Repairing Miele washing machines yourself

Washing machines from the German manufacturer Miele are one of the most expensive and reliable washing machines. Their quality is appreciated all over the world. The very first automatic machine from Miele was released in 1956, and during this time production technologies have only improved. A Miele washing machine can last 20 years without failure or breakdown.

However, isolated cases of malfunctions do occur, and among these rare cases, technicians note characteristic breakdowns. The rest of the story will tell you how you can repair Miele washing machines yourself.

Features of Miele washing machines

A characteristic feature of a Miele washing machine is its specific design. All parts are made from high-quality materials and only in factories located in Germany. In addition, the machines are equipped with sophisticated electronics. This greatly complicates the independent repair of such machines.

To carry out high-quality repairs, you may need special computer equipment that you need to be able to work with. Therefore, the repair of Miele washing machines is most often trusted only to professionals. At the same time, the masters note that In 89% of cases, such machines can be repaired for relatively little money. Only 2% of broken washing machines cannot be repaired at all, but it can be noted that they have worked for at least 10 years.

What breaks most often?

If washing machines from the manufacturer Miele are reliable, then why do they break and what can break? There really is no doubt about the quality of the components; this is confirmed by the long history of this well-known company. But the cause of failure may be improper operation and connection. For example, with a sudden surge in voltage in a washing machine, electronics, wiring, and even the motor can burn out.

With constant use of hard water for washing and washing at high temperatures, scale may form on the heating element, which can lead to its breakdown. A burnt heating element can damage the control module.

Such reasons for the failure of household appliances occur only through the fault of the consumer.

But let's return to the question, what can most often break down in a Miele washing machine? The answer is quite simple:

• drain pump, it is called a pump or pipes;
• water level sensor (pressostat);
• heating element (heating element);
• drive belt;
• hatch lock;
• sensors and electronics.

Cleaning the drain pump and changing the pressure switch

If at one not very wonderful moment the washing machine stops draining waste water, then you need to check the drain filter, drain pump and pipe. Cleaning the filter in a Miele brand machine, as well as in washing machines from other companies, is carried out according to the same scheme - from simple to complex.

1. The easiest way to clean the drain filter is to start with. Please note that in most machines the filter is located in the lower part of the body on the right, and in Miele machines, the filter is located in the lower part of the body on the left.
2. Open the plastic cover and find the plug behind it.
3. We take a water container or just a large rag and spread it near the filter, not forgetting to tuck it under the body of the machine.
4. We unscrew the plug, and the water in the filter will flow out onto the rag.
5. We collect the water, and then look into the filter hole with a flashlight and clean out all the dirt, hair, and small objects stuck there.
6. We screw the plug into place and check the operation of the machine.

Cleaning the drain filter may not bring the expected result. In this case, you will need to take a close look at the drain pump and pipe. There is a high probability that there is a blockage somewhere there. We will immediately check both the pipe and the drain pump.

• First we need to remove it, and for this we will have to disassemble the washing machine, namely unscrew the front panel. After this, we will have access to all the units that interest us.
• We are preparing a container for water, because when we start removing the pipe and drain pump, water will flow from them.
• We unscrew the clamps connecting the pipe to the drain pump and the tank, disconnect the terminals from the drain pump sensor.
• Unscrew the clamps connecting the drain pump and drain hose.
• We unscrew the fasteners holding the drain pump and remove it along with the pipe.
• We inspect the drain pump and pipe for blockages, wash them, and then put them back in the reverse order. We install the front panel of the Miele washing machine in place and check the operation of the washing machine.

If there is a question about replacing the pressure switch of a washing machine, then you can easily resolve it with your own hands. The whole process will take a little time.

Most importantly, buy a similar sensor, do not try to replace it with something similar.

We change the heating element and drive belt, check the electrics

If the heating element breaks, the washing process takes place in cold water. If the heating element breaks down, washing may take a long time; another symptom of a heating element failure is the electric machine knocking out during washing. To be sure that it is not working, you will have to remove it from the case and test it with a multimeter.

In Miele washing machines, the heating element must be pulled out not through the back wall, as in many machines, but through the front.

We wrote above about how to disassemble the machine body from the front. When the machine is opened, below the tank, you will see two protruding contacts from the heating element. To pull out the heating element completely, you need to pull it towards you, rocking it from side to side. After this, remove the rubber seal. We replace the faulty heating element with a new one, carefully inserting it into the connector.

As for the drive belt, it can fly off the pulley, burst or fray. This will cause the drum in the machine to stop rotating. Such a breakdown in Mile machines, as the experts note, happens quite often. To replace the drive belt on a Miele top-loading machine, you need to:

1. Remove the left side housing cover.
2. Inspect the belt, if it is torn, then take a new one.
3. You must first put it on the engine, then pull it up and place the belt on the right side of the pulley.
4. Next, holding the part of the belt that is already put on the pulley, turn the pulley counterclockwise and try to put the belt on all the way.
5. Close the housing cover.

Checking the electrics of a Miele washing machine comes down to testing and visual inspection of all wires, terminals and other elements.

Moreover, this must be done, even if you are repairing another breakdown and disassembled the body of the washing machine for this. Checking the electrical system of a machine is not a difficult job, but it is quite painstaking. You will have to ring every contact, every connection and plug output, the work can take from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours, but it is worth it.

We get a multimeter, prepare it to check the resistance of electrical elements by setting the toggle switch to the appropriate position, disconnect the washing machine from the network and begin checking. Experts recommend starting with the contacts of the control unit, and then gradually moving to the sensors of the washing machine modules. We unscrew the fastening elements of the dashboard, remove it and pull out the control unit without disconnecting it from the wires.

We start checking the resistance with the on/off button, install probes to its contacts and see what value the device shows. If the display shows zero, there is a problem with the contact. We check all the contacts of the control unit one by one, then we check the engine sensors, pressure switch, heating element, intake valve, drain pump. There is a high probability that you will not be able to detect the problem the first time, and the verification procedure will have to be repeated.

Pay attention to the capacitor of the electric motor of the Miele washing machine; this is the main problem with German equipment.

Tachometer repair

A tachometer (tachogenerator) is a fairly simple and ingenious device that is installed on an electric motor and allows you to measure the rotation speed of moving elements.Without a tachometer, the control unit will not be able to find out at what speed the drum needs to rotate to effectively implement the washing program, which means it will not be able to adjust this speed.

To get to the tachogenerator, you need to get to the Miele washing machine motor, and to do this, you will again have to remove the front wall of the washing machine. The tachometer cannot be repaired, and it is not necessary; it is important to correctly identify the breakdown and replace the faulty element. The sensor is quite inexpensive and is sold complete with an electrical wire and a plug for connecting to the engine. It is not difficult to detect a malfunction of the tachogenerator; you need to connect it to a multimeter and measure the resistance.

Note! The normal resistance value for a tachometer is approximately 70 ohms. If the value is more or less than 20 ohms this is normal, but if the value is significantly less or more, the sensor needs to be changed.

Checking the electronic “stuffing”

Checking the electronics of a Miele washing machine is perhaps the most difficult stage of repair. Modern models of such machines, in addition to the usual control unit board, are equipped with a microprocessor board, which significantly increases the performance of the washing machine and can effectively manage dozens of washing programs, numerous sensors and user programs - sheer miracles and convenience. The problem arises when an electronic element fails and you need to decide what to do.

To begin with, experts suggest that without getting into the electronic board, check the electrics of the washing machine (as described above); perhaps the cause of the malfunction is not in the board at all.If the electrics are in order, you can either remove the control unit and hand it over to a specialist for testing and repair (this is the best option), or try to test it yourself. To test yourself, you need to solve several problems at once:

• Correctly connect the control unit via the com connector to the computer.
• Find and get working software for electronic testing of the washing machine board of the Monitoraggio Lavabiancheria type.
• To get a certain result and make sure that the board element is faulty, you need to understand the values ​​​​that the program produces, because most of them were created for professionals and were not at all adapted for ordinary users.

Our recommendation is to give the board to the service. If they confirm that it is inappropriate to repair it, simply buy and install a similar board. It's not cheap, but it's still better than buying a new washing machine.

So, it is better to repair Miele washing machines at a service center than on your own. Although, of course, if everything is due to a clogged pump, then you can handle it yourself. And most importantly, take care of your machine, do not neglect the rules for the correct connection of water supply and sewerage, as well as electrical communications. This will determine how long the Miele machine will work.

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