Drive belt and noises.

I recently had an E3 code appear on my Samsung B1445V washing machine. It appeared after I started a Quick Wash, it would fill with water then stop - the E3 code would later appear. Prior to it breaking down, it was making loud creaking noises for several months beforehand so it wasn't a surprise when it gave up on me.

It turned out that the drive belt had worn out and snapped. The drive-belt connects the motor and the drum wheel (similar to a fan belt in a car). When it broke the flapping belt also cut through several wires of the electrical loom from the motor. Fortunately they were colour coded and I was able to repair these.

After much searching on the Internet, I found a new genuine Samsung 1270 J5 Drive Belt on eBay for £8.44. I had it shipped out by first class post and it arrived the next day.

Extra information: '1270' is the length of the belt in millimetres, I'm not sure what 'J5' means. You might also see these belts advertised as a 1270 Poly-V drive belt - this is also ok. It's called 'Poly-V' because the belt has 'v' shaped teeth on the inside which fit in the cog of the motor spindle so it doesn't slip off. I noticed a lot of these belts were interchangeable between different manufacturers - just make sure it's the correct length '1270mm' and has several 'v' shaped teeth on the inside.

After fitting the belt (very easy - took less than 5 mins and tutorials on YouTube if required), I manually span the drum several times to make sure the belt remained on. I then tried a Spin Cycle and it worked perfectly. I felt a bit smug after as I did consider buying a new washing machine...I saved myself £££'s by fixing it.

If you do try this yourself, here's a few pointers:

1) Drain the machine on 'Drain' cycle. Unplugged from the socket and remove all hoses at rear. With a bowl handy, at the bottom right front of the machine, twist and pull out the small drain hose and remove remaining water. Then twist and pull out the filter - more water may come out.

2) Carefully turn the washing machine upside down. On the bottom there is a white cardboard liner held on by 2 screws, remove these. The electric motor is now visible.

3) Visually inspect the motor spindle to make sure the old drive belt is not tangled around the spindle. Also check the electrical wires from the motor to make sure they're not damaged.

4) It's a confined space to work in so be careful not to scratch and cut yourself on sharp metal parts inside. Place the new belt over the motor spindle then half over the drum wheel. Rotate the drum wheel and the drive belt will slip on by itself. Once it is fully on, spin the drum several times by hand from the inside to make sure the belt remains attached.

5) Put the bottom cardboard line back, turn it upright then reattached the hoses etc. Plug it back in and run a 'Spin' cycle to test.

Good luck.
Dean

I did an internet search on your error code. I found the following for a 3E code (as opposed to the E3 code you mentioned)...I kept looking and eventually found something for E3:

3E code - Motor tacho fault detected Can also be caused by be main PCB
If the motor tacho signals are inputted less than 2 for 2 seconds after main drive motor started, this error will occur.

• Check motor
• Check motor tacho
• Check all connections and blocks to the motor
• Check connections on the main control module
• Check main control module

E3 code The "E3" error indicates that a Samsung washer's motor is not running properly. The cycle can usually be restarted by pressing the "Start/Pause" button. However, if the error code appears again, you should contact an authorized service technician.


Hope this helps.

brushes are spring loaded you take your motor out of the machine and replace them your machine will work

see the next steps and use the common sense: God bless you
Level
If it is shaking and not sitting flat ( should have no rock corner to corner) check the leveling legs. Make sure to tighten up the locknut after adjusting.

Timer
Sometimes a Timer will start making noises before they fail. I would highly suggest replacing the timer as soon as the noise develops. This can cause problems with your motor and other components if left alone. This is easy to identify just listen up near the console when running.

Transmission
The transmission does not usually fail but to check this on a direct drive remove the motor and rotate the inner tub and listen for noises it should be quiet. If not the transmission is expensive and you will need to evaluate wether it is worth repairing.

Motor Coupler
On direct drive machines this is a common failure and can be very noisy. To check and replace the motor coupler watch the video.

Motor
You will need to disassemble the washer to listen to the motor running. If the motor is noisy it will need replacing. On direct drive models check the motor coupler first.

Suspension Rods
The Suspension Rods support the tub under the cabinet on some models. The washer must be disassembled to access. These usually do not fail. On direct drive types there will be springs instead of suspension rods. Either usually fails but can from being overloaded.

Drain Pump
The drain pump can be the cause of noise. On belt drive types remove the belt and rotate the pump pulley it should spin freely and make no noise. If it is noisy replace. If it does not spin freely remove and inspect for obstructions if none found replace the pump. Check the impeller on the pump it should be tight and spin freely. On direct drive types remove the pump and inspect or replace.

i would say you have a warped main pulley, run the machine in spin,watch it early to detect any wobling in the belt should be no sideway movement. also check main pulley is tight with no lateral wobling.

You found a belt? Most w/p washer do not have a belt they are direct drive. take off the pump and motor to replace the motor coupling, 2 plastic pieces w/ a rubber in between

sounds like a bad lid switch how old is it?

If your washer doesn't agitate, check these:

Lid switch
Motor coupler
Belts
Clutch
Drive motor
Drive pulleys
Transmission
Agitator
Lid switch If the lid switch is defective, the washing machine may not agitate or function at all. The switch is inside the washing machine main housing near the door frame. Often you have to raise or open the top or front of the washing machine to get to the switch. If it's defective, you need to replace it.

Motor coupler Many washers produced by Whirlpool® use a small, relatively inexpensive motor coupling. It's plastic and rubber and is mounted to the shaft of the motor on one side, and to the transmission on the other. Over time, the coupler wears out and fails. If this happens, you need to completely replace it.

Belts Many washing machines have one or two belts. If a belt is broken or badly worn, you need to replace it with a genuine belt from the manufacturer. (Some washing machine belts are designed with special characteristics not found in automotive belts.)

Clutch If your washer was made by GE®, it may use a clutch for agitating the clothes. As the clutch wears out, it may prevent the washer from agitating well or at all. If the clutch is worn, you need to replace it. For this job, you probably want to hire a qualified appliance repair technician.

Drive motor Many washer brands use a reversing motor. For agitation the motor runs in one direction, for spinning and draining, the other. It's possible for a motor to burn out in one direction and continue to operate in the other. If this happens, you need to replace the entire motor.

Drive pulleys The motor or transmission drive pulley may be worn and unable to turn the drive belt. If so, replace the pulley.

Transmission The transmission could have either of these problems:

• Older washers produced by Whirlpool® have a transmission with an electro-mechanical shifter. If the shifter becomes even partially defective, the unit may not agitate properly or at all.



• The transmission may have a worn or broken gear, or some other internal problem.

If you suspect a transmission problem, you may have to call a qualified appliance repair technician to repair it.

Agitator The inside of the agitator--where the transmission shaft attaches--can become worn, and strip out the spline that allows the agitator to properly grip the shaft. Then the transmission shaft rotates back and forth as it should, but the agitator doesn't move properly. If this happens, you may need to replace the agitator and/or the transmission spline.

It's noisy Most noises from a washing machine occur during the spin cycle. If you hear loud thumping during the spin, the load of clothes may have become unbalanced. Stop the washer and redistribute the clothes, then re-start it. Repeat these steps if necessary.

check pulley is fully bolted home. also fault could be due to the bearing spider (on the drum) being broken or cracked on one leg. if this was so, would expect spin with clothes to be very noisy. get gack to me if you want. the belt is a stretchy belt ie no adjustment for tightness

Control boards don't growl, the fry out and die. Sounds like a drive train problem to me. If it's a front load machine, the spindle/bearing assy. has gone to washer heaven. If it's a top load machine... could be the transmission, brake/clutch assy. or the tub bearings. In either case, if it's less than 5 years old, the drive system will be warrantied through the manufacturer. If you could provide a make and model number, I could narrow this down to a fine point.