Thursday, January 27, 2011

How To: Fix a "TE Error" on an LG-WM2277HW (part 2 of 2)

<<< Back to part 1 of 2 (introduction and step 1)

Step 2 - After they're off, you can slide the entire top of the unit backwards and then lift off.
Step 3 - Remove the soap drawer.  (The basket is on top because I'm still not sure if the ceiling's going to cave in and if it does, I don't want it to fall into the machine.  Crazy, I know.)
Step 4 - I realized there was probably water still in the machine, so I drained it at this point.  You'd probably do it earlier in the process just to be done with it since it takes some time for the water to drain.  This shows the door removed, but that's actually not necessary.  There may have been a screw or two in here that helps hold the front in place.
Step 5 - Back up top, there are a few screws that hold the control panel in place.
Step 6 - With the control panel resting on top -- it's still connected by the wires in the middle -- you have access to a few screws that hold the front panel on.  You have unplugged the machine, right?
Step 7 - Remove the tension ring.  Be careful not to damage the gasket that seals the door.  
Another shot of the ring.  The machine has a metal lip on the front panel and the gasket fits around that and then the ring holds it tightly.
The ring contains a really powerful spring.  I actually needed my wife's help getting the ring back in place afterwards, the coordination of holding it in place while applying pressure (while being careful of the gasket) really benefited from two sets of hands.   The machine occasionally dribbled a little bit before the repair, but now it doesn't.  Hooray.
A shot of the metal rim and gasket.
Step 8 - Disconnect the door sensor from the right side of the machine.  (If your door opens to the right, it might be on the left.)  I can't tell if this picture is oriented correctly.  After this point, turning on the machine will get you the "dE error" (door) instead.
Now, we can see the problem.  The curve at the top of the photo is the southeast corner of the opening.  Here two blue wires go into a plug and that plug plugs in.
Yep, look at that.  Wire's broken.  
Step 9 - You could probably replace the entire plug, or just strip the wire, reattach to the plug and then secure with electrical tape as I did.
Step 10 - Reassemble everything.  I recommend testing as soon as the door sensor plug is reattached, just to be safe.  But here it is - up and running.   And has been running perfectly since then.  (Including no longer occasionally dribbling out the front while running.)

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