Motor stuck in high torque setting.
Hi, I have a BEKO WMB101433LW which is currently refusing to spin at all.
After noticing that the drum is very stiff to turn manually by hand, I removed the belt and found it freewheeled loosely and that the motor pulley was the culprit. After removing the 3 pin connector plug from the motor (see attached pic) the motor goes to a loose freewheeling state, so it is the connecting of the wiring (cannot find any wiring diagrams or service manuals to identify wires) that is changing the torque setting of the motor.
I removed and accessed the entire PCB section feeding the wires in that corner (motor, heating element etc) to see if I could see any blown capacitors but all looked normal. There was some burn marks and a build up of melted material though on the AC Suppressor, so as I already had a spare one I switched over to a working one.
I cannot seem to get any further with my fault finding, do these waching machines have start and run capacitors to change the torque of the motor, which one would be the issue for it to remain in high torque mode ? Could it be that the previous issue with blown suppressor damaged something further down the loom ?
Would be grateful for any help / advice. Apart from not liking to be beaten, there's that nagging doubt that the fix could be something fairly cheap and simple within the electrics.
Thanks
Lee
1 Answer
Hi Lee,
What you describe does not sound like a separate “high torque setting” or a start/run capacitor fault. On this Beko, the motor is typically a brushed universal motor controlled electronically by the main PCB, and the suppressor is mainly for interference/noise suppression rather than torque control.
A few checks to narrow it down:
1. Isolate from the mains before any further checks. If the motor pulley turns freely with the plug removed, but becomes stiff as soon as the motor wiring is connected, that often points to an electrical braking effect through the motor circuit rather than a mechanical seizure.
2. Check the motor itself with the plug off. Remove the motor and inspect: - carbon brushes: if badly worn, chipped, or sticking, replace them - commutator: look for heavy burning, rough segments, or copper debris - wiring plug and pins: any heat damage, corrosion, or loose connections
3. Check for a short in the motor windings or tachometer circuit. A partial short in the armature/stator or a wiring fault can make the motor feel “dragged” when connected. If you have a meter, compare resistance readings of the motor windings and inspect the tacho coil on the rear of the motor for damage.
4. Inspect the loom carefully. Pay particular attention where it passes the tub, motor, and cabinet base. A damaged loom could be linking conductors and effectively braking the motor.
5. Main PCB is still a strong suspect. If the motor is free mechanically and the loom/motor check out, a failed triac or other motor-control component on the PCB is quite possible. Burn marks near the suppressor do not prove the suppressor caused this fault.
These machines do not usually use a separate motor run capacitor in the way older induction-motor machines did. If you are not confident testing live circuits or PCB components, it would be best to use a qualified engineer, especially for mains electrical work.
Hope that helps you pin it down.
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