4 yr old Bosch washing machine breaks down

[jgkgolf]

Hi, Our 4yr old Bosch Excell washing machine has given up the ghost! Whatever program you choose it just makes a constant unpleasant noise rather like a car engine which is trying to connect but doesn't. I've opened the service panel and drained about a pint of water using the drainage pipe and checked the filter but found nothing. I've looked at the manual and looked up the Bosch website to no avail. I had earlier (for the first time) washed a light duvet but it wasn't a tight squeeze or anything and it did another wash before it gave up. Is it worth taking off the back and having a look around or should I get somebody in?

[Paul D.Smith]

Sounds like something stuck in the impellor, the blade on the pump that empties the machine. Could be a coin, the wiring from an underwired bra or something along those lines.

Often the pump is easy to get to (if you can get the machine out and turn it upside down) and removing the obstruction cures it.

FWIW, most machines start with a "pump to make sure I'm empty", which is probably what you're hearing.

Paul DS.

[jgkgolf]

Thanks Paul.

Do you mean to turn it upside down and take off the base or take off the back. I'm assuming there is a base but perhaps there isn't? The back seems to require a specific sized allen key which I don't have.

[Phil L]

If you are going to have a look at it yourself, you will need some weird and wonderful tools. You can get sets of 'heads' quite cheaply if you look around, they fit into a rachet screwdriver

[Paul D.Smith]

...snip...

managed to get one screw out very carefully with an allen key and pair of pliers (see if you can find a loose one) and then took it with me to Halfords who have a good stock of Torq screwdrivers.

I've never seen a "base" on a machine and on some you can get to the pump just from underneath but you might need to take the back panel off to help with access.

Paul DS.

[nimbusjunk]

Beware I suspect that none of the people who have answered you have actually done this on a Bosch WM. All this talk of turning upside down and special tools is probably not necessary We have had a few and there is usually a panel on the front bottom that pulls off under the door and inside is a screw cap which you undo with a large screwdriver to get at the impeller Tip the machine up a bit and put a baking tray underneath to catch the water and open slowly ours usually gets coins in HTH Phil

[Colin Wilson]

Some of them have very generous warranty terms I believe - it might be worth checking the paperwork before you touch it !

[anyoneanywhere]

Just make sure you look at what you are doing and don't grap the capacitor like I did ....Eek !!!

[Clint Sharp]

In message , [e-mail] writes

Usually (at least on all the bra-wire extractions I've done lately) there has been an emergency drain bung somewhere on the front, often under a fascia panel at the bottom. Get a few old towels or some such and remove it slowly (there will be water in there and it will start to leak out) to allow the water to trickle out onto the towels. Once the water stops you'll probably be able to remove whatever is stopping the pump with your fingers (make sure you wear gloves or are prepared for the sheer nastiness that lurks in the lower pipes of a washing machine!).

Obviously, YMMV but I've not needed to use tools to unblock a pump for a few years now and I do a few every year for family and neighbours.

[Derek Geldard]

It won't help us, you are apparently rich. ;-)

DG

[Appin]

The message from Clint Sharp contains these words:

We assume you're extracting from the washing machine wires which the machine has already extracted from the bra :-)

Time ot advise erstwhile wearers of the said ironmongery to take care when purchasing replacments to go for more substantial flat steel bands which are less likely to cut their way free.

[Paul D.Smith]

Beware I suspect that none of the people who have answered you have actually done this on a Bosch WM. All this talk of turning upside down and special tools is probably not necessary We have had a few and there is usually a panel on the front bottom that pulls off under the door and inside is a screw cap which you undo with a large screwdriver to get at the impeller Tip the machine up a bit and put a baking tray underneath to catch the water and open slowly ours usually gets coins in HTH Phil

PDS> I wish AEGs were like that. We do have a trap of sorts which comes apart in a similar manner except that it is very good at catching items and then jamming itself shut by catching said items in the trap. What ensues is normally an hour or so of gentle persuasion accompanied by some choice language.

Paul DS

[Cod Roe]

... and more likely to cause interesting situations at airports...

[Appin]

The message from Cod Roe contains these words:

Those who normally make use of such things do so to create the appearance of something that's not actually there. Whether it's ever worth it is a moot point, but travelling in an aircraft at relatively low cabin pressure while bound tightly in steel and the high-tension elastic that's required to hold these things in place is NOT a good idea even if fhey did go through the scanner. I should think that a few hours in lfight so encased would be enough to persuade most wearers that the appearance of having the figure that these devices create the illusion of is not worth the discomfort anyway.

[Appin]

The message from Cod Roe contains these words:

Significant Other was duly warned of the posibilities of scanner problems last year but insisted on travelling with her "figure" intact. She made it through the scanner. Apparently these scanners have got a lot more sophsiticated and at least some of them can detect concentrations of metal as well as total amount, and the length of time it takes to pass through the scanner is also taken into account. Significant other was noticeably flat, however, on the return journey :-)

[Clint Sharp]

In message , Appin writes

What give you that idea? I know some very pleasant ladies who, on occasion, require my services at strange times of the day.

But then they wouldn't need my services....

[Appin]

The message from Clint Sharp contains these words:

I don't doubt it, but having provided bra wire extraction services, do you ever again look those same females in the EYE? :-) And can they look you straight in the eye, knowing that you know what they're busy trying to use to deceive other males?

But now that you're party to their innermost secrets and consultant on the most personal of matters next to their heart (!) your consultancy services with regard to shaping their bodies, or the appearance thereof, will be required on an ongoing basis. You could be on to a good thing! :-)

[jgkgolf]

Well my washing machine is working once again but I'm =A340 worse off!

I took the top and back off and poked around to no avail so called in a professional. It took him probably 2 minutes to get it going. He simply opened the service panel at the front , took out the filter and poked about with the impellor , the thing that rotates. He said it was a bit of limescale that had got stuck (no I don't use Calgon). Now I had done the same thing with the impellor at least 5 times without success so it was a bit frustrating to say the least. He did say that the drain motor pump sounds quite noisy and will probably go in the next 6 months or a year which will cost another =A335 though he said he'd fit it for free, probably feeling guilty about taking =A340 for 5 mins work.

My faith in Bosch has taken a bruising, think I'll try Miele the next time.

[Si]

In message , [e-mail] writes

Bosch isn't the problem. Your disinterest in the problems of heating hard water are the problem. Unless you address the hard water problem a Miele is likely to behave exactly the same way.

[Clint Sharp]

In message , Si writes

Seconded, if you don't occasionally clean it out or use some sort of limescale remover then pretty much any machine is going to go the same way eventually regardless of make.