What specific model machine?

If the water valve(s) hum and there's no flow, then check that the screens at the faucet ends of the hoses are not clogged, and the screens in the valve connections at the machine. Confirm the faucets are turned on.

An electrical problem with the valves will ordinarily generate a fault code.

Did you set the proper machine size per the instructions that should be included with the new board?

Hi,

It is an Iwl16. I'm sure the hoses are not clogged, the hoses are turned on. I have set the machine size. Do I need to check the pump? When putting in the new mainboard it came with a new little attachment which I have attached, I just can't think what else it could be. Originally I think the mainboard went because I was washing an irregular thing and it taxed the machine too much and so there was no power to the machine. New mainboard and has power but just the hum and it will stay on forever.

IWL16 is a Phase 7 machine. (I have an IWL12, which is Phase 6.)

The pump would not be directly involved in a fill problem. Fresh water flows in via household water supply pressure, the pump has nothing to do with that. However, if you have not already had a look at the pump, you should do so. What do you mean in regards to washing an "irregular thing?" Overloading (theoretically) should not damage the board, but a leaking/wet pump can short-out and zap it. What is the attachment included with the new board, and where does it attach?

Try running the hot and cold water via diagnostic mode.
- With power off, press/hold Lifecycles first then press Power at the same time. Should get two beeps and the LCD backlight turns on (although the screen may be blank).
- If it is blank, press Lifecycle again.
- Press Option Up or Option Down to switch through the diagnostic screens: Warning Status, Fault Status, and Machine Status.
- What info is stated on Warning Status and Fault Status?
- Press/hold How Dirty Up to run hot water (water stops running when the button is released). Press/hold How Dirty Down for cold. If no water flows, listen if you hear the valves hum/click when the buttons are pressed/released. If you do hear them, then the valves should be electrically working but something is blocking the water from flowing. If no hum/click, then the valves aren't getting power.
- Press Power to exit diagnostics when done.

While in diagnostic mode, press Fabric Care to turn the pump on or off to confirm it runs ... although you still need to visually examine it for evidence of leaking.

[Also, the diverter valve can be turned on or off in diagnostics via the Home button. The Machine Status screen indicates Off, Heating, On, or Cooling per the diverter's state. It's tested by filling some water into the tub, turning it On (wait for it to shift modes), then running the pump to confirm water recirculates into the tub and does not drain. Turn the diverter Off, run the pump, water should drain and not recirculate.]

Another thing you can do to check the water valves is unplug the machine, open the console and disconnect the wiring harnesses from them. Plug the machine back to power and a fault code should *immediately* appear on the display. Hot disconnected = Fault 50. Cold disconnected, or both cold and hot = Fault 49. This will confirm that the controller is reading the valves.

Further, you can check the valves with multimeter. Unplug the machine, disconnect the valve wires, read across the terminals. Both should register 64 ohms resistance.

I filled the tub with water from the sink and went to spin cycle and it won't do that either. Does this narrow it down?

Hi, I've followed your first procedure and it lists fault 49 so I have done something wrong, I took a picture of the old mainboard and reattached the wires I believe right but which color wire do you think is relative that I may not have put in correct?

I'm so sorry to have wasted your time I opened up to look at the mainboard for the thousandth time and I had not attached two wires properly(they were stuck under some other wires so I did not seem them). So I did the checks with the water they are fine but I am unable to get the pump to go on by pressing the fabric care button, does this mean I need to take a part the pump. Wash is agitating fine and the irregular thing was a binder cover so it was tall and flat and I wonder if it splashed water and fried the board. I really appreciate your help.

You didn't clarify what's the "attachment" that came with the new board.

There's no way for water splashing over the tub to get on the controller board which is inside the control panel at the top. The pump is under the tub largely positioned away from runover flow, so questionable whether runover can get on it but I suppose that's possible.

Do not run the machine any further until you examine the pump. Leaking over time will be evident by rusting and mineral deposits. As stated previously, a pump wet/damaged from leaking will often short-out and zap the controller board. Replacing a dead board *without* also replacing the pump puts the new board at risk of frying again. A damaged pump doesn't necessarily go dead itself, although yours may be dead if it won't run in diagnostics. Or maybe you have more wires not connected?

Removing the pump is easy, no tools needed. It's a small electric motor with a cooling fan on the bottom, mounts to metal bracket under the tub. Do not remove the bracket. Unplug the machine. Tilt it back against the wall for access beneath, disconnect the pump wires (two-wire lead and separate ground). Find a plastic latch on the mounting bracket, hold it released and rotate the entire pump counterclockwise to detach it. Be prepared for a flood if you've got water in the tub, bailing it out you can't reach the last gallon or two under the inner basket. A few ounces of water remains in the tub sump and will run out even if the tub is otherwise fully drained. When remounting the pump, lubricate the seal face around the impeller with a little liquid detergent & water to facilitate rotating it into place.

BTW, there's no need to have water in the tub to test spin. The machine will spin without water in the tub. In fact, it *won't* spin until the tub is drained.

Hi,

I took off the inline fuse they supplied as an extra piece for the pump on the mainboard and now it works! Thanks for your time.

Hi again,

Just to let you know I did look at the pump and took it off, it doesn't seem to have rust or to be leaking but I'm going to check it again after I do a few loads just to be sure as I don't want to pay for another mainboard!

Thank you again, I really appreciate you answering these post as experts on fisher paykel seem to be few and far between. Also you are free and I especially thank you for that as it seems to cost enough even just repairing this machine myself.

Well, I got it to work and then it smelt awful and stopped working. I have taken off the pump again and it is completely hot, it does not look corroded at all and the spinner spins freely. Nothing in the drain pipe and I cleaned out the barrel and took apart the pump parts and cleaned out but nothing was jammed. What do I do now?

You should put the fuse back on. It's an important retrofit to help protect the controller from getting zapped by a bad pump. But be sure to follow the instructions exactly, the fuse goes on different wires depending on the specific model of machine involved.

The pump likely is bad if it's HOT. It'll get warm or perhaps somewhat hot when it runs, but shouldn't get HOT. It has thermal overheat protection and will shut off if overheated, then run again when the protector cools.

The electrical resistance of the pump windings is a crucial factor. If you have a multimeter, the pump should read 7 ohms at room temperature.

Well, I don't think the pump is the problem anymore tho when I put that fuse back on it definitely won't work. Now it seems the agitator is burning up as soon as it starts to spin. Any suggestions?

Agitator burning up? That does not compute, LOL.

Burning up how, where?

The agitator and inner/spin basket are driven by a single shaft from the motor. During agitation (when the tub fills with water), the inner basket floats about 3/8" upward (via air caught beneath it) to disengage from the clutch drive cog, which allows the agitator to oscillate separately while the basket floats/freewheels. The basket settles back onto the drive cog when the water drains, the agitator and basket rotate together during spin.

If you've pulled the basket and disassembled the clutch, did something perhaps get reassembled incorrectly? The basket sits on the drive shaft first, the "loose" clutch cog is next on the shaft inside the basket, then the hub cover with three screws, and agitator with wingnut inside.

Well, I did have it assembled in the order you described and I had the washer lifted when watching it drain and go to spin and I guess the smoke came from the motor? Anyways now I have bigger problems as my new mainboard just blanked out again! I have to contact the company I bought it from to see about a replacement.

Smoke from which motor? The pump or the main SmartDrive motor that runs agitate and spin?

I'm not fully knowing the details of where/how the fuse is to be installed for the different models involved, am just aware that the retrofit exists ... but I wouldn't think it would have an effect regards to preventing the pump from running unless somehow installed incorrectly.

So, assuming the fuse is not related to the problem, then you have something else causing the board to blow. A bad pump doesn't necessarily *have* to show evidence of leaking. The windings may have simply shorted-out or gone to high-resistance. Have you checked the pump with a meter as I directed? The diverter valve can also be a source of boards blowing. Replacing the board a 2nd time ... 3rd, 4th, however many times you go ... it may keep blowing until the contributing problem is traced-down and fixed.

Hello,

I don't have a meter to check the pump. I have checked the diverter it is not blocked, the water drains fine. The smoke was a white and airy and I could not pinpoint its location as I think it is coming from the bottom of the big tub. I'm trying to clean the spike and the cogs to make sure they are not sticking or jamming anything but I think for some reason the motor is finding it too hard to turn the bucket and in turn is burning up and causing the mainboard to short out. Do you think it best to buy a new pump along with the new mainboard?

Electrical problems (something zapping the board) is not the same as a physical problem (diverter clogged with debris).

The only way to know if the pump is within spec on electrical characteristics is by checking it with a meter. Having proper tools when electronics is involved is part-and-parcel of working on the machine. Alternatively, you can try running it on a test electric cord (CAREFUL!) to see it runs OK for a while or overheats and shuts off.

The pump motor windings should be a reddish/copper color. Take the plastic cover off, is there any charring/discoloration evident? A burned odor to it?

An IWL16 shouldn't be old enough to have bad bearings, but I suppose anything can happen. Rotating the basket by hand should reveal if there's any undue physical resistance or jamming. There'll be a slight and rapid cogging feel when the machine is plugged in (even if turned off) from the magnets in the motor but of course it shouldn't bind. Unplug the machine and spin the basket VERY slowly, it'll turn freely ... spin it FASTER and the magnets will grab as a brake.

You can also remove the SmartDrive rotor to examine the motor windings for obvious damage. Unscrew the large spiral nut, the rotor will back itself off the shaft and stator. The magnets are STRONG so keep stray metal objects away from it, and be careful when setting the rotor back in place to not pinch a finger.