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So the agitator on my Whirlpool WTW5100VQ0 is moving slowly. The bottom agitator moves back and forth as it should and the upper agitator moves as it should. I just installed a new cam kit on the upper agitator. So now, after the water has filled the tub and begins the washing cycle, the clothes stay stationary, while the agitator is doing it's thing, slowly. It seems like the agitator is not getting enough power to push the cloth around. I've tested this three times, once with a small amount of clothes and again with a heavier load of clothes, then finally with no clothes and there is not a lot of splashing action as there once was. I get the same result each time.
I checked the drive motor coupler and it was in good condition.
The machine will spin and rinse as it should. The slow moving agitator is my only problem.
I will say the washer was working perfectly prior to this. One day after washing around 5 regular loads of clothes and upon starting my 6th load, I noticed a loud grinding sound - like plastic rubbing against plastic maybe? This occurred while the machine was in the wash cycle. I thought maybe something had gotten caught under the agitator, so I turned the machine off and tried to move through the clothes to feel for something amiss. I did find the clothes were violently twisted around the agitator - so very badly that it took about 20 minutes to untangle it all. I then turned the machine to the rinse/spin cycle, so I could get the clothes out and inspect the machine further. After watching some repair videos, I decided to install a new cam kit in the top agitator as the dogs were definitely stripped. However, this did not fix the issue. I am not sure what to do now. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 7/27/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,395  Location: near the middle of nowhere Was thanked: 24 time(s) in 24 post(s)
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From your description, I'd say the problem is inside your transmission. When it quits agitating right, is it making a kind of riipp riipp noises that sound like gears grinding or slipping against each other? It will agitate when cold or without clothes, but starts making the noise when it warms up or clothes are added. Its most likely this part. Whirlpool 3360629 Neutral Drain Transmission - AppliancePartsPros.com
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/22/2017(UTC)
Posts: 3
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Agitation begins when it's supposed to - after the tub has filled with water. The agitation is just not as "aggressive" as it once was. I've tested all possible scenarios - with clothes/without clothes, cold water/warm water/hot water/, small load/medium load/super load, on every different type of wash cycle and I get the same result. The agitator isn't pushing the clothes around - they remain stationary no matter how many articles of clothing are in the machine. The noise begins as soon as the agitation begins (wash cycle). The noise is hard to explain....it's very loud and ratchet-like. Kind of like the sound a ratchet (the tool) makes, except deeper and louder. It "follows" the agitator - like when the agitator moves, the noise occurs also. The noise disappears as soon as the agitator stops. I thought maybe the agitator was stripped, but I do not see any sign of that. I've taken it apart and put it back together at least 5 times to check. When you said, "When it quits agitating right, is it making a kind of riipp riipp noises that sound like gears grinding or slipping against each other?", are you asking is it making that noise when it is transitioning over to the rinse cycle from the wash cycle? If so, I do not think so. I can hear it "changing gears" from one cycle to the next, but it's not a different noise other than the one it's always made when it switched gears. Another thing maybe worth mentioning here is that before all of this happened, some times during the spin cycle, the machine would shake violently. I would open the lid to find the clothes "unbalanced" and would have to take them out and distribute the weight evenly around the tub. After doing this, the violent shaking would cease.
Someone mentioned it may be the high side winding in the motor that has stopped working. I have an ohmmeter and was going to check to see if this is the case. I'd much rather this be a transmission issue than a motor issue lol Did anything I mentioned above make you believe it to be the motor or do you still believe it is the transmission?
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Expert
Joined: 7/27/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,395 Location: near the middle of nowhere Was thanked: 24 time(s) in 24 post(s)
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In my opinion its the transmission.
I think I misunderstood some of your description and you mine. :)
What you describe in your second post is what I was trying to say in mine. Loud grinding noise, no agitation = bad transmission.
The part with the clothes getting tangled or off balance is another symptom of the problem.
I think your motor is probably OK.
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/22/2017(UTC)
Posts: 3
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You were right! It was the transmission. We put another in a few weeks ago and the problem is solved! Thanks so much for your help!
Now the washer is shaking so violently during the spin cycle that I fear it will take off down the hallway lol. I've inspected all of the springs and they are fine. I'm 99% sure it's the suspension pads. Trying to find a spanner wrench locally is proving to be impossible, so going to order one online. Crossing my fingers I'm right!
Thanks again! =)
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