Thursday, April 22, 2010

Maytag Neptune MAH5500AWW Won't Unlock the Door

Here is a recent question about the Maytag Neptune front loader repair...

Q: "I have a Maytag Neptune MAH5500AWW Front Load Washer. A couple years ago I replaced the R11 & Q??, and Wax Motor (with black plunger) to fix a problem in which the spin cycle did not fully run and left the clothes wet. The washer worked without fail until last week. The current problem I am experiencing is that the washer runs through the entire wash cycle, including spin, however, the "on" light and "door lock" light stay on. Door stays locked and the washer stays in a state in which the drum sounds like it spins 1/2 turn every 15 seconds. It never turns off."

A: There are a couple of issues that can cause the wax motor to stay energized after replacing R11 resistor and Q6 triac.

The first cause could be that one of the R11 leads is no longer connected to the Q6 pins #1 and #2. If either lead of R11 becomes disconnected the wax motor will stay energized. If you have an ohmmeter, you can verify that each lead does in fact connect to either pin #1 or pin #2 of the Q6. Note: pin 1 on the Q6 triac is looking at the flat side the very left pin. Pin 2 is center pin and pin three is the far right pin when looking at the flat side. If you flip board over keep in mind the Q6 orientation.

After verifying that the R11 leads are in fact connected... The other cause could be that the Q2 and Q7 transistors need replaced. It is possible these took a 'hit' when the first R11 burnt because AC voltage can be backfed when the Q6 triac shorted out. There is a STAGE 2 kit at the Neptune Help order form where you get the Q2 and Q7 replacements.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Maytag Neptune Bearing Seal Kit Question - 12002022

Maytag Neptune - Earlier Lip seal tips

Hi Neptuners!

Ok... Let's get something straight... Yes, the Maytag Neptune 12002022 seal kit installation instructions are not very clear. So I will give you some tips on installing the 'earlier' lip seal...

In the 12002022 seal kit there are two seals. The thinner one is the earlier lip design and it has the steel washer embedded into it. On the spinner support, near the three arms, remove the steel washer which is remains from the original seal. If you don't remove it, you will have 2 steel washers on the shaft and when you tighten the new included pulley bolt to 33 ft lbs, the tub will be hard to turn and you will have to pull the inner tub again. If you proceed to run the machine with the 2 steel washers on the spinner support shaft you will damage the new seal.

Since some steel washers will be tight on the shaft due to tolerances, it is a good process to tap the new seal in so it is flush and level to the bearing housing. Tip: I use the old front bearing so I don't deform the steel washer when tapping in. Then pull the steel washer out (split the seal) and place it on the spinner shaft (without flipping it) and work it all the way back to the three arms just like the original one was. Be careful not to disturb the pink grease when working the steel washer back. The split seals will meet up again when you install the inner tub. Make sure that after you torque the new included 9/16" pulley bolt that you can turn the tub by hand fairly easily and hear the liquid sloshing around in the balance ring.

The 'O' ring works only with the revised lip seal. The new replacement spinner supports will come with a special seal kit with the 'revised' seal and "O" ring.

Don't forget that you can rent the Neptune Bearing Tool Kit from Neptune Bearing which includes a 14 minute DVD that shows you the disassembly process, bearing swap and the seal kit installation to save you lots of time on the Neptune bearing job.


I hope this helps get your Neptune back up and spinning again...


Until next time...

P.S. Don't forget that if you have a Neptune front loader with a timer knob to replace your faulty door latch wax motor before it damages your machine control board. See Neptune Help for details...

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Neptune Bearing: Update on MAH8700 bearing and seal kit

Hi Neptuners,

It appears that we have hit a limit on where my Maytag Neptune bearing and seal kit can be used...

I just had a customer who had a MAH8700AWW and he rented the Tony Tool to change his screaming bearings. Well, it turns out that the MAH8700 is completely different from the MAH7500 and below. After looking at the machine's drawings it looks alot like the Kenmore Elite front loaders inside. Guess what? I have a site for Elite Bearings and seal as well.

I plan on putting together a bearing and seal kit for the MAH8700 next and will add it to the site. The drawback is that the Tony Tool rental will not be applicable to this machine.

If you have a Neptune MAH8700 and need bearings and seal please contact me and I will get you set up.

I guess the good news is that the newer Neptunes don't have the faulty 12002535 door latch wax motor anymore...

until next time...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Snow Blowers and Broken Glass Cooktops...

Hi Neptuner!

I recently created two new helpful web sites for you to check out.

The first one is where you can get information on snow blowers. With all of the recent heavy snow in Ohio and the Eastern Seaboard I'll bet there is not a snow blower to be had. The main reason is that the Spring Season is just around the corner and the stores do not want to carry snow blowers all year in storage. If you need to order a snow blower today to help clear your driveway and sidewalks you can still get them online. Check it out.


The second web site is a glass cooktop informational site that has questions and answers on what to do if you break your glass cooktop, etc. You can also enter your range's model number and see if there is a new repalcement cooktop availabe and how much... I have photos from when I changed my GE Spectra Range's broken glass cooktop. See GE Spectra Cooktop to see the photos.

Until next time...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Tax Preparation Tips - Off topic

Tax Preparation Tips for you


Hello Neptuner,


If you are like me then you are probably waiting till the last minute to finish your taxes?

I just put up a brand new site at Tax Preparation Tips. There is plenty of software that has tax forms and all. I remember when you had to visit the Post office to get the booklets and other tax forms. If you have not tried tax software then maybe this is your year to start?

Check it out and let me know what you think...

Again that link is Tax Preparation Tips.


Until next time...

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Washer shakes or washer shaking?

Does your clothes washer shake and start to move across the floor? If so, you can isolate your washer from the floor with these new special anti-vibration feet. Remember, Both top and front load washers can have unbalanced loads. You could also use these to quiet down the dryer as well...

Occasionally, you might discover that a load is slightly unbalanced but it is not enough to stop machine. In these cases your machine may walk or scoot across the floor.

Here is some information on these new anti-vibration feet for washers and dryers:

"Anti-Walk Silent Feet are the most advanced and effective appliance anti-vibration pads available. By using cutting edge technology they reduce walking without using any adhesives. They also absorb vibrations caused by appliances, this reduces noise and structural damage caused by these vibrations. These vibration pads have consistently out preformed all other vibration absorbing materials on the market and they are a safe and simple way to eliminate appliance walking. Anti-Walk Silent Feet use Sorbothane polymers that are trusted by NASA, NASCAR and the U.S. Military."

These are also made in the USA.






If you decide to try them please comment to this post so others can discover how they worked for you.

Maytag front load owners don't forget to check Neptune help if you have a timer knob and have not replaced your door latch wax motor yet...

Until next time...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Iron Man 2 is on its way in April! AC/DC Rocks!

Wow, I just received an email from ACDC.com Stating that:

AC/DC: Iron Man 2 Out April 19"Shoot To Thrill" World Video Premiere Today

Super! So I had to check it out! Here is the link to the new AC/DC video with Ironman clips!

Great going Brian Johnson and company! You guys earned the soundtrack for the new Iron Man 2 movie. The album cover looks really sweet! I still love the 'Big Gun' video on YouTube from the 'Last Action Hero' movie! What a great tune! Maybe you should have put that one on the new sound track as well?

I wonder if any Maytag Neptune front load parts were used for the Iron Man suit? If so, I hope they changed the faulty door latch wax motor.... See Neptune Help Song for a video that explains the issue.


Until next time...