On Tue, 4 Mar 2014 03:58:52 +0100, nestork
wrote:


Home Guy:

If bumping the washer caused it to work properly, I expect your
capacitors are OK, but the connections are dirty. I don't believe you
have a slipping belt. If you did, your laundry room would be full of
smoke and you'd smell burning rubber.

That makes a lot of sense, but somehow I never had any smoke or any
burning rubber smell. For a while, when it was time for the spin
cycle, I guess I would hear a noise and I would go there and push the
basket with my hand to get it started. Either that or I'd just go
check on the machine and find it stuck not yet having spun. I think
it often started the 2nd spin cycle on its own.

When that was getting less reliable, I tried to tighten the belt but did
a bad job. The basket still woulnd't start on its own, but I was able
to push start it again.

A few loads later, I got a jack handle from on old GM car and used that
as a better lever to tighten the belt and it's been fine for about 10 or
more loads now.

I don't understand it but one can't always assume theory is reality --
well maybe it somehow went quickly** from working well to having a belt
so loose it didn't rub, but still grabbed on when I pushed it!! --



and it will only take a minute or two to see if the motor really is not
turning.



Mine is a Sears Whirlpool fwiw. It always agitated properly and did
everything but spin. I was kidding about tightening it again in 30
years. I think some day I will need a new belt.

**I've been away for a couple months at a time. Maybe it loosened then.