Catalyst Elite Washer Clunks

Washer Repair
1

I have an unusual problem with my Kenmore Catalyst Elite washer. During the Catalyst cycle the inner tub will lock with a horrendous clunk at completion and push the washer about 4”.

The Catalyst cycle is a spin cycle at the beginning which spins the clothes and sprays soapy water on them. Once completed it stops and runs through the regular fill and wash cycle.

The strange thing is the inner tub only locks during the Catalyst spin cycle. It does not do it during the Rinse-Spin or regular spin cycles. In every other spin cycle the inner tub brakes to a stop normally.

6 months ago both the Drive Basket and Clutch were replaced and it worked perfectly until now. I realize the Drive Basket is the first thing you would think of but it seems unlikely since it was replaced recently and worked perfectly for months. In addition, if it were defective it would seem the problem would occur on every spin cycle- not the Catalyst cycle only.

Any help would be appreciated.

2

Did it show any error code?

Run the diagnostic tests as described in the attached tech sheet and post the results.

Gene.
Tech Sheet - 3954052 - Catalyst Elite.pdf (418.1 KB)

3

I watched it when it would seize during the Catalyst Cycle and no error codes showed up when it happened. It would just continue on with the wash cycle normally.

Okay- Performed the Tests.

I have never done this before so I may be more wordy than necessary.

All Tests including Keypad Test appeared normal except for possibly the following.

  1.  [B]Recirculation Pressure Test Switch.[/B]

In Part 1 of test I think it operated normally even though it flashed error initially.

Attempting Part 1 again with more water in the tub it would flash between T2 and SP as the water valves would turn on for a second and then turn off. Finally stopped at SP reading and did nothing else.
I read through all the material you sent and could not find anything relating to a SP readout on the Keypad.

Going to Part 2 of test it flashed error for a second then back to T2 as it spun.
Stayed on T2 for the remainder of the test.

  1.  [B]Neutral Drain/Spin Test[/B]

No error codes but tub was spinning during the drain test. The spec sheet made no mention of that so not sure if this is normal.

All other tests appeared normal with no error codes.

One other thing which may be helpful.

My wife always loved the Catalyst Washer and Dryer from the time she saw them in Sears but her Washer and Dryer at the time were still in good shape. When hers finally wore out she wanted the Catalyst pair and what it cost to rebuild them was not important- she wanted “This” Washer and Dryer.

I found a used set which looked good esthetically but had a few problems.

The following parts were all bought new from Appliance Parts Pros and installed within the last 8 months.

  1.  Keypad

  2.  Tub Ring

  3.  Inner Basket

  4.  Drive Basket

  5.  Clutch

The only thing not bought from you was the Control Board. I found a Rebuilt one from another Parts Seller and used that.

The point is everything above was replaced with new parts ( Except the Control Board) and the washer worked flawlessly for 5 months after the last part was installed. It has only been within the last few weeks the basket would seize during the Catalyst Cycle.

If she switches off the Catalyst Cycle the Washer operates normally with no problems at all through multiple loads. The basket brakes normally during Rinse-Spin and regular Spin Cycles with no seizing.

One other thing- I have not been able to make it seize during the Catalyst Cycle with an empty tub. It only seizes with the weight of wet clothes in it.

Additionally- even though it seizes on the Catalyst cycle if it is left to continue the cycle the rest of the spins during that load of laundry operate normally.

I thought it would be helpful for you to know how many new parts were installed in the washer recently.

4

Would it do it at the very end of the Catalyst cycle or before the end?

If it does it before the cycle done, would it restart by itself?

Gene.

5

It always does it at the end of the Catalyst Cycle when it ends the spin cycle and then switches to the regular Fill-Wash Cycle. So if it is left alone it will seize the tub and then continue with the cycle normally.

I have watched it during the Catalyst Cycle and everything works as it should- it saturates the clothes and spins appropriately.

It just insists on seizing the inner tub at the end instead of braking the tub normally.

6

This is very strange. The only part I cab suspect is the control board. If it is still under the part warranty, you may want to request exchange.

Gene.

7

Thank You Gene,

I had come to about the same conclusion.

If it was a mechanical problem it should happen in every spin cycle and it doesn’t.

I am not an expert but from replacing the Drive Basket it seems that if the motor jerked in the opposite direction at the end of the cycle the shoes on the drive basket could lock down causing this problem.

The only thing I could think of that could do that in the Catalyst Cycle but not in any other was the Control Board.
But since the Rebuilt Board only had a 90 day warranty and it has expired I was hoping for a little confirmation before spending the $300.00 for a new one.

Thanks Again

8

You are welcome. You can order the part from APP for $276.33.

Keep us posted.

Gene.

9

Already ordered from APP.

I will post back with the outcome.

As odd as this was it may prove helpful to others.

10

Gene,

Replaced the Control Board and it did not fix the problem.

We live in a Condo so taking this thing apart in the Living Room is the absolute last resort. But since this did not fix the problem I had no choice.

I discovered the nylon arm on the Drive Basket was broken. Not completely off- but broken.

Now why this would only cause it to seize on the Catalyst Cycle is beyond me. The Drive Basket and the Clutch were replaced last July and it worked perfectly for over 6 months before this problem occurred.
Fortunately, APP are great people to do business with and they agreed to replace the Drive Basket.

I need to ask a few questions if I can.

Does it sound possible that a 6 month old Drive Basket which worked perfectly when it was installed could break?

I am caught in a dilemma where I am not sure if I got a defective Drive Basket that would seize the washer only on the Catalyst cycle 6 months after it was installed or I have a bad Control Board that broke the Drive Basket on the Catalyst cycle.
Or worse that the Catalyst washers broke all the time even when they were new and this is typical.

I know you can’t say for sure without being here but I would like to know if a defective Drive Basket sounds reasonable.

Taking the washer apart in the living room on the 9th floor is absolute misery.
Especially when you have to keep doing it every few months.

If you think a defective drive basket sounds fishy then I am going to cut my losses now by returning the Control Board and buying a new Speed Queen Washer and Dryer.

I had hoped that by replacing almost everything in the washer with new parts that it would just work from one week to the next without me constantly having to take it apart and replace something else.

I did not mind replacing parts with new ( and still don’t) as long as I didn’t wind up replacing something I had already replaced.
I thought eventually there would be an end to it and the washer and dryer would work reliably for years to come.

But now I find myself replacing something I have already recently replaced.

The money is no longer an issue compared to tearing this thing down in our Living Room every few months.

If this sounds like a defective part I will keep going with this. But if the Catalyst washers were never reliable in the first place then it may be time to cut my losses and buy something else.

But the only thing left in it I haven’t replaced is the motor and the transmission.

Addendum:

Gene I wanted to Thank You for your help but I solved the problem myself.

I had enough of pouring money into this and it still constantly breaking.

I bought a Speed Queen Washer and Dryer today and I am done messing with these Kenmores.

I never would have got into rebuilding a 10 year old Washer and Dryer in the first place but the wife wanted a conventional washer like she had been using for years.Since I did not know Speed Queen existed at the time I got into this project.

I decided to cut my losses and buy something made to last instead of trying to make an unreliable washer and dryer reliable.

They sure don’t make them like they used to.

Thanks Again

11

[quote]…Does it sound possible that a 6 month old Drive Basket which worked perfectly when it was installed could break?..[/quote]If you would ask me 10 years ago I’ll say - no way. Today my answer unfortunately is - might be. Another possible cause is if the washer was continuously overloaded.

[quote]…Or worse that the Catalyst washers broke all the time even when they were new and this is typical…[/quote]No. I don’t think so.

[quote]
…If this sounds like a defective part I will keep going with this. But if the Catalyst washers were never reliable in the first place then it may be time to cut my losses and buy something else…[/quote]Receiving defective parts (even DOA) is not a big surprise to me. This is not a design problem. When parts made God knows where even best designed appliances can not be reliable any more.

[quote]…Gene I wanted to Thank You for your help but I solved the problem myself…[/quote]Without proper troubleshooting which requires, in most cases, disassembling, all other recommendations are in general just guessing. You did everything right. Good job!

My question is: why a Speed Queen?

Good luck with the new washer.

Gene.

12

My question is: why a Speed Queen?

I will try to be brief.
This started because the Lady Kenmore Washer and Dryer I bought my wife 23 years ago finally wore out.
She did not want a Front Loader or an HE machine. Especially when her friends told her they tended to tear up clothes.
The salesman at a local appliance store who told us no new machine would last more than 7 years regardless of price didn’t help much either.

She liked the Catalyst machines she saw years ago so I found a pair on Craigslist.
They looked good but had some problems which wound up being a slow torture of one thing leading to another.

I would fix one thing only to get it back together and a few weeks later have something else fail- ( ie: Keypads, Control Boards, Drive Baskets, Clutch, Tub Ring, Heavily rusted inner tub that broke while trying to remove the Drive Block, etc etc etc).

Every repair involved taking the doors off our Laundry Room and taking it apart on the hardwood floor in our Living Room.
This happened 6 times in the last 12 months and each time I was repairing a machine under the worse circumstances imaginable and my wife was back at the Laundromat while I waited for parts.

I thought one day I would either replace all the weak parts or at worse build a new machine out of parts
As long as I did not replace the same part twice I figured there would eventually be an end to it.

The Drive Basket destroyed that illusion.

It always played out the same way- 30 minutes to get it into the living room- then take it apart to find the problem- put it back together and back in the Laundry Room- then take it out again the following week to fix it.
If I lived in a house with a garage where I could leave it in pieces until the new part arrived I might feel different but condos are not made for large repair jobs.

You finally get to a point where you want the nightmare to end regardless of what it costs or the hassle.
The Drive Basket was that point.

We chose Speed Queens because:

  1. It is a conventional top loader that washes clothes like they did in the past before the government mandated the low water HE machines. This was what she wanted all along we just did not know anyone still made machines like that when we started the Catalyst project.

  2. They are commercial machines with a control panel instead of a coin box.
    They last almost forever because they are built to last for years in a Laundromat.
    20 years of home use probably equates to a few months of what they would get in a commercial environment.

  3. They are built the way all washers and dryers used to be built 30 years ago-
    Stainless Steel Basket, Porcelain coated steel outer tub, transmission gears and power train parts are all metal with no plastic, and best of all - No Electronics.

  4. We bought their top of the line Washer and Dryer locally for less than $1300.00.

  5. The machines and all their components are MADE IN AMERICA.

That is why we bought them.

Sorry- so much for being brief.