Chosen Solution
Hi, My LG front loader washer would not go into the drain stage of the washing cycle. First there were noises coming from a drain pump, then it sat for a while and displayed OE error. No drain or spin happened. As many posts suggested, I checked the drain filter (it was clean), hoses and replaced the drain pump with a brand new one. I then tried Rinse+Spin and Speed Wash cycles with no clothes, to confirm that it got fixed, but to no avail. It again stopped on the Drain/Spin stage and displayed the OE error after sitting for a while, no loud noises were coming from the new pump though. I then went through a diagnostic run, by pressing Soil Level and Spin + Power, albeit with the same result - no drain occurred. What else could I do, please? Thank you!
REF: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/676595… The above link is to the service manual for your washer. On page 26, it provides the troubleshooting flow diagram for drain malfunction. I would focus on 1.) checking the drain pump impeller for clog (perhaps a prior clog that didn’t get fully cleared when you replaced the drain pump), 2.) Though you replaced the drain pump, a resistance check on the pump coil would be beneficial to double check your new pump, and 3.) the main board assembly checks for 120 VAC with a DMM. WARNING: This is with live power, be ABSOLUTELY sure you know what you are during. Here is a bigger image to help you identify the connectors to check:
Another useful check is to make sure the drain pump is recirculating water during the wash/rinse cycle. This will clue you in to whether the new pump you bought is working/hooked up correctly (See page 15 to turn on circulation pump).
If you’re getting OE code on your LG wash machine don’t replace the pump. Most likely it’s fine. Take it out and take the pump off the housing and then try the impeller out of the housing and clean out the housing and the impeller shaft. Mine was full of muck. Sometimes it would work sometimes it wouldn’t and I noticed when I took the pump out of the machine the impeller spun with resistance. After I clean it it spun freely like a top. My wash machine works perfect again. $0 invested about an hour and a half at a time.
Pcb Assembly is the next item I would check if your not getting 120v to the drain motor
Update, nine months later in my washing machine is still working perfectly. Don’t go wasting money on buying parts. take the pump out and clean it. The motor itself doesn’t go bad there’s no moving Parts. It’s a magnetic motor with an impeller. Just take the impeller apart clean it up, relube the shaft clean out the hole that it sits in and you’ll be good to go! It’s a cakewalk. I probably had about an hour into my repair. The hard part is taking the gasket off and putting it back on but I’ve done that before to replace it. They make a special tool for that gasket but if you’re patient you can use needle nose.
After running the tub clean mode and drain and spin to no avail, LG’s customer service has told me to buy washer cleaner tablets and run 5 cycles in a row of the tub clean mode. Strange, because those say they’re for dirty or smelly tubs, and mine is neither and only 2 years old. They arrive tomorrow so I suppose I’ll see.
If you’re getting OE code on your LG wash machine don’t replace the pump. Most likely it’s fine. Take it out and take the pump off the housing and then pry the impeller out of the housing and clean out the housing and the impeller shaft. Mine was full of muck. Sometimes it would work sometimes it wouldn’t and I noticed when I took the pump out of the machine the impeller spun with resistance. After I clean it it spun freely like a top. My wash machine works perfect again. $0 invested about an hour and a half at a time. I did this over two years ago am I washing machine is still running just fine. It’s just a dirty impeller for the pump. The pump itself has no moving Parts but the impeller. It’s a magnetic impeller. It’s a very simple job if you just take a little time to figure it out.
I have an LG machine WD13020D or 12020D (on manual). My husband has removed the drain pump but doesn’t remember which way the black and brown wires went to reconnect. Can anyone help?
First look for the simple things. Try to turn the pump impeller inside the pump after you’ve removed the drain filter. If it’s stiff or jammed then look closely with a torch/flashlight into the pump for anything like string or a rubber band that may be preventing the impeller from turning. If you spot such just fish it out with a pliers or tweezers and see if the impeller turns freely. If I had done this today I’d have saved all the work of removing and reinstalling my pump.
Just replaced my pump only for the new pump to fail on the first load. I’d already somewhat satisfied myself that the hoses were clear. I used a shop vac to pull the water out of the tub, forward and backwards through the drain hose, etc. But one hose, the little rubber drain hose, wasn’t flowing. I used compressed air to clear it and a bunch of sand and small debris came out. Very dirty inside. New motor didn’t feel smooth turning so, it being dead anyway I disassembled it and found that the permanent magnet had cracked, leaving ferous splinters which jammed up the works. also the permanent magnets cavity its was full of water. So, IDK if i got a bad part or the sand would sneak down from the little drain hose when the chamber was flooded and jam up the works. Chamber appeared clean when i took apart the first once but right now that’s what I’m suspecting. New part in a few days, we shall see. Moral: probably a good idea to periodically drain that little rubber drain hose as preventive maintenance! I’m now guessing
So I got the drain problem message (OE) and I ended up replacing the drain pump (even though ad someone else mentioned there are no moving parts, therefore this part is not likely to go bad). My washer seemed fine after a couple weeks but then I got the message again. I checked all the hoses and they were all clear. What I did notice was the pump was turning on and water seemed to be expelled so the pump seemed to be operating as it should. After thinking about it for a bit it seemed to me that the washer thought there was still water in the tub. I found that there is a pressure sensor that is used to determine water level. I unplugged it and blew it out then the washer worked fine after. I’ll keep an eye out to see if the same problem pops up again. I may end up getting a new pressure sensor if it does. I hope my experiences can help others fix theirs.
