My Kenmore washing machine is about 5 years old. It has started making a loud "bang" after the first spin. Does anyone know what this could be? Is my washer about to die? BTW it works and washes fine except for this loud noise. Any help or advice is welcome. Tim

An (understandably) unadvertised feature of the Series 90 machines is the hidden, built-in handgun. Obviously drunk on power and enzyme-laden liquid detergents, your washer has begun to fire it indiscriminately. Your machine isn't going to die, but anyone within 100 feet of it after the first spin should wear protective gear. My advice is to do exactly as the washer tells you, to use a low, calming tone of voice when addressing it and to hit it repeatedly with a 15-lb. sledgehammer when it nods off tonight.

That'll be $75, please.

Ok, that really helped. Thanks for your advice.

timborow-- While I couldn't fix a washing machine given a genius robot AND a map, I am glad that my Online University English-minor skills have finally found an audience. Good luck with your repair; I'm sure someone else at this site can be of more practical assistance to you. In the meantime, keep your head down...

My DD Kenmore has been doing that for over a year now. It seems to come and go.

OK! jaxsunst I'm going to get into this Comedy Team{s} Spot-Light also. Do you mean that your Washer leaves your house and then returns once in a while!!!

Peace and Good Luck with the Repairs as well, timborow, I'm afraid seriously that I'm not able to help you with your problem either, but I hope that someone else will be able too give you some more serious advise to get it taken care of and operating properly real soon.

I will make kind of a wild guess and say that it sounds like it could be either the Clutch or the Motor Shaft Coupler Parts, that might need to be replaced.

Steve "aka" SactoTeddyBear...

A thousand pardons....this is a shameless attempt to get a few more of you to read this exchange. I don't know if my view of reality has become a little too skewed, but I'm laughing my ass off.

Only after the first spin? What would be different after the first spin, than after the last spin?

Early direct drive machines made a distinctive ringing clang noise when spin started and the clutch engaged. Or was it when spin stopped and the brake engaged? Whichever. I recall there was a field-fix that involved placing a rubber ring around the outside of clutch/brake drum, and the ring was added to the production line as well. Or something like that.

Hi Guys,

My Mums 3 yo Whirlpool and Michaels Mothers 5 yo whirlpool both bang everytime they go into spin. Mum has done it since it was about 2 years old, and its still chugging along perfectly. Mum's still neutral drains.

Michael's mother however no longer neautral drains, so it bangs 4 times each, once at the end of wash, once after the pause and then the same sequence again after the rinse.

I think hers is on its way out. The spin brake lately applys with that much force that the whole machine sometimes spins if you lift the lid. There is also a gradually increasing puddle of oil underneath. I have a spare transmission to put in, but until it actually fails, I'm not allowed to do so :)

In short the bang doesnt seem to affect the operation of the machine and I cant see why the expected 5-7 year lifespan shouldnt be reached.