussion.

Checks to try

• Confirmed the machine runs through a cycle normally
• Confirmed the machine drains normally
• Observed only the door lock light flashing at the end of the cycle
• Door can be opened using a string around the frame
• Replaced the door interlock with no change
• Checked the door catch with the door open
• Confirmed the door will not open at all without the string, even when unplugged

Parts or tools mentioned

• door interlock
• piece of string