I have learned a great amount from reading the forum and am now ready to give back some (hopefully) useful information.

Since it was new, the detergent dispenser door on my Meile W4802 washer would not stay completely closed � it never really closed securely and would come out another 1/4 inch or so during a wash cycle. Always thought this was not correct, but ignored it since did not seem to be a real problem � just something that was not quite right.

After a while, I started noticing that ever so often there would be water on the floor after a wash cycle. Once this started happening on a more regular basis, I started to investigate why it was behaving this way.

The "why" turned out to be the detergent dispensing drawer not closing completely tight and allowing water to flow down the front of the machine.

Internet research turned up others with this "dispenser door comes open during cycle" problem. Various folks had a number of work-arounds and fixes that worked for their particular problem but did nothing to solve the problem for others with the same problem. Sometimes there were folks who, upon hearing a person�s solution would say "No way that would work because that particular part has no effect on what you are seeing."

At the moment I have a detergent dispenser drawer that stays closed, but it has taken me a while to get there. Along this long trip I have picked up a little insight into what is going on, and why some folks "solutions" worked for them but not others.

First, the problem is more than likely caused by out-of-spec "orange thingy" that resides in the detergent dispensing drawer. It actually has two functions � one being to prevent the drawer from coming all the way out without unless you have pressed down on its "tongue" to let the drawer come out. The second function is not so obvious, but here is where the problem lies. The "orange thingy" is also what keeps the drawer closed tightly. It does this utilizing the same protrusion that keep the drawer from coming all the way out. But to keep the drawer closed it rides on the back-side of a double ramp located in the top track of the space where the detergent dispensing drawer resides. Look up in there with a flashlight and you will see this ramp. And your drawer is not staying closed because the "orange thingy" is not being allowed to slide all the way back to the rear side of the ramp in the overhead area � it only misses by a 1/32 of an inch or so, but it is missing its final travel. The solution is the gently re-shape the leading edge of the protrusion so that it has a more angled face that can slide to the rear of the ramp. Work slowly and try often � you will reach a point where the drawer closes firmly and stays shut.

The machine action that is causing a less-than-perfectly fitting drawer to be ejected outward during the cycle is that when the main detergent load is dumped into the washer from the detergent dispensing drawer, it is done so by an arm pushing forward on the spring-loaded "back door" of the detergent dispensing drawer. If the spring that holds the "back door" closed is too strong, or the door is not held firmly closed, this arm also will push the detergent dispensing drawer open a small amount. If the drawer opens far enough, water can and will run down the front of the machine and onto the floor. Some posted solutions completely removed this "back door" but that is not a good solution, as you cannot use liquid detergent any longer, only dry powder. A better solution is to either weaken this spring by bending it, or even removing it entirely.

So far, with a "tweaked" "orange thingy" and the "back door" spring removed, my Meile W4802 has been working great in thjs area.

Also, once you get every thing tuned correctly, you will no longer have any residual water left in the detergent dispensing drawer after a completed cycle the way you do when the drawer does not close properly.

Hope this helps some one in the future when they are searching for a W4802 solution.