Oil spilled during shipping

When using the dough hook the speed should be no higher than 2. That said, there is a limit as to how thick a dough the Artisan mixer can handle and you may well have reached that. Under these circumstances it is normal for the motor to slow down.

If the stress becomes too great, the worm (follower) gear will fail protecting the motor from burning out.

The Service Manual covering your model can be found at:

http://www.kitchenaidparts.eu/documents/pdf/service-manual/classic-svc-manual-new-email-version.pdf

Make sure that the hinge pin is locked up firmly with the grub screw that is accessed with machine upside down on a towel. It is right up the middle of the pedestal. Next fit bowl & flat paddle and adjust head height with the screw that you can see when the head is raised up. The screw is right in by the middle of the hinge for the head unit. Screw it in (clockwise) a bit to lower and anti clockwise to raise. You want to screw it in enough to just hear the paddle tinging on the bowl and then anti clockwise the screw so it just clears. 1/4 turn from tinging is roughly it. If the head is still not locking down you may need to run a rat tail file through the locking slot to allow the lock better engagement. This is a last resort, if you file too much it is permanent and cannot be reversed so don't do it until everything else has been done properly. It's not a big job for your local Kitchen Aid service agent to sort out for you.

There ate two ways to fix this problem, but first there is the matter of understanding what is leaking. The oil you see leaking is actually a food safe vegetable based gear grease. The grease separates during heavy use (years of service) or when the mixer has not been used for an extended period of time. (months or years) The recommended way to fix the problem is to do a full tear down then clean then add new grease and a new gasket, cost (By Kitchenaid at a KA service center) around $140.00 US + or -, It involves shipping and around ten days in time. The second way is kinda simple and does not cost anything. Get a towel, thick and soft to protect your finish, get your wife or husband, get an extension cord, spread the towel out on an open counter top, plug the extension cord into the outlet, turn the mixer upside down on the towel, have your significant other hold the mixer by the base while you plug the mixer cord into the extension cord, turn on the mixer no more than 2 or the second click on the speed control switch / lever, hold the mixer upside down like this while the mixer is running and keep it running for at least three (3) minutes, turn the mixer off and turn it right side up and turn on again for two minutes, then do it again two or three more times, upside down for a couple minutes then back right side up and so on and so on, after about 15 minutes stop. put everything away, you are done. What you have effectively done is re-mix the grease and it should be good for another couple of years. When it starts to leak again re-mix again. Or send it to KA for the rare and unique opportunity to spend a hundred bucks that you don't' want. hope this helps. By the way if you get some drops in your mix it will not hurt anybody. But you do not want to eat a great deal of it or you will require the use of a laxative afterwards.

Easy fix! go to this site
http://shared.whirlpoolcorp.com/product_literature/search_results.jsp?searchTerm=KSM150PS&siteCd=KAD&userType=Servicer


there are two sections here 66 user guides on top and 66 parts lists for the different variations. find your model and o-en it then save it to your computer. Go to the section that pertains to the lift mechanism and you will see all the parts that are in the lift. the next page down will give you the parts numbers for those that you need the plastic part of which you speak is about 7.00 dollars at goodmans.com or mendingshed,com. meding shed ships faster but both are reliable sources for KA parts. order your parts when that arrive get a screw driver a punch and a non metal hammer. will take you 20 mins if you are confident. If you are careful and mark everything and make notes to yourself (I do the notes thing all the time) it will take about 45 mins. let us know if this helps.

Kitchenaid says to run it on high speed long enough for it to warm up well, then turn it upside down- I'd leave it upside down overnight.
The grease in the gearbox, over time, will separate into oil and heavier grease- mixing them together again and letting them run back to the top of the gearbox should take care of it.

If not, come on back and we'll go through the whole disassembly procedure.

lp

YES..... It's a KitchenAid... it's worth putting a little money into, and you want to guarantee that everything is in tip, top shape. I had mine fixed 15 years ago.... it was 8 years old then, it is still working great!! It is worth it and will last..... who knows? I'll probably pass this down to my daughter!

The mixer normally has it's gearbox packed with (quite thick) grease. Over time it can heat up and become more fluid and leak out. I would guess that the amount of oil you saw would not be a problem to loose. If it were mine, I would use it and not worry. If you do feel you need to check, the grease is packed in the front of the head. You will need to remove the head, split it (you will need to remove the band and planetary) and then you can see the gears.

Your kitchenaid mixer is meant to leak a tiny amount of oil around the rim of the planetary gear on the front of the machine. This is just a means of lubrication. If however you are getting alot of oil coming out of the sides of the unit, the transmission gasket may be worn or broken if this is the case it will have to be replaced. part number for the gasket is 4162324. If your getting alot of oil from the center of the unit this could indicate worn or broken seals. there are 4 located inside the unit, and would need to be dismantled in order to replace. part number for all four is 3180163. If you are leaking alot of oil or grease continued use of the mixer might cause it damage. Hope this helps

Thanks

Yes your machine is safe to use as long as to much was not lost. the manufacturer (whirlpool) always puts more grease inside the transmission than needed. As long as you aren't getting continuous leaking this will be fine to operate. you can buy more grease if a lot was in fact lost. this can be bought at an auto supply shop. it is a thicker bearing grease.hope this helps

Thanks

This is another complaint about a Kitchenaid Standmixer, model K45SS. It leaks oil, out of the 1 year warranty period. Called the company. Got the standard line: Mixer must be run 2-3 minutes a week to avoid leaks. Nothing appears in writing about it in their manual. Oil leaks into food are dangerous. Please report these to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. After calling their service center a second time, after seeing all the complaints on this board, I informed them of my report to the CSSC. They said they would send a "return repair kit". I could send it in for repairs and if it was determined to be "defective" they would pay for the repair. The representative would not state that this is, in fact a "defect" and that I would be charged to have it inspected and repaired if it was not. Cost, anywhere from 50 to 150. I would be charged to ship it back if it wasn't defective and I decide not to have it repaired.
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/kitchenaid_mixers.html#ixzz0TkgnvHLP