AEG Washer-dryer, mucking about!

[ChrisR]

This is washing OK, but
it's doing 2 or three things wrong, suddenly:

1) On Low temp dry setting, it gives the error for no water coming in. That seems "right". You can "get it to go" by switching briefly to "wash" so a little water enters, but the dry cycle doesn't have water dribbling through so the washing comes out hot and damp.

2) The hot drying cycle works fine if it's continuing from a wash cycle , it comes out dry cos water's dribbling through

3) If you put it on a Hot Dry ( without washing first) it does a rinse and spin instead.

I'm imagining there's something wrong with the programmer so a fixed price call to AEG might be better than a local repair man.
(AEG charge about £150 for a fix + guarantee for a year)

Seem reasonable?

 

[zipper]

Post the PNC number on the door sticker so we know exactly which model you have.

 

[ChrisR]

Fair question!
Model L14850
PNC 914605312/00
ser/no 82500243

Took some measurements:
Main inlet solenoid, measures 4kΩ , gets 240VAC
Dryer inlet solenoid. measures 7kΩ , gets 58VAC or nothing at all.

So as a boiler mender I'm thinking, in this order:
PCB/control module
connectors
cables
front panel selector
something else which I don't know about.

Haven't been "in" far - where IS the pcb/control module?

I can't find a price for a pcb/module online but I'm guessing it would be expensive.
Call to AEG could be the cheapest option?

 

[zipper]

7kΩ sounds way too much for the dryer solenoid, normally they all even out at around 4k. If it only receives 58v when activated it sounds like the triac that switches it has shorted, possibly secondary damage caused by a faulty solenoid. There are 3 pcb's on this machine; a motor inverter card in the base (brushless motor), a separate dryer module LH side under the lid, & a control pcb in the panel. You only need to think about the last one. By all means check for wiring issues first but it sounds very much like its going to cost you a new pcb & valve cluster. The pcb has part number 973914605312003 & probably the cheapest replacement would be from Electrolux at £190. This is the pcb but I wouldn't buy it here http://www.buyspares.co.uk/search.pl?query=973914605312003 You may find a "non-programmed" module cheaper but then you would need an engineer to configure it for you. I guess you have been seeing a lot of E10 errors lately?

 

[ChrisR]

Suck in through teeth....."new boiler, dahlin"...

Has to be worth calling AEG for their fixed price thing then.
IF they'll repair it. Are they obliged to, at only about 4 years old ?

Great answer, this is valuable informed advice, thanks.

Yes a coupleof E's. If E 10 is the general "not working" one then yes we've had that. Speak to it in German at it and it goes a bit later...

AEG booked
£13.99 per month by DD for a year, gives repair + 1 year cover.
(Rolls over unless you stop it )

A bit like repairing boilers for independents, then. Sometimes it's better to call the manufacturer for a fixed price rep.

 

[zipper]

Edit; Just seen the new info you added about booking service etc. Perhaps to late to go the way below.

Call Electrolux (AEG is produced by Electrolux) I would expect they have some kind of fixed price deal but I don't work for them so am not really sure what it is.
As an afterthought this machine was produced mid 2008 & it might have been stuck in the store a good while before you actually bought it. I would try to talk them into a better deal up by complaining that it isn't "fit for use" if it falls to pieces after (max) 4 years. It is one of their more expensive models.

 

[ChrisR]

Turning into a saga:
We signed up for the fix + one year for about £12 a month deal - which gets renewed automatically if you don't stop it... ( )

Bloke #1 comes, looks at door interlock and sees its connector burned, so he changed that. Then in the condenser with the coathanger hook, and out came a fistful of fluff.
But no water going in past the dryer water inlet solenoid still, so
..."Oh dear, I don't carry that part"

Bloke #2 came today with new solenoid, yes the old one was high at 7k, but then it became open circuit - overheated presumably.

Still not working. Odd error codes.
New dryer heater went in, because the old one's insulation resistance was low at about 700k Ohms, and that apparently gives funny symptoms.

Still no good.
New module/pcb goes in
Still no good.

Then ( just with a FLuke voltstick) he diagnosed that the neutral was disappearing off the inlet solenoid as soon as the dryer fan started.
"Some relay somewhere".
Oh good, he thinks that's on the OTHER board, so it'll need a third visit.

Part of the conditions of the repair service is that if they decide on the first visit that it's going to cost more than £250, they can refuse it. Hopefully they won't try to pull that one now.
But they might decide it needs a new machine, in which case they have to take all the new parts out again. We bought it November '08.

I know from mending boilers that things can go like this sometimes. I don't blame the repairers, I'm just glad I decided to call AEG to mend it on a fixed price.

It's tempting to put a neutral lead with a croc clip in there so we can dry clothes despite the full vengeance of a British summer...

 

[zipper]

Washer/dryers were a great idea on paper. But in reality you'd be much better off with a stand-alone washer & dryer (if you have the room).
There are just too many issues with combo's.

 

[ChrisR]

I far prefer a washer-dryer. Put the stuff in at night and it's all finished dry in the morning, all on off-peak electricity.
No need to hump dribbly wet laundry between two machines.
For anyone with space I'd recommend two washer-dryers!

We've had them for 20 years or so now, and would never go back.
We've had a few repairs but I can't think of one which was "because" it was a washer-dryer. The common parts like the drum seem have been OK, apart from this PCB issue.

 

[ChrisR]

Final (I hope) post - New main (front, the one with the panel on it) board as well and we think it's OK. Total parts cost well over £300 + 3 visits, lots cheaper through AEG serviceforce fixed price repair/1 yr warranty..

We aren't 100% convinced it needed the final board cos it doesn't let water in continuously on dry anyway, so it's hard to tell if it was "intermittent".
Would have been a nightmare if we'd relied on (even an honest )independent.