Hey Forum Folks,

I am a neophyte here but could really use some help.

I have a Maytag MAV408DAWW washing machine which is about 3 years old. It's begun making horrible noises during the spin / drain part of the cycle. It is draining okay but noise keeps getting worse. We thought it might be the pump and pulled it off to clean it. It and the hoses appear to be clear; there is still some gook in the pump (appears to be sealed) but the pump spins ok. My husband thinks the belt has stretched; is loose and needs to be replaced. It does seem to be slow to turn when starting the spin cycle (I used a pen to poke the safety thing so I could check it). Is there a there a way to check the belt to see if it's the problem before buying one only to have the same noise. Is there something else we should check? We're on a very worn shoestring budget and don't have any funds at all available to have a professional look at it. I can't find a repair manual anywhere online only the care & use guide or the installation guide. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We don't have much washer maintenance experience but can follow instructions... diagrams are appreciated though.

Thanks,
Susan