How to Fix a Drive Motor for a Washer That Will Not Agitate

The drive motor is what powers the transmission that moves the agitator. A sign that the motor is damaged is a buzzing or humming noise, or a machine that doesn’t agitate. To figure out if the drive motor is causing your agitation problems, you need to test it with a multimeter. Using the information below, such as the instructional videos and how-to guides, you’ll be able to figure out if your drive motor has failed, and how to replace it, if necessary.

What is a Drive Motor? Where is it Located?

The drive motor is what powers the transmission that moves the agitator. All top-load washers use a motor to drive the transmission to agitate. Many washing machine brands use a reversing motor, which means that the motor rotates in one direction for agitating and the opposite for spinning and draining. The motor may run correctly in the spin direction but not in the agitation direction. Some machines use a rotor and stator type of motor, which provides rotation in both directions and at variable speeds.

General Location of the Drive Motor in a Washer

How to Tell if the Drive Motor is Damaged

A motor that hums or buzzes, instead of agitating, is one that’s defective in some way. Remove the belt or drive coupling and, if the motor still just hums or buzzes, then it needs to be replaced. If the motor doesn’t make any sound at all, then it may not be getting any power. This is a job that involves testing for live voltage and may be best left to an experienced technician.

How to Test the Drive Motor in a Washer with a Multimeter

1. Disconnect the power source from your appliance before beginning, as you will be handling electrical components.
2. Remove your washer's cabinet to find and remove the drive motor. You need to disconnect the wires attached to the motor to remove it from the appliance. Make sure you do this by pulling on the metal connectors—NOT the wires.
3. Set your multi-meter to the Rx1 setting. Test for continuity by placing the probes onto the terminals of the motor. You should receive a reading of zero or nearly zero.
4. To test the ground connection, leave one probe on the terminal and place the other on the metal housing of the drive motor. You should not receive any reading from this test.
5. If your readings differ from those described above, you need a replacement drive motor.

How to Access and Remove the Drive Motor

1. You may need to remove the front or back panel and lay the washer on its back to access the drive motor.
2. Remove the motor cover, belts, and pulley.
3. Remove the motor from the base by removing the screws holding it in place.

How to Install a New Drive Motor

1. Remove the motor base and the ground wire from the old motor, so that they can be used with the new one.
2. Reinstall the motor mount base and reinstall the nuts to hold it in place.
3. Reverse the steps used to remove the motor from your washer. On some machines that use a rotor and stator type motor it is likely attached directly to the shaft that turns the inner basket.

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