Maytag 2000 Series (front-loading automatic) washer troubleshooting

ProblemCause Solution
Noisy, vibrating, off-balanceIs the washer level?The washer must be level. The four feet should be properly installed, and the nuts should be tightened against the washer cabinet.
All four feet of the washer must be in firm contact with the floor. If the washer is on a pedestal, the washer must be secured to the pedestal and all four pedestal feet must be in firm contact with the floor.
Did you empty pockets?You may be hearing items that are caught under the door seal or basket. Check under the door seal and remove items.
Washer making a different noise?As with any new product, you will hear sounds that you are not accustomed to. You may hear various sounds when the door is locked or unlocked, and during the washing, rinsing, or spinning process. Between changes in wash actions, there will be momentary pauses. You will hear water spraying and splashing during the wash and rinse cycles. These new sounds and pauses are part of normal washer operation.
Is washer installed on a sturdy and solid floor?Noise and vibration may be reduced by placing a piece of 3/4" (19.1 mm) plywood underneath your washer. The plywood may extend underneath both washer and dryer to keep them at equal heights.
Is the washer gurgling or humming?As water is drained from the washer, you may hear air being pulled through the pump. This happens during the end of draining. It is normal.
Are you washing items with metal snaps, buckles, or zippers?
You may hear metal items touching the washer drum. This is normal.
Were the 4 shipping bolts in the back of the machine removed?
LeakingWas the door opened during “Add Clothes”? Water can drip off the inside of the door, when the door is opened after the start of a cycle.
Is HE detergent being used?The non-High Efficiency detergents can cause oversudsing which can leak from the rear of the washer.
Are the fill hoses tight?
Are the fill hose gaskets properly seated? Check both ends of each hose.
Is the drain hose properly installed?The drain hose should be secured to the drainpipe or laundry tub.
Is the sink or drain clogged?Sink and drainpipe must be able to carry away 17 gal. (64 L) of water per minute. If the sink or drain is clogged or slow, water can back up out of drainpipe or sink. Check household plumbing (laundry tubs, faucets, drainpipe, water pipes) for leaks.
Dispenser operation
Did you follow the manufacturer’s directions when adding detergent and fabric softener to the dispensers?Measure detergent and fabric softener. Slowly pour into the dispensers. Wipe up all spills. Dilute fabric softener in the fabric softener dispenser.
Did you put powdered or liquid color-safe bleach into the liquid chlorine bleach dispenser (on some models)?Add powdered or liquid color-safe bleach directly to the washer basket. Do not use the chlorine bleach dispenser for color-safe bleach.
Is the fabric softener dispenser clogged?Clean the fabric softener dispenser.
Are the laundry products in the correct dispenser compartment?Add the correct amounts of detergent, fabric softener or liquid chlorine bleach to the correct compartments. Add powdered or liquid color-safe bleach to the Main Wash compartment.
Is there water in the dispenser at the end of the cycle?A small amount of water will remain in the dispenser compartment. This is normal.
Washer odorCleaning Your Washer
Are you using AFFRESH® washer cleaner on a regular basis?AFFRESH® washer cleaner removes and avoids odor-causing residue in all High Efficiency washers. For washers where odor is present, use 3 tablets instead of 1 tablet. After the CLEAN WASHER with AFFRESH™ cycle is complete, wipe away residue if necessary.
Are you using HE detergent? Use of non-HE detergent can cause a film residue which can result in odor
Did you leave the door open after use?This washer has a tight seal to avoid water leaks. To avoid odors leave the door open to allow the washer to dry between uses.
Door won't unlock Did all of the water drain out of the washer during the spin?Select RINSE, DRAIN & SPIN to remove any water remaining in the washer. The washer door will unlock at the end of the drain.
Is the door locked and is the “Add Clothes” light on?Press START/PAUSE once. The door will unlock.
Is the power cord plugged into a grounded 3 prong outlet?Plug power cord into a grounded 3 prong outlet.
Are you using an extension cord?Do not use an extension cord.
Has a household fuse blown, or has a circuit breaker tripped?Check that the washer is plugged into a working outlet, and check for blown fuses. Replace the fuse, or reset the circuit breaker. If the problem continues, call an electrician.
Is your voltage low?Check electrical source or call electrician.
Washer cycle won’t start
Is the washer door firmly shut?The door must be closed during operation.
Has a cycle been selected, but START/PAUSE has not been selected and held for 1 second?Press and hold START/PAUSE, for 1 second.
Was the door open after completion of last cycle?The door must be opened and closed again to start a new cycle.
Is the door locked?If door is locked, run a drain cycle and drain the washer
Control won’t accept selections or won’t shut offAre the touch pad controls locked?Hold for 3 seconds the button to lock/unlock controls.
Are the touch pad buttons not responding?Press POWER/CANCEL on the touch-pad twice. Check the touch-pad/LED assembly by selecting different cycles and changing the modifiers and options available to confirm the touch-pad/LED assembly is responding.
Washer stops workingDoes the washer shut down the same time in the same wash cycle repeatedly?Unplug washer or disconnect power. Wait 5 minutes. Plug in washer or reconnect power. Run another cycle.
Washer won’t dispense
Is the washer level?Check that the washer is level.
Has the drawer dispensed detergent?Check that the dispenser drawer is not clogged with detergent.
Are both the hot and cold water faucets turned on?
Check water hose connections to the washer. Check for plugged screen in water source. Check the water supply and the water valve.
Washer won’t fillLow water pressure at home?Check if the home has low water pressure, open the water faucets.
Are both the hot and cold water faucets turned on?Verify hot and cold valve at the water faucets are fully open.
Is the water inlet hose kinked? Straighten the hoses. Check water hose connections to the washer and make sure water supply hoses are not obstructed. Check for plugged screen.
Are the water inlet valve screens clogged? Turn off the water and remove inlet hoses from the washer. Remove any accumulated film or particles. Reinstall hoses, turn on water, and check for leaks.
Are you using HE detergent?HE detergent is a low sudsing detergent. This is normal and will not affect cleaning performance.
Low water?This washer uses very little water to provide good cleaning results. You will see little or no water splashing in this washer. This is normal.
Washer won’t run
Is the washer in a normal pause in the cycle?The washer pauses for about 2 minutes during certain cycles. Allow the cycle to continue. Some cycles feature periods of tumbling and soak.
Is the washer overloaded?Wash smaller loads.
Incorrect water temperature or Wash/Rinse temperature
Are the hot and cold water inlet hoses reversed?
Are you washing many loads?As your frequency of loads washed increases, the water
temperature may decrease for hot and warm temperatures.
This is normal.
Not enough water/Not enough sudsLow water?This washer uses very little water to provide good cleaning results. You will see little or no water splashing in this washer. This is normal.
Are you using HE detergent?HE detergent is a low sudsing detergent. This is normal and will not affect cleaning performance.
Washer continues to fill or drain, cycle seems stuckIs the top of drain hose lower than 30" (760 mm) on washer?The top of the drain hose must be at least 30" (760 mm) above the floor. Check that the washer is level. Check if the valve is blocked open. If the valve is blocked open, uncontrolled filling will occur.
Does the drain extend into the drain pipe more than 4½" (114 mm)?Does the drain extend into the drain pipe more than 4½" (114 mm)?
Does the drain hose fit too tightly in the standpipe, or is it taped to the standpipe?The drain hose should be loose yet fit securely. Do not seal the drain hose with tape. The hose needs an air gap.
Washer won’t drain or spin, water remains in washerIs the drain hose clogged, or the end of the drain hose more than 96" (2.4 m) above the floor?
Does the drain hose fit too tightly in the standpipe, or is it taped to the standpipe?The drain hose should be loose yet fit securely. Do not seal the drain hose with tape. The hose needs an air gap.
Does the drain extend into the drain pipe more than 4½" (114 mm)?Use the drain form to extend the drain hose the proper length into the drain pipe.
Excessive suds?When excessive suds are detected, a special suds routine automatically starts. Cycle will complete once extra suds are removed. This will occur more frequently when a non-HE detergent is used.
Is the load balanced?A single or bulky item may cause imbalance. Add more items or redistribute the load.
Is the drum empty?Rotate drum by hand to check for any binding of the spin basket. Check for clothing stuck between spin basket and outer tub. Move open end drum up and down while holding outer tub steady and check for looseness (more than 1/4" of movement).
Is the load balanced?A single or bulky item may cause imbalance. Add more items or redistribute the load.
Cycle time changes/Cycle too long
Excessive suds? When excessive suds are detected, a special suds routine automatically starts. This routine will add time to the original cycle.
Did the load cause imbalance?When an imbalance occurs, an imbalance routine will start to redistribute the load. This extends the cycle.
Are you washing a single item or bulky load?Spin time is added if an unbalanced load is detected. The washer will attempt to redistribute the load with additional tumbling.
Did you wash a large load on the Small Load cycle?The Small Load cycle is designed for smaller load sizes (2-3 items) of lightly soiled garments. If larger loads are washed in this cycle, wash time will be increased.
Did you wash a large load in a small load or delicate cycle?When using the Small Load, or Delicate wash cycles you should use small loads. This ensures a gentle wash for your garments without increasing cycle times.
Load too wetDid you use the right cycle for the load being washed?Select a cycle with a higher spin speed.
Did you wash a single item or bulky items or have you overloaded the washer?A single item, bulky items, or overloading may cause imbalance. Add items or try to evenly distribute your wet laundry in the drum, and start a Rinse, Drain & Spin cycle. If the laundry is still wet, take half of the load out of the washer and try again.
Did you use HE detergent?Suds during rinse and spin cycles can reduce spin speed. Use HE detergent.
Residue, lint, stains on load; gray whites, dingy colors
Did you add detergent to the dispenser?For best results, add detergent to the detergent compartment. Do not add detergent to the washer drum.
Did you sort properly?Sort lint givers (towels, chenille) from lint takers (corduroy, synthetics). Transfer of dye can occur when mixing whites and colors in a load. Sort dark clothes from whites and lights.
Did you overload the washer?
Do not overload the washer. The washer can be fully loaded, but not tightly packed. The wash load must be balanced. Lint can be trapped in the load if overloaded.
Check the following:Was paper or tissue left in pockets?
Did you use enough HE detergent?Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of load you are washing. For best performance, use only High Efficiency detergent. Use enough HE detergent to remove soil and hold it in suspension.
Do you have hard water?Use more detergent for washing heavy soils in cold or hard water.
Is your water colder than 60°F (15.6°C)?Wash water colder than 60°F (15.6°C) may not completely dissolve the detergent. Use hot or warm washes if safe for the fabric load. Make sure your hot water system is adequate to provide a hot water wash.
Are you using a low speed wash cycle?Powdered detergents may not dissolve well in a slow-speed cycle. For best results, use liquid detergent for slow-speed cycles such as Delicate.
Did you unload the washer promptly?To avoid transfer of dye, unload the washer as soon as it stops.
Did you use a fabric softener dispensing ball?Dispensing balls will not operate correctly with this washer. Add liquid fabric softener to the fabric softener compartment.
Did you use powdered detergent in a low-speed cycle?Consider using liquid detergent.
Did you use Small Load on a large load?For best results, use Small Load for small, lightly soiled loads.
Load is wrinkled, twisted, tangled
Did you unload the washer promptly?
Unload the washer as soon as it stops.
Did you use the right cycle for the load being washed?Use the Delicate cycle or another cycle with a low spin speed to reduce wrinkling.
Did you overload the washer?The wash load must be balanced and not overloaded. Loads should tumble freely during washing.
Was the wash water warm enough to relax wrinkles?If safe for load, use warm or hot wash water.
Are the hot and cold water hoses reversed?Check that the hot and cold water hoses are connected to the right faucets. A hot rinse followed by spin will cause wrinkling.