MIELE W4446 drum warped?
I noticed the other day my drum appeared to be warped, like it had a flat spot. You could see the wobble in relation to the door seal and when it was spinning it would make the machine shake. I couldn't move the drum (which I read was a little test to see if the bearings were shot). Anyway, yesterday we were disturbed by very loud and disturbing noises from the machine as it vibrated, pulsated, on...off...on...off...getting slowly worse.
I hesitated to get too close in case the door shattered, but managed to get close enough to turn it off.
When I opened the door and started to pull my washing out I burnt my arm on the edge of the drum! It had rubbed against the seal, which was also showing signs of rubber being, well, rubbed, off.
The drum still doesn't wobble (bearings), but there is definitely a flat spot/warp in the drum.
I've had the machine 11 years or so, so it's out of warranty. I'm hesitant to spend £££ on having it looked at, never mind £££ repaired, as there's probably been other things damaged by the excessive vibration/movement. But at the same time I don't like throwing out something that could be repaired and potentially see us through another few years.
I'll try to post a video of the drum to illustrate, but does anyone have any idea what it could be based on my not very good description?
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.
Miele W4446 drum appears warped and rubs door seal
- The problem
- A Miele W4446 washing machine developed a visible drum wobble/flat spot effect, with severe vibration and loud pulsing noises during spin. The drum rubbed on the door seal hard enough to heat the drum edge and leave signs of rubber wear on the seal. The original poster reported the drum did not feel loose when checked by hand.
- Likely cause
- The strongest diagnosis in the discussion was the drum catching on the door seal. A drum bearing seal or rear bearing issue was also suggested as a possible cause, but this was not confirmed. An off-balance load was considered unlikely.
- What fixed it
- Recommended action was to check whether the noise was simply the drum lip rubbing on the door seal by lightly lubricating the seal contact area with a cloth and a small amount of WD-40 or washing-up liquid. The poster also considered Miele's fixed-price repair plan at £249, covering parts and labour, but no repair result was reported. As the fault was not confirmed and internal mechanical wear was suspected, further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
- Checks to try
- Drum checked for play by hand; no wobble felt
- Checked for dents in the drum; none reported
- Observed rubber wear on the door seal
- Video of the drum behaviour was provided
- Considered whether an off-balance load could cause the damage
- Parts or tools mentioned
- Door seal
- WD-40
- Washing-up liquid
- Cloth
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
7 Answers
Hello there. Are there any dents in the drum that might indicate something has got inside the machine? Dents that come up from the other side?
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Not that spring to mind. I'll take another look tonight and get back to you.
Is it possible for an off-balance load to cause such damage?
Not really. Especially on a Miele.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
There's no sign of damage, other than what's highlighted in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHxYByJvgFg
I've upload a short video to you tube.
I've done some more reading and it could be the rear bearing? And it looks like the cost of effecting such a repair and the age of the machine means I may be better off considering a new one. I guess this is the downside of purchasing a Miele - they should last longer, but when they do fail they're often too expensive to repair and effectively written off.
That sounds exactly like the drum catching on the door seal. To exclude the possibility try wiping a cloth all around the door seal where it is close to the drum lip soaked in something like WD-40 or maybe some washing up liquid to lubricate it. Be careful not to use too much as some will inevitably get inside the machine.
If it definitely isn’t the door seal the only other possibility I can think of is the drum bearing seal but it sounds very loud for that.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Miele have offered me their fixed price Platinum Care for £249, which will cover parts and labour, repair of any fault and provide a 12 month warranty on the appliance. If they decide to write the machine off rather than repair, they will give me a £249 discount off a replacement machine if ordered through them. Hmm...
It would be interesting to see what it was but it’s a lot of money isn’t it? In theory the washer could last another 10 years but it’s a gamble.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Your Answer
Sign in to share your expertise and post an answer.
Related Questions
Miele WT945 - no water going into drum
1 answer • 1 reply
Miele WWI660 water under machine.
1 answer • 1 reply
Miele WT945 discharges water into bottom of machine from lower condenser hose after final spin?
1 answer • 13 replies
Tension springs on Miele W2243
1 answer • 17 replies
Miele W5872 Fault F104 (low voltage to motor)
1 answer • 3 replies
Miele WKG120 Twindos leaking intake
1 answer • 1 reply
Miele WD2780 Fault 53
1 answer • 4 replies
Miele Prestige Plus washing machine: 'Check Inlet' light flashing.
1 answer • 5 replies
Miele Washing Machine (Spinning Noise)
1 answer • 4 replies
Miele WCD020WCS 8kg
1 answer • 1 reply