WTW5500XW1 Whirlpool Washer - Instructions

A detailed Service Technician Service Manual is hidden inside the machine on the front panel. It is hidden by the bleach dispenser input. It gives a list of fault codes and instructions for calibration after repair, resetting fault codes, and a manual test mode for stepping the machine through each mode on command. The Tachometer failed which would not let the machine come up to maximum spin speed. The tachometer is part of the solenoid actuator that shifts the transmission. It is not specifically called out in the manual. Any failure causes the lid lock light to blink which gives the appearance of a lid lock failure

Watched a video on the internet.

The instructions that came with the part were worthless. Essentially, unplug, put in new part, plug it back in. I spent a considerable amount of time on the internet and finally found a video showing how to open the top. Unlike other models, it is held down by clamps in the back rather than clips in the front. Once finding this information the installation was simple. Remove the clamps and the back of the console, slide the top forward and lift, remove and replace the lock and reassemble. You don't even have to remove the hoses.

Well, first investigated and found loose nut on drive clutch. First take off the two screws with nut drive then cover off using a screwdriver blade to snap off the cover. Then socket ratchet to take off the nut on drive clutch. take off belt by slowly rotating the drive gear. two screws that hold the electronics to the upper drive clutch and put aside, so you can snap off the cover for drive clutch on upper part with screwdriver and off the parts come and install whole unit back as took it apart. Line up the new upper clutch so that is position as was before. (Using parts diagram helps a lot as www. partsselect.com has for you or Maytag.com.) Then put the electronic part board back on and the gear and nut. Make sure it is tight by several attempts to make sure it's snugged up good and then slowly roll belt back on the pulley and motor drive. Put your cover guard back on with two screws and done.

This product comes in a bottle with a brush like Liquid Paper. It goes on incredibly easy. A second coat might be needed. I wanted to prevent rust from setting in so I covered the scratches and dings. The paint is a little brighter since my washer is 10 years old but it still looks great.

Easy, just followed the repair video. Recommend also ordering the drive belt. Bought one locally during my repair.

Remove top of washer 5min R&R cable 20 min total time 25 min.

Turned off cold water , in plugged the washer, disconnected the HOT and COLD supply to the washer. Removed the screws holding the panel to the upper galf of the back of the washer, in plugged the cold water solenoid valve, removed the two screws holding the cold water valve in place pulled up on the valve to remove it, incereted the new valve in it's place, replaced the hold down screws replaced the electrical plugs, replaced the upprr aluminum covering the top half or the back of the washer, reconnected the water supply lines and turned the water on. check for leaks. Wife said it worked like new.

Went on u tube saw different video to How disassemble the top to have access to the rod. Changing one by one those rod I was in need of my wife to hold the cover while I was changing the rod.... order for suspension rod kit. Reassemble the top by sliding the cover and to snap. Screw back the panel. And it solve the problem. My wife was really happy so me. It can be done by anybody but first go on the internet to get a idea.

Remove small screws on back of top on both sides, slide top forward. No need to remove water hoses. Lift top up to expose switch safety mechanism (black plastic) on front underside of top. Undo screws holding switch mechanism. remove plate cover from back of top and unplug wiring harness. Thread new wireing harness and plug through hole in top and plug in to plug receptor.

Unplug washer. Remove 4 screws from the small plates that hold top to body of washer. Remove cover plate from back of top. Lift top from base and support it on its back. Remove lid lock mechanism. Unplug connector from its socket at the back of the lid. In reverse order install the new lid latch,

First, I checked the belt before ordering and then decided to order the belt, capacitor, and clutch assembly (if I needed to replace). I replaced the belt noticing the older belt came right off and new one was tighter going on. I replaced the capacitor since I had it handy and it can be known to cause this smell also. After setting washer back up and started a cycle I noticed the spin cycle would not start properly so I thought maybe the capacitor (new one) was faulty or just not the exact match even though it was said to be. I replaced my older capacitor back on and again ran cycle and it ran great. Thus I decided to send the parts which were not used. I would recommend this site as I have used them in the past before on other items. They ship fast and have a great return policy if parts not used.

I followed the online video, removed the old part and replaced it with the new part. My washer is working perfectly. It took about an hour to reset.

This was a learning experience but it appears to have worked out in the end. Our 3 1/2 year old washer was not agitating much and I attributed that to a loose bolt. I would tighten the bolt and it would work ok for a load or two and then stop agitating. I would find that the bolt was loose again. I took a number of steps to try to get the bolt to stay on tight - threadlock, a new bolt, more threadlock, and applying progressively more force on the bolt, with no better results. Yet the repair guys on you tube were saying the bolt only needs to be snug, not super tight - something was amiss. I even went so far as to secure the basket with a rope so I could use two hands on the socket wrench (please don't do this). But when I tried the washer again there was no agitation at all! I observed the agitation output in manual test mode and the bolt was turning in lock step with the shaft but the agitator wasn't turning at all. That's when I suspected that the problem was actually a worn lower agitator. Trouble was that now I couldn't seem to get the bolt off. Turning the wrench caused the shaft itself to rotate so I couldn't loosen the bolt from the shaft. I thought I broke the washer. Then I considered that maybe the shaft was rotating because the washer was in an agitation mode when I turned it off. I went back into manual test mode, made the washer spin, then turned it off. Fortunately, this worked. The shaft was again stationary and, albeit with great difficulty, I got the bolt off.

I removed the agitator, and as a pro would have figured out long before, the ridges inside the top of the lower agitator were almost completely worn down. I realized then that the contact between these ridges and the splines on the shaft is what is supposed to cause the lower agitator to move with the shaft. The purpose of the bolt is just to keep the agitator in the correct position and from coming off the shaft. I had been trying to compensate for the worn agitator ridges by over-tightening the bolt, creating some contact at the top of the shaft. This would work for a little while, then the agitator would start slipping, and the slipping agitator was acting just like a wrench loosening the bolt (until my stupid rope trick, that is.)

So I ordered a new agitator (only the lower agitator was bad, but the price of an entire agitator isn't a lot more than just the lower part and I was reading that the upper agitator parts will wear over time) and another new bolt (because my repeated attempts to over-tighten the first one I ordered had split the rubber gasket apart and worn the bolt head).

The new agitator fit snugly on the splines of the shaft so I sensed no need to use excessive force on the bolt. Just an easy one-handed snug tightening with the socket wrench, using the other hand to hold the lower agitator. The washer is now working again.

I checked out the reviews and the recommendation of these "professionals", replaced the part easy enough when it came in. However, it didn't solve the problem. Got an actual professional to come in and see what the problem was, and they determined that gear oil was being leaked and it wasn't worth replacing.

Tried to get a refund and return the part. Was told absolutely not. The money back guarantee is a lie.