[gandecoe]

I bought this Whirlpool (direct-drive, top load) washer (model WTW5520SQ) almost a year ago. A few months ago it started to occassionally make a high-pitched fairly loud squealing noise during the wash cycle. (It's loud enough that I can hear it at the end of my house which is over the end of the basement where the machine is.) When I lift the lid, the agitator stops (as it is supposed to). Then when I put the lid back down, it squeals again. Sometimes after lifting and closing the lid a few times, the squeal goes away altogether; sometimes not. Sometimes without lifting the lid at all after a few minutes it will stop on its own, at times just for a few seconds (and start again), at times for the remainder of the wash cycle. It doesn't squeal every wash, or even every washday (a series of two to four washes). It has become more frequent as time goes on, though.

I've had Sears repairmen here twice, but of course, the machine did not squeal when they ran it! One repairman removed the agitator and put some oil/grease on some part below it, but the machine still squealed the very next time I used it. The second repairman inspected the water pump, and found nothing wrong with it.

Other than the noise, the machine works OK. Any suggestions on what the problem could be?