legalinda, dadoes speaks the truth. I had the very same issue with my IWL16 just about a month ago; I noticed puddles on the floor coming out from under the machine. I first tried to diagnose by looking after the fact (seeing what was wet and what wasn't) and this was a mistake. I over diagnosed and bought a new pump, which turned out to not be the issue at all. It wasn't until I raised it enough to put a work light and mirror under the machine while it was running that I was able to see the outlet of the pump was leaking right where the hose connects. The hose was fine; no cracks, splits or fraying, but I think the rubber "loosened up" enough over the past 8 years that the seal was not as tight as it once was.

I fixed it by putting a 50-cent hose clamp around the end and making it quite snug. No more leaks.

I only wish I had visually tracked it before ordering that $100 pump!

I did as you suggested and inspected the pump, it seemed fine so I put it back on. I even bought a hose clamp and put it on, just in case. I got the washer on blocks and turned it on, I actually thought the hose clamp did the trick cause there was no water for a few min but then a couple of drips right down the center of the pump so I'm guessing the o ring on the pump or the shaft itself is bad. I didn't let it run very long after seeing the leak I do not want to cause further damage.

Replace the pump.

I've done all the same things and diagnostics, and I've noticed two things. My auto sensing cycle seems to take much longer than it needs to, perhaps i'm just impatient, and my rpms are not reaching in the 1000's, despite setting it to high in the adjustments. Any solutions?

I also noticed that it is not getting any cold water. The hot water is fine, and the cold water comes out of the faucet and the line when the line isn't attached to the machine. It just doesn't come out into the basket.

Rinsing requires cold water. All rinses are cold. The controller board restricts final spin speed to no higher than medium/670 RPM if there has not been a cold rinse.

First check if the sediment filter in the port where the hose connects is clogged. If not, then either the cold water valve is bad (or less likely, although possible) the motor controller board is bad. A cold valve that's electrically bad typically triggers Fault 49.

Hi there, i have a F&P IWL16 that is going on 6 years old and starting about a week ago everytime we put a load in the machine and turn it on, its as if its starting in the middle of a wash cycle. It will be filling and draining the machine at the same until it throws fault code 51. After it throws the fault code we hit the power button to shut it off then hit it again to turn it on and press start again and it goes through the wash cycle perfectly. And when we turn it on after the fault code it actually starts at the beginning with "sensing water level" displayed. After it completes a successful wash cycle we can throw another load in press start and it does the exact same thing, does not display "sensing water level" starts filling and draining the machine until fault code 51 is displayed. It only works right on the second try on every load. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I've ordered a new diverter valve but after observing its behavior i doubt this will fix the problem since the machine doesn't start from the beginning when we try to wash a load.

Filling & draining simultaneously at start of a run (during the Eco Active wash function) goes right along with Fault 51 ... that's exactly what Fault 51 means.

Powering off and starting again with water already in the tub (assuming it's enough water for the water level pressure sensor to register higher than the minimal Eco Active recirculation level) skips the Eco Active phase and begins directly with filling for the agitated wash, so that behavior also is reasonable under the circumstances. "Sensing Water Level" does not appear on the display until *after* the Eco Active pretreatment phase is finished and fill begins for the agitated wash period, so again, reasonable under the circumstances.

Your diverter may be broken or obstructed from fully shifting into recirculation position, allowing a small amount of water to bypass to the drain hose ... which drops the tub level just barely fast enough that the fill flow can't keep up to maintain/attain the recirculation level. Examine the old diverter for evidence of debris such as lint, strings, a hair pin, dime, etc. before swapping-in the replacement.

The Eco Active pretreatment phase can be purposely skipped per-cycle by selecting Traditional Wash from the options menu. Handwash fabric care option and a few of the Lifecycle choices also skip it by design.

Thank you so much for your insight on this matter. I haven't done laundry in about 3 years, i got married and my wife took it over from me so i couldn't really remember how the machine was suppose to start but for some reason i remember always seeing that "sensing water level" displayed, thats why i mentioned that but everything you said makes perfect sense and i feel better about ordering that diverter valve. I will do as you said and inspect the old one first. Thanks again for your knowledge in this matter!

Well the diverter valve came in today, we pulled the washer outside, laid it over on its side and took the old diverter off and inspected it. There was nothing inside it so i put the new valve on the machine, put it out in the driveway, hooked up the water hose, selected cold water wash, it went into its eco mode and there the water went again flowing out just as fast as the machine could put it in til it threw fault code 51 again. I'm assuming the motor controller board is bad seeing as thats the only place the valve gets it power from.

Could be. The board can fail in two ways regards to the diverter: sending current to the diverter continuously which makes it recirculate all the time that the pump runs (somewhat common), or not sending current such that it never recirculates (not as common).

The electrical procedure I find outlined in service literature to test the board for the diverter circuit:

1. Turn the machine off but leave the cord connected to power.
2. Measure voltage across the terminals on the diverter. 230v indicates a bad board. (I don't know if 230v is the only possible reading for a bad board under the stated conditions.)
   
   The diverter *function* can also be tested via the machine's Diagnostic Mode:
   1) With power off, press/hold Lifecycle, then press Power at the same time. Two beeps and the panel turns on.
3. Press Lifecycle once if the LCD is backlit but blank.
4. Press Option Up or Down until the screen reads Machine Status. One of the parameters is Diverter: (status) ... which status is Off, Heating, On, or Cooling.
5. Press Home to energize the diverter (Heating, then On when it's ready), or de-energize it (Cooling, then Off).
6. If there's some water in the tub (press How Dirty Up to run hot, How Dirty Down to run cold), and the pump is running (press Fabric Care), water should recirculate with the diverter On and drain with it Off.
7. Press Power to exit Diagnostics.

Ok thanks again for your helpful insight, i will try your suggestions and report back.

Ok i went into diagnostic mode, hit How dirty down and put some water in the tub just to where i could see it at the bottom of the agitator. I then went to machine status and it showed the diverter was Off. I hit Home and it went to Heating, then a couple of minutes later it said On. Once it said On, i hit Fabric Care, the pump kicked on and the water all went out the drain. Would you say the board has failed?

Can't say for sure without examination of the machine ... you're there, I'm here. Obviously there's a problem somewhere if the water drains when the diverter status is ON. Did you check the voltage reading as described above? Could also be a wiring problem between the board and diverter. I don't know how the board determines the state of the diverter, if by sensing a change in the resistance/voltage reading on the circuit as the wax motor heats and cools, or if by a simple programmed time-on (or time-off) period.

I assume it also drains when the diverter is Off. If it recirculates instead then you have the diverter installed backward.

No i haven't checked the voltage yet but i will once i find some blocks to set it up on, and yes the diverter sends the water out the drain in both Off & On position. One other question, i've read on several sites that if the board is bad there's an underlying cause that made it go bad as they say that F&P didn't use much protection on the board. I noticed that now they are sending a inline fuse to put in with the new drain pumps. Yesterday i examined my pump when i had the machine on its side and i did not see any evidence of leakage, no rust, the pump spun freely by hand, it doesn't make any noise when operating, nothing. None of that means that the pump couldn't be going bad but i was contemplating putting one of these inline fuses on the pump so that if it does go bad it won't hurt the board. My question is this: If i do put a inline fuse in, does it have to be underneath the machine by the pump or can i take the console off and put it in by the motor controller for easier access?

The fuse kit is added to one of the pump wires *in the console* ... which wire depends on the machine model. Instructions are included with replacement pumps that have the fuse kit. I lost the sheet I had, don't recall the wiring details per model but I believe the fuse is a 250v 2.5a.

Your IWL16 is a Phase 7 machine (same as GWL15 & higher). There was also an IWL12 and IWL15 which are phase 6 (same as GWL11).

I appreciate your help, i didn't get to try anything this weekend, baby is sick with stomach bug, but you were right about the traditional wash, that is getting us by for now. I will post back when i'm able to pull the machine out and do the voltage testing. Take care sir!

I have a bosh Nexxt 500 and was wondering if any one had repair manual and error code manual. Please send email to inrush33@msn.com

Hello there, hope you are still on-line....

We have a F&P IW712...10 years old. Around 2 years ago we had a few issues with it and ended up replacing a pump. Also received some error codes at the time about the water inlet pipes, however they seemed to disappear. My wife tells me they disappeared as she was 'priming' the water supply by turning on the hot tap in a tub adjacent to the washing machine.

Today, I loaded up the washer, and didn't 'prime' the tap in the tub. The wash didn't proceed....the washer wasn't filling on a warm water setting. My wife adjusted it to a Cold + water setting, and it seemed to proceed OK. Certainly filled, but then went into error mode with error code 49. When you power the machine on, it immediately goes into code 49 error status.

After reading your earlier posts in this thread, went into diagnostic mode so I could pump out the water. The pump ran for about 30 sec, then stopped. I restarted it, and it ran for about another 30 sec, and now won't run. When push the button, I can hear it trying to start.....

Any ideas what is happening?

Thanks & Regards

Fault 49 and the pump stopping usually are separate issues.

Fault 49 indicates a bad cold water valve, or a wiring issue between the solenoid and board. The control board checks that circuit immediately upon connecting to mains power.

The pump may be shutting down related to Fault 49, or the pump may actually be bad since you say it sounds as if trying to run. It has thermal overheat protection so will shut off upon overload (bad bearings, jammed with debris, excess current, etc.) and reset upon cooling sufficiently. Under normal conditions it should run without stopping for as long as it's powered.

Hi Tena Koe, I purchased a second hand Intuitive eco Model IW712 a few years ago! Warranty expired - no issues then. I have relocated; carefully lifted and transferred w/m to new location. Was and still is now seeing more notices like: Warning Status Code 136. (Unbalanced Load) What is this? There is a light balance load of bed sheets in the machine. Would shifting the machine to new location and putting it down offset the balance? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Kia Ora!

Unbalanced Load fault occurring when that's not actually the case may be due to a bad off-balance switch, which is located in the console. The switch triggers via the tub bumping a lever that protrudes down at the right/rear corner. The bump lever could also be jammed in the "engaged" position due to jostling during your transport. Worn or broken suspension struts can also be a factor.

Tena koe dadoes thank you for your prompt reply. I managed to fix the issue via online search and found how to fix the problem followed the steps it worked for now. Washing all done! Am aware now. Kia Ora!

dadoes,

I have a Fisher Paykel IWL16, serial number ASU761035. In the middle of a wash cycle today it just stopped. Not sure what happened prior to that, but my wife noticed that it wasn't running. There is no power at the unit. It doesn't turn on or beep. We have power at the outlet. If I hold Lifecycle and push power, nothing happens. I'm not sure what cycle it was in when it stopped but there is soapy water in the tub. At one point we had a problem with the diverter valve but that was fixed and this doesn't seem to be acting the same way. Any suggestions?

ASU = 2008, March, US factory.

IWL16 is a Phase 7 machine.

Dead machine = dead motor board. The trick is to determine if some other bad component caused the dead board ... replacing the board with the other component still bad will kill the new board. Most likely suspect is the pump. Examine it for evidence of leaking ... rusting and/or mineral deposits.

I pulled the drain pump. What should I be looking for as far as rusting? On the outside, the copper wires have some dark spots on them but it just looks like it's dirty. On the inside, under the "blade" there is some white build up that scrapes off.

Was there any wetness or evidence of leaking before you remove it? Can you provide some pictures? Dark spots on the motor windings are suspect of trouble. Take a resistance reading on it if you have a multimeter. Should be 7 ohms (+/- 8%). An electrical issue can develop, of course, even if there's no leaking.

There didn't appear to be any water on the floor or on the outside of the pump until I loosened the pump unit. The darkness on the motor windings don't appear to be just dirt. It may be burn marks. Is there any way to test the pump other than a multimeter?

It takes standard 120v current so can be test-run by connecting a power cord directly to the two terminals (with all due care!). However, that will only tell you whether it runs, won't necessarily reveal if the electrical characteristics are off-spec to the point of affecting the controller board. The pump motor has thermal overheat protection, will shut off if it gets too hot ... which could occur if the resistance rises too high during operation so that would be a clue during a test run. If it won't run at all then of course it's bad for sure.

I have a Fisher Paykel IWL16 and just replaced the agitator as mine was worn. I didn't notice the machine leaking before then but there is a lot of water coming out from the lid and dripping down the front during the rinse/spin cycle. Any ideas where to start looking for the problem?

llmc2,

This problem is typically caused by the recirculation diverter valve not fully seating into drain mode, which allows some of the drain flow to pass to the recirculation port at the top right/rear of the tub. The recirculation stream hits the rim of the spinning basket and spatters around inside the machine's cabinet, some of it seeps under the lid and also through the seam where the top deck fits to the cabinet.

Is there a remedy?

Surely. Remove the diverter and check for lint or a foreign object (dimes or hairpins are common) blocking the valve from sealing. Or replace the diverter if necessary. Part Number 426862P.

The diverter is mounted under the tub near the pump. A triangular-looking device inside a plastic cover with two wires and three hoses attached ... one U-hose from the pump sump to the diverter, recirculation hose up the side of the tub, drain hose out the back of the cabinet.

Hi there Dadoes, i have a question about my IWL16 model washer, Its been working great since your help on the diverter valve, thank you by the way! While washing its starting to make a squeaking/grinding sound only while the agitator is turning back and forth. I know the machine is direct drive so would i be correct assuming its a bearing causing the sound??

Don't know if this has anything to do with it, but a couple of months ago just as a maintenance thing, i replaced all four suspension rods (with original fisher/paykel rods) cause the machine is 7 years old. Also at the same time i took the agitator and bowl out of the machine, cleaned the outer tub (which was pretty grungy) and put everything back together and it has been working fine. The squeaking/grinding sound while agitating just started about a week or so ago.

Squeaking/grinding during agitation but not during spin? Maybe related to suspension movement. A worn bearing would be more likely to cause noise at the much higher spin RPM than during agitation.

Did you check if something is caught under the agitator?

Did you reattach the bias spring between the tub cover and left/front suspension rod? It functions to limit rotary oscillation of the tub during agitation. Does the noise occur if you oscillate/jiggle the tub as would occur during agitation?

Fill the tub with enough water to float the basket, then turn the machine off and turn the agitator by hand to simulate agitation. Does the noise occur? Also rotate the (floated) basket check if there's an issue with the basket hub not fully disengaging when the basket floats.

Hi dadoes, there was nothing under the agitator, and yessir i actually installed a new fisher-paykel bias spring when i changed out my suspension rods. I just went in there to do your test, before i started i just wanted to see if it made any noise while spinning the basket simulating the spin cycle, no noise at all sounded fine, i filled the tub with enough water to float the basket and simulated agitation, still didn't hear anything, basket seem to spin just fine, didn't feel any hangups. The interesting part is this: after i drained as much water as the pump would let me and the basket sat back down, i spun the whole thing again by hand and its squealing pretty good at a low spin, but if start spinning it by hand faster, it stops completely. I got it spinning pretty good by hand, squealing had stopped, i took my hand off and as the spin started slowing down, the squeal came back. The squealing didn't occur until i filled it with water and drained it out. Any thoughts on that? Do you think maybe the seal on the outer tub is going bad and rubbing against the motor shaft?

The tub/shaft seal was my next suggestion ... pending the results of your exam. Could be a temporary condition brought about by your recent cleaning. I've never done a seal (and bearing) replacement so have no direct advice on that point. The service procedure references a special bearing puller/setter tool but that is not to say it couldn't be done without the tool.

Try applying a very small amount of oil (let it sit a while then wipe away the excess) where the shaft & seal meet, maybe enough will seep down to have an effect on alleviating the squeal. I had a similar situation occur a few years ago when I replaced the bearings & seal on a frontloader. I didn't apply enough grease inside the seal lip and a "rubbery" squeal developed at slow tumble speed but eased at higher spin speeds. Had to disassemble to fix the problem.

The more i think about it, your probably right about the cleaning, my wife and i did spray mean green all over the outer tub to help us clean the grime off of it and it may have seeped into the seal taking any lubrication away from it. I will try what you said and put some 3 in 1 household oil around the seal and see what happens. We don't have a problem with water leaking out of it so hopefully this will remedy the problem. We will be out of town this weekend but once i do it i will post back to let you know...thanks again for your responses, your an asset to the houzz community!!!

HI,

I have a F&P intuitive eco washing machine. Machine has been making a screeching noise during operation. Just recently it is not draining water and has turned off. I have done the diagnostic test and it comes up with error code 62.

Screeching noise typically is a bad pump. Further evidence is failure to drain. Fault 62 is "pump overcurrent."

any idea how to change pump

Surely. First, locate the correct replacement pump for your model of machine. Disconnect the machine from power, get access under it. The pump mounts to a metal bracket on bottom of the tub. Disconnect the wires. Find a plastic thumb latch on the bracket, hold it released and rotate the entire pump counterclockwise (as viewed from beneath) to detach it. Have towels ready to catch residual water that will spill from the tub outlet. Lightly lubricate the rubber seal with liquid dish detergent or such to facilitate rotating the new pump into position. Mount the new pump, connect the wires, give it a test run.

Hi there Dadoe, I’m back again for your wisdom, I still have the Iwl16 machine and it’s been working great since you last helped me out, the drain pump went out on it in February 2019 and I replaced it, however now whenever it runs out of water but the machine still has it engaged it’s making a screaching sound that’s pretty noticeable even with the laundry room doors closed. Pump sounds fine as long as it actually has water to pump out or recirculate...once it gets to the rinse and spin phases where the pump is engaged but not having much water to pump is where the problem comes in...I have tried another brand new pump and it’s actually worse than the one I installed a year ago, I even tried a new motor controller board only to have the same issue. Am I missing something or are they just really making crappy quality pumps now?? The machine works fine, just noisy now and it’s definitely the drain pump but I’m not gonna keep purchasing drain pumps til I get a good one...any advice would be appreciated

Let edit my above post....it’s not so much a screeching sound as it is a buzzing sound.....I just put it in diagnostic mode and kicked on the drain pump and it is making that same buzzing sound as it does when in the rinse and spin cycle....it just got done with a load of laundry so there wasn’t enough water for it to pump and it makes the buzzing sound but if you put water in it and kick the pump on it sounds fine...so under a load it’s fine, no water it sounds like death!

AnthonyI0425, I don't (yet) have any hands-on experience with the new-design pumps. I have seen reports of operational noise and someone said F&P acknowledged the issue (did you mention it in another thread?). Could be something inherent in the design/engineering of it. F&P at one point changed the design of the impeller on their original pumps to lessen cavitation noise when water in the sump is at a low level. Perhaps this current situation is something similar since you say the noise is greatly reduced when the pump is under more of a load. Do you have an old pump to compare the impeller to the new? Maybe search online for pictures if not. Or, I have two NIB old-style pumps on-hand, can post a pic here if you wish.

Hey Dadoes thanks for the quick response, I should have elaborated a lil more on the pumps....when it went out in February 2019 thats right when fisher discontinued the pump and the new style wasn’t even out yet and people were price gouging the hell out you for a pump so I paid a pretty penny for the same original pump that was in there and it was making that buzzing sound....last month I bought one of the new design pumps and the buzzing sound coming from it is way worse than the original design....no difference at all with either motor controller board so it’s definitely a pump design issue...if I do decide to try another pump what would you sell one for? Thanks a lot for your insight, your a big asset for this website!

Oh forgot to say no I haven’t mentioned it on any other thread and I still have the old design pump, the impeller is shorter on the old design and taller on the new design, other than that they appear pretty much the same

OK, thanks for clarifying about the pumps (first replacement being old-style, 2nd replacement being new-style). I don't have any further suggestions ... other than perhaps an attempt at oiling it (with turbine or other good-quality oil).

There are three F&P toploaders among my family so I must keep the spares to cover them. One is 21 yrs old later this year, had the pump changed once in 2011. One is 16yo later this year, still with its original pump. The other is 15yo, changed the pump in 2018 (I had 3 pumps on-hand at that time).

I totally understand, I can still find the old style pump online in a few places if I do decide to try one more. Thanks a lot for taking the time to talk with me on this issue I was pretty sure I’d covered my bases on this issue but I’m always open to 2nd opinions! Once my wife complains enough I’ll try to oil it like you said or just try another pump, take care sir!