Chosen Solution
I have been having problems with my Kenmore HE3t Elite washer. It will run part of the way through the cycle and then stop. It will flash the F06 error code in the display. I have looked for answers on iFixit but unplugging the machine is not the answer to my problem. I will call the repairman - but will fix it myself if possible. Is there any help out there?
Based on some troubleshooting, I have begun to suspect the intermittent F06 error on my Whirlpool Duet GHW9400 is due to noisy power - perhaps from the dehumidifier plugged into the same GFCI outlet. If anyone else sees the same problem try taking other appliances off the outlet, turning off fluorescent lights, etc, and let me know if it goes away. Why? Because after verifying the motor windings, tachometer, and motor cable harness, I tapped the tachometer output sensors at the motor control unit (MCU) and connected it to an AC-coupled (but grounded) oscilloscope and tripped the GFCI. That led me to realize it would be expensive and inefficient to drive the motor, which is labeled for 800 Watts and 195 Volts, off a transformer-based DC supply. The MCU’s power is 120 VAC, and there’s no transformer on the board - so they power the electronics with just a regulator and large capacitor, and the two small surface mount chips near the serial communications label are likely opto-isolators. So line noise can get into zero-cross detector that measures output frequency. There is a filter according to some documents, but its effectiveness may decline with age. So if you get the error intermittently try cleaning up the power and post whether it’s fixed. BTW, to verify the tach was working I removed the motor, coupled the shaft to a Dremel tool, and spun it as fast as I could get it to go. (This is dangerous! Perform at your own risk.) The tach output was a clean sine wave whose frequency was proportional to RPMs. At high RPM output was tens of volts - enough to overcome the noise induced on the wires from the motor’s power cables.
Just went thru this and bought a MCU but no fix. When I checked the motor I found that the resistance check on the brushes was three times what it should have been. Then discovered that the stator surface was uneven and causing uneven wear to the brushes. Changed the brushes but it only lasted 6 months before having the same problem. Bought a new washer instead of spending $400.00 for a motor. I did NOT buy a Whirlpool.
If you wonder whether the tachometer built into the motor is working, consider doing the following: At the MCU, separate the connector with the black wires leading to the motor/tachometer, connect a Voltmeter to terminal 4 and 5 (the two wires coming from the tachometer), and then spin the drum. You should then notice a voltage proportional to how fast the drum spins. (Of course, do all this with the washer unplugged.) The resistance across Terminal 4 and 5 (again, on the wires coming from the tachometer) is approximately 116-118 Ohm. I believe that’s what it should be (roughly). Axel
Turns out in addition to a pile of debris found in the water pump trap, which led to the suspicion that something else might be wedged between the basket and tub, after a few more cycle tests, lo and behold out pops a small pocket screwdriver! Works fine except the basket gets hung up once in awhile and I am not going to disassemble until it needs bearing. Might be parts from the Baffles which are not screwed in on my machine but attached with plastic feet that are snapped in and notice a couple are missing upon inspection thru the water inlet hole. I have no idea how that screwdriver(bought machine at yard sale) got from inner basket to outer tub unless it was dropped into water inlet hole.
I did alot of messing around with connectors and all that. I replaced the bearings which were obviously bad, the washer sounded like a jet taking off. But the F06 errors continued. I replaced the MCU and it fixed the problem. Don’t buy a new washer. The part is around $200 and the machine works like new.
Hi, Thanks for all help in this thread. I got the F06 on our Bauknecht 1600 from 2005 or so. The motor would not spin at all. Wanted to check the connectors to the MCU etc., but don’t even know what an MCU looks like and the wiring diagram was incomprehensible to me. The motor was stuck after removing the two screws. Checked the resistance of the connector to the motor, and got weird values. Was about to give it all up but then saw there was a second, small wire to the motor. On the left side, underneath. It was kind of loose. Has one exposed wire going through some kind of spring and into the motor, and another part attached to the motor metal. I made sure both parts were properly attached. And - the motor started working again! Have washed clothes 3 times now and it works just like before. At work they call me mr. Handyman :-)
Read the responses here - Replaced the Motor and F06 code gone. My plan of attack was to replace Motor, then the MCU if that did not do the trick. Motor solved the issue. $25 for the used motor on eBay. Happy Wife!
In our experience, the F06 error is caused by a faulty MCU more than 99% of the time (literally). I’m surprised that the motor solved the issue. Please report back here if the motor ends up not being the problem. You’re also welcome to contact us for troubleshooting. We deal with a lot of F11 and F06 errors on these machines. www.CircuitBoardMedics.com
O.k. here’s the bizarro scenario I find myself in. My F-06 code corresponded to our slop sink filling up with water with every drain of our Kenmore He3. The two sources of drainage (the washing machine and the slop sink) join at a “Y” and then after a trap go into the main waste-water stack. So I did all the simple checks described for the 06 (checked the connectors, checked the trap) and there was no change. But the slop sink filling kept gnawing at me b/c of the coincidence - and also the filter trap and the black “bellowy” tubing before the filter trap and pump was always filled with badly smelling water when I was checking. So I tested a theory - I pulled the drain tube from the He3 and drained into 5-gallon buckets (ultimately into an old coleman cooler because it’s about 2.5 buckets full). No F-06 codes, no problems (other than having to dump all that water). I ran 4 loads this way, without a single problem. It seemed obvious then that there was a semi-clog in the drainage pipe after the “Y” shared by the slop sink. (Water would hit the semi-clog have nowhere to go and rush back up sink pipe) - so I snaked it and with all the hope in the world, let another load through. No luck - F06 code again. I have one other theory now that some how my waste tube from the He3 somehow is blocking the way and just shooting the water up into the sink. I’ll back it out and clamp it to check - but this feels like the last desperate try. The main question for the group is - 1. is there any chance at all that backed up water could somehow throw the F06 code? if water wasn’t leaving the drum, slowing it down or making it erratic would that throw the code? Do tell.
F06 has popping up quite regularly drain pump sounded a little noisy so I disected it. magnet really wet cleaning now will know something shortly
I had the F06 error on my Bauknecht (Whirlpool) WA CARE 654 DI a few months ago and again just today. The difference was the behaviour when the error appeared. A few months ago the drum did not turn at all. As it turned out one of the carbon brushes on the motor was stuck in its metalic housing due to fine carbon dust, which had filled up the gap between metalic housing and the carbon brush. After cleaning the brush and the housing the washing machine did its job again. Today the drum turned and when the motor wanted to go to higher speed both the lights on “Spülen” (flushing) and “Spül Stopp” (flush stop) lightened. And this time the cause reason was the motor speed uptake on the motor- After removing the plastic cover of the motor speed uptake by pressing screw drivers into the space where the four cover holding clips are fixed and then pulling out the plastic cover it turned out that the ring magnet on the motor shaft was loose. I fixed it by putting a small strip of aluminium foil into the hole of the ring magnet and then pressing the magnet on to the holding pin on the motor shaft. After this the washing machine worked again. By the way this brand/type is really bad quality. Other fixed problems on the same washing machine were the inability to start (due to a broken small plastic stick behind the start knob transferring the pressing force from the knob to a small switch on the electronic board) and the error signal “Wasserhahn zu” (water tap closed), despite the water is flowing, but maybe with too low pressure. In case of this error my wife is adding water through the detergent box (Waschmittelkasten) and pushes the start button, after which the program resumes from where it stopped before.
