Zanussi Z816WT85BI not running drying cycle - Need help with diagnostic mode please
I have a washer dryer which is just outside the warranty period and has failed again with the same fault with the dryer in this washer\dryer model.
Anytime the programme is set to use the dryer (say for 60 mins of drying for a few towels), it starts and runs the clock down a few mins of I guess draining the drum and then timer jumps straight down to like 5 mins, never heating the drum or running the heating cycle and seems to be entering the closing sequence of the programme. There are no errors displayed on the LCD display relating to the programme operation.
I would like to see if there are any error codes stored in the system, but don't know which button\sequence to press to get in and read the codes, if anyone can assist me with this particular model?
The display controls are shown below from a screenshot from the internet
Many thanks
G
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.
Zanussi Z816WT85BI dryer cycle aborts without heating
- The problem
- On Zanussi Z816WT85BI washer dryer, any programme using drying starts, runs for a few minutes, then the timer drops to about 5 minutes and the machine appears to enter the end of programme sequence. The drum does not heat and no user-visible error code is shown.
- Likely cause
- Not confirmed. The strongest suggestion from the discussion is a repeat of the previous dryer fault, which the owner recalls was thought to be a thermostat-related issue causing the heating/drying stage to be skipped. One forum reply also suggested possible overheating causing the programme to abort, but this was not verified.
- What fixed it
- No diagnostic mode entry sequence was provided in the thread. The accepted reply advised that hidden fault retrieval was unlikely to help much for self-diagnosis and suggested checking whether the dryer fan runs during a drying cycle. The owner stated they only wanted stored codes to report the repeat fault to the retailer, not to carry out a DIY repair. Exact repair for this occurrence was not confirmed.
- Checks to try
- Observed that drying programmes count down a few minutes then jump to about 5 minutes
- Observed no drum heating during the drying phase
- Observed no error shown on the LCD display
- Previous engineer had reportedly retrieved and then cleared a stored fault code after repair
- Suggested check: confirm the dryer fan is running during a drying cycle
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
6 Answers
Hi there. I would think it is unlikely for error codes to be logged, and accessible with specific button sequences but not shown to the user. Of course, it's possible that some manufacturers might have decided to deliberately hide error codes from users. Generally though if a washing machine detects an error it will display it so that it can be looked up in the instruction manual or reported to the engineer when booking a visit.
You say that this is the 2nd time this happened, can you remember what the cause of it was before? That may be a silly question as presumably if you could you wouldn't be posting here?
It's unusual for it to do this but maybe it is overheating and aborting? I would take off the lid and put it on a drying cycle and then make sure that the dryer fan is running.
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Hi Andy, thanks for your feedback.
When the engineer visited previously to resolve the failure 1st time, he confirmed the failure by showing me a stored fault information(not a user displayed) by pressing some keystrokes on the button panel, so there was definitely some additional information which he was able to retrieve by going into engineer\diagnostic\test mode. Once he replaced the faulty part he then cleared the code and checked it did not re-appear after a test drying cycle. I would like to understand how to access this engineer\diagnostic\test mode to see if the code is still stored in the electronics.
I think the problem was a thermostat for the dryer, not functioning correctly, so causing the programme to skip the heating\drying segment of the cycle.
I guess this is similar to a car, where only some of the car's fault data is hidden from the driver, you'll get any 'warning' or 'critical' engine using engine management light, or a coolant overheating light, but for example warnings about fuel trims or mass air flow sensor failure are not visible on the dash without pulling OBD codes with an OBD scan tool\reader.
Yes it's perfectly possible for a washing machine to only show specific error codes to the user. Historically though they have usually shown them all, albeit without any explanations as to what they mean. It's better for them when they get called out to a fault, to have an error code reported so that they have an idea what to expect, and have an idea of what parts to bring.
To be honest I don't think the error code is likely to be of great use to you. They are sometimes fairly cryptic, and usually just give an experienced engineer an area to focus on. You already have that in the sense that you suspect the same fault and therefore suspect a thermostat of some type. Error codes virtually never implicate just one part.
For example, here's a couple of error codes from a Zanussi washing machine -
They are not all as bad as that of course but generally speaking they are not that helpful to DIY repairs.
Appliance error codes - what you need to know
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Also, if you could get to these error codes, they will just be cryptic numbers and letters. You would need to find somewhere that tells you what they mean.
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Yeah I agree @Whitegoodshelp (Andy) , I've no intention of attempting a DIY repair, it's just so I can report the error code back to Currys to demonstrate the same\similar fault as before.
Can you advise me how to get into the engineer\diagnostic\test mode ?
Sorry no. I have a lot of error code explanations but not the manufacturer retrieval sequences.
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