My washer makes a whining sound during all cycles in which the basket or agitator is turning. When I pulled it out to examine it, I saw one of the suspension springs and its retainer clip on the floor. Put those back on. Didn't expect that to fix the whining, but it does make the basket spin better. I wonder if the basket being off balance for who knows how long could have caused something to fail in the transmission, thereby causing the whining. Or, maybe the missing suspension spring has nothing to do with it. I should also mention that wife says clothes haven't been getting very clean since the whining started a week or so ago. Any thoughts on whining sounds from a washer?