Washer not spinning

What to check yourself

• Is there water in the tub? If yes, this is a drain problem. See washer not draining.
• Redistribute the load. One heavy item, such as a bath mat, a comforter or a single pair of jeans, cannot be balanced. Add towels or wash it alone on a bulky cycle.
• Run Drain & Spin with an empty tub. If it spins empty and fails with clothes, the problem is balance or suspension.
• Lid lock light. On a top-loader the lock light should come on and stay on. A blinking light means the lock is not engaging.

Top-load washers

• Lid lock. The washer will not spin if it cannot confirm the lid is locked.
• Suspension rods. Four rods with springs hold the tub. When they wear, the tub swings during spin, the control senses an unbalanced load and slows down. The washer tries to rebalance several times and gives up with the clothes wet.
• Shifter or clutch. A part that switches the drive between agitate and spin. When it fails, the motor runs and the basket does not turn, or turns slowly.
• Motor coupling or belt. A broken coupling on older direct-drive models, or a worn belt on newer ones.

Front-load washers

• Door lock. No lock, no spin.
• Shock absorbers. Worn shocks let the drum bounce, and the control limits the spin speed.
• Drive belt or motor. A slipping belt leaves black dust under the washer. A failing motor or its sensor gives a motor error code.

Do not overload

Overloading is the main reason suspension parts wear out early. A packed tub goes off balance on every spin. Fill the tub loosely to about three quarters. If there is a lot of laundry, split it into two loads. A smaller load also washes cleaner and spins drier.

How we repair it

We put the washer into its service test mode, read the stored fault codes and run the spin test. That shows whether the cause is the lock, the suspension, or the drive. We replace suspension rods and shocks as a full set, so the tub hangs evenly.