Kitchenaid Mixer - oil question

18 years ago

Hi! I just bought a 5 quart Pro Kitchenaid mixer from someone today who never used it. We did test it, it works like a charm. She just didn't bake or anything and didn't have room for it anymore. We paid for it ($100, weeeee!) and put it on its side on the way home which was obviously a mistake. Something that looks very much like oil came out from the motor area. I'm not going to try to run it at all until I figure out exactly what to do. Can we put more oil in the motor ourselves? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm pretty sure I should call the repair line for it, but I thought I'd check here first. Thanks!

Comments (6)

mrsmarv
18 years ago
The "oil" you see is actually the grease they use to "pack" the motor head, and it has liquified. The grease protects the motor head from all the friction caused during use. This oil liquifying is usually caused by the motor being stressed. This happened to us twice with our KA mixer. We got it from someone who claimed she "never used it", but she must have at one point, for the grease doesn't liquify on it's own...LOL. Not meaning to make light of the situation, but all is not lost. You can bring it to a KA repair center and they can re-pack the grease for you. The last time we had it done, it cost us around $45.00. It actually lasted for quite a while before we had to do it again...but the last time was my fault. We have the "Classic" model, which doesn't have the higher horsepower, so the motor becomes strained easily. You still got a nice deal, though...and once you have it repaired, it should be as good as new.
measure_twice
18 years ago
or you can un-screw the case and re-pack the grease yourself.

Not a big job for anyone that has done any home auto repair or repaired or greased parts of a bike.
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mrsmarv
18 years ago
measure twice...where would one purchase the grease for the mixer head? What type of grease would I use? I am willing to do this myself the next time it happens...now that you mention it, I'm sure it's not brain surgery. Any info will be appreciated!
spanky_md
18 years ago
I have a used 250W kitchenaid mixer from an auction ($40) that is oozing goop. Is sewing machine motor lubricant ok to use? It's a thick grease.
agkoenig314
8 years ago
i just got a kitchenaid mixer do i have to changer the oil
spanky_md
8 years ago
I don't think there's any oil in the machine, just motor lubricant which is a thick grease. If your machine is new, don't worry about it. If it's an older machine, like mine that I asked about ten years ago in the post above, you will need to replace it when it starts to break down and ooze out of the head of machine above where the mixer paddle fits. Google "Kitchenaid mixer motor lubricant" to find it. I bought a can of about 1 lb (?) way back after posting the above message. There are directions on how to do it online.