Miele Softronic W487

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

Miele Softronic W487 not spinning with noisy drum bearings

The problem

A Miele Softronic W487 washing machine no longer spins, and the drum sounds rough/noisy when turned by hand, suggesting bearing trouble.

Likely cause

The accepted advice says the noisy drum bearings and the no-spin fault are usually two separate issues. A possible link is collapsed drum bearings throwing the drive belt off, which could explain both symptoms, but this was not confirmed. If the belt is still fitted and there is little up-and-down play in the drum shaft, the no-spin fault is likely separate and could have many causes.

What fixed it

Check whether the drum bearings have collapsed, whether there is significant up-and-down play in the drum shaft, and whether the drive belt is still on. If the bearings have not collapsed and the belt is fitted, the machine likely has two separate faults and the exact repair was not confirmed. Replacement may be more sensible if the machine is old, as older Miele spare parts were reported as potentially very expensive.

Checks to try

• Listen for noisy bearings when turning the drum manually
• Check for a great deal of up-and-down play in the drum shaft
• Check whether the drive belt is still fitted at the back

Parts or tools mentioned

• Drive belt
• Drum bearings