>>> Posted by Duke (DNukem@rocketmail.com) on
Mon, Jun 27, 11 at 0:01

Its sad there is not a washer and dryer on the market worth the price they ask. After owning ASKO, Matag, and LG... I must say, I'm sending my clothes out now. Its worth the $230 a month.I've had my Duet set for over five years without a hitch, but I think I've got a way to have a Duet set for five years maintenance and worry free for less than what Duke is paying monthly for his laundry service!

When I purchased my Duet set, I bought it from Lowe's and they offered free delivery and a three year Extended warranty. As part of the warranty, they offered a yearly checkup and cleaning. The extended warranty for three years was about $169. At about two-and-a-half years into my ownership (six months to go on three year warranty) I got an offer for a one or two year extension, which I took the two year, but I called first and negotiated the two year cost down to $55.

So for $224, I had my Duet washer and dryer cleaned and checked every year and if something went wrong I called a local repair shop that was certified by Whirlpool, but I didn't have to deal with Whirlpool customer service at all. So far, all has been good. If I can't get another extension, I might sell these and start the cycle all over again just so I never have to deal with the individual company's customer service departments! The couple hundred bucks is well worth it and you get a much faster response.

Hi All,
Just wanted to update my progress - I tried unplugging my machine and tried the "hitting" method neither of which produced immediate results. However, after turning everything off and letting it sit all night, it worked perfectly fine this morning! I've run several loads today with absolutely no problems!

Thank you to all who have shared their journey on this site! I thought I'd encourage those who are dealing with this to try everything here because it really does work. I've had my machine for almost 7 years. Here are some things I've learned along the way.

I replaced the rubber seal around the door almost 3 years ago (after it had a baby washcloth jammed in there, it was leaking). The repair man told me to leave the door slightly ajar after a wash so it could dry out.

About one year ago I started getting the dreaded DL code. I unplugged and let sit 10 minutes and that worked. It happened again and that didn't work, but I was able to clean the connectors with alcohol and that worked for many months. Along the way, I hit the top of the machine with my fist a time or two to no avail. Then I had to resort to tightening the screws (my father-in-law had the tool with the odd shaped head).

This week however, nothing worked so I called a repairman who replaced the door lock assembly. Have gotten several DL-F codes since but waited a few minutes and the lock worked. No such luck this am, so I came back to this site. I wanted to avoid the costly circuit board replacement! Well, it reminded me about the fist to the upper right back of the machine. My husband thought I was crazy, but it WORKED. I wonder if I'd have had to replace the door lock assembly if I had remembered to try the fist!?!

So my encouragement to all who are dealing with these issues -- try everthing mentioned here before you call a repairman.

This machine has been the biggest disapointment for the price I paid for this set the washer has been the biggest pile of junk ever. it started with the plastic molding cracking of course ofter the warranty ran out the door cracked in several places so the handle came off because of this why buy a new door if it will just crack again. But this I beleive is the main problem because I have gotten both d codes and I personaly think it is because the door has small cracks in it . I know this much I will never buy whirlpool products again.

@ Mark, Thank you so so much for posting your fix for the f-dl code! My husband works away alot and i have to fix things around the house myself. I have taken this washing maching apart and put it back together 2 times in the past 6 months. Tonight i was trying to avoid taking it apart so i came to the computer to price a new washer when i decided to google a solution and all it took was one good hit! Thank you so much as a mother to two girls i cannot go without a washing machine for an hour! THANK YOU!!

No problem.

Glad it worked & it will work for a while.

But be aware that it will not work forever. If I recall it was about 8 weeks for me. Finally they replaced the board & I have kept machine plugging into a surge protector & it has been flawless for over 5 years.

For me basically it "bought" me time to get it repaired. I was able to keep washing during the "waiting" process which was a lifesaver.

My tale of woe but with happy ending. :)

I have a 9250 that has been giving me grief for about 6 months. I wasn't getting an error code, mine wouldn't latch the door. I would have to cancel the cycle, open and close the door 4 to 5 times (entire procedure not just open and close door) before it would start. It was starting to get worse so I replaced the latch. As most have pointed out, that did not work. I bought a new CCU replaced that and much to my dismay that didn't fix it either. I was furious at this point and just let it beat me up a few more months. I had to start flipping the breaker and leaving it sit in addition to the cycle dance.

I gave it one more shot and replaced the board behind the front panel. YAHOOOOOOOO That finally fixed it in my case. I kept the original CCU in case the new one goes south. The board got tossed. Sears parts select actually had the cheapest prices at the time of order. That wasn't always the case so shop around.

Thanks for the advice folks that fist on the upper right side works.

WOW WOW I have read over all of this, because I was getting the F-dl code. Turned off the electric to the machine for 30 minutes, turned it back on started a cycle hit the top right corner with my fist & YES it's working.....YEA thank you all so much :)

I have hated my Whirlpool Duet since I bought it 7 years ago. It does not get laundry clean like my good ol' top loader used to.
Today I got the F DL code and came here for suggestions. My best friend also has had the same problem with hers for months on end, and having the repair man out time after time. I banged on the top right back corner like recommended and it's going again.
I won't deal with this problem repeatedly so I hope this fixed it. I've been looking for an excuse to buy a top loading water hog but couldn't justify the cost, but if this guy keeps acting up he's on his way to the scrap metal pile.

Wow this is like a support group for Duet Washer suffers!
I have had the DL issue for a few months, eventually I called the repairman. After 3 visits from Sears, they were not able to locate or repair the issue. So I have filed for a refund to get my $250.00 back that they charged me for a new door lock assembly. Which I now know that it was never the issue. I will NEVER buy another whirlpool washer again. It works okay when it starts, but not worth the agravation. I have my washers stacked so taking them down to wiggle something will be a hassle, will try it tho and post results.

What is a interface filter? That seems to be where the failure is.

This chain of information has been most helpful in my quest to fix my duet washer! The hitting the washer on the top right panel worked the 1st time I tried it and didn't work after that at all. I then took the top off and made sure all the wire connections were secure into the CCU and around where to door lock assembly is. Done 5 loads in a row since with no issues! Hopefully that will do the trick long term.

In most cases it is the ccu that is bad. When replacing the ccu make sure you pay attention to static discharge. Even a small static disharge of 10 volts can cause the new board to fail several months later, Whirlpool has this warning on their most recent tech sheets.

Boy, I can always count on gardenweb for answers!
Here's my story. Two years ago, I was given!!! this washer...while I was gushing and blubbering thank yous all over the owner, he said, now wait, it has issues.
He said that every now and then it wouldn't start and here's what you do. (told me how to remove 4 screws and wiggle)
Well, I have used it for two years and it's never not started correctly.
Until today,.... F dl code. With my "fish" clinched, pow! lol. the dang thing started right up. Thank God, I had a load full of sheets.
Just wanted to thank all the contributers on this thread.

Regarding the F11 and Fdl codes. Our machine is almost eight years old and just within the past month started giving the F11 and occasionally the Fdl. We pay $50.00 per month for a home warranty that covers all of our appliances, as well as plumbing and electrical in our home. Well, after almost 5 years of paying for this service, we finally had to use it. It cost us just a $60.00 deductable for the repair of the control board. However, when the repair man came back to install the "new" board, it didn't work at all! It was cycling through all sorts of numbers and letters on the selector and the control lock would not disengage. You know there is an issue when the repair man looks at you and says, "why is it doing that"? Needless to say, he re-installed our old board until he can get back with another "new" one. Now continually getting Fdl. Hopefully board comes soon and actually works!

I can not believe I have had this problem for years and my fix was just keep opening and shutting door and adjusting the load. Finally fed up I read the blog. Shut door, restarted and with swift quick pound of my fist to front right corner, it started no problem. In my manual, there is no explanation for code dfl and now I know what it is and how to fix it. I don't plan on doing this fix forever and would like my washer looked at, but it works now! Thank you for your tips.

Wow! I have this error code. I read all the advice for trouble shooting. The only thing that worked was to hit it. LOL

There may be some science behind 'hitting it with your fish' that we all enjoyed! The control panel with all the wiring is on the top at the back on the right. On a youtube video, a technician shows how to replace the latch assembly, but then shows how to check the wiring. After hitting it worked a few times but then having the error code return, we took off the top, disconnected and reconnected the wires and it seems to hold. You can view this video on Youtube under SamaraiRepairman if you google up the error code of which we speak. It is nearly 4 minutes into the video when this info is given. Fingers crossed this does it. Thanks for your help - the fish worked for a while!

Here is a link that might be useful: SamaraiRepairman

Wow!! I am so glad I read this thread about the WP Duet!! I am trying to figure out which brand of front load washer to purchase and now I know I will not buy WP!!!

We consumers are being ripped of by so many "things" that are not working as they should, now. I think we are no longer being protected against this sort of thing by consumer protection laws, etc. The Lemon Laws have so many loopholes. Maybe we need to start a letter/email campaign to our congress critters. Ha!! A lot of good that would do, right? Just wondering. It is a sad state of affairs that the products being sold to us are no longer of quality.

Just had to vent. I will end my search to learn about WD Duets at this point. Now it is down to checking out Maytag Maxima. I know they are built by the same manufacturer. Bummer.

I've had this problem and checked everything but couldn't get it fixed. My hot water tank needed to be flushed so I cleaned it and got all the mud out from city line breaks and flushing. I also drained my washer from the back hose and ran it on the hot/cold cycle with baking soda to clean it out. Sometimes, we fail to realize that it may be stopped up and the filter needs cleaning or the hot water spicket is clogged up. I replaced my rear hoses with new ones. I also, cleaned the door hinges with WD-40 and automatically got the fdl errorl code when it was washing. So I pressed the cxl button twice and then start./.went to working. It wasn't until I cleaned out my hot water tank and drained the washer at the hose and cleaned the door hinges that it stopped. I'm holding my breath but you have to clean it or keep it cleaned..oh, ps. turn off at the breaker instead of unplugging Good Luck.

Tried the fish/fist method. No luck. I did vacuum the lint/dust that was in the lock and this seems to have worked. I've done 3 loads with no problems.

Tried the fish/fist method. No luck. I did vacuum the lint/dust that was in the lock and this seems to have worked. I've done 3 loads with no problems.

My Duet washer is close to around 10 years old. I've had this error before and unplugging it helped but not today.
While looking at various sites I found the following reset instructions on another site that worked for me:

Close door
Turn machine on
Select "Drain/Spin"
Select "No Spin"
Press the "Options" button 4 times

Comments from person who posted this on another forum: The machine will reset the lock. There have been a couple of occasions where I have had to open and shut the door and then try the diagnostic, but it's always worked.

This worked for me today!

This is crazy!!!! My washer is about 10 years old and I just got the infamous error f dl. In looking at the posts, one suggested hitting the unit at the back right. I hit it on the top near the back right and once on the front right just because I felt like it. Guess what? it worked. Thanks

Thank You Thank You, Adain hitting back right corner once again helped. You all just saved me another 200 or 300 for now!!!!!!

Same here. Just hit the back side and felt like Fonzie. Heyyyyy.

LOL - this post is NEVER GOING TO DIE - but I will say my Duet is still working fine.....after that first debacle I went through with fdl f11 the first 2 years, once he ultimately replaced the board and my machine has been plugged into a surge protector - years 3 through 10 (and counting) have been totally trouble free - this has been an awesome machine other than the board needing to be replaced year 2......

OMG Mark40511 I love you!! It totally worked. I banged on the top back right part of the washer and it worked. Thank you so much for sharing that info.

LOL Linda! Again, this post is never going to die. It must be the first thing that comes up when people search google for this problem. If you are having this problem, you probably need your control board replaced. This is a temporary fix and it will only get worse, but it will allow you to KEEP doing laundry until you can get it fixed......I can't remember how long it worked for me. I had to get my board replaced.....the tech told me to keep my machine plugged into a working surge protector after he replaced the control board, and now going on year 11 and still my machine is working........Good luck :)

My issue was a little different, but same general fix. I had slammed the door a little aggressively, at which point I started getting the door lock failure code. I could hear the clicking in the back, presumably from the control unit. I was sure I was going to have to replace the control unit or the door latch, but I used the fonzie method first. Hitting the washing on the top back did nothing, but a swift hit on the side next to the latch did the trick. Unbelievable.

I am reading through all these post because I have had the same issues over the past two years. Replaced the door latch - 50 bucks, got rid of the F-DL , ran for a while then the F-11 code. Accomplished all the steps mention above, fist, check wires, checked CCU, MCU, cleaned out drain, reset, unplugged. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. So my point is, there has really been no fix for this issue. Time to by a new washer. By the way, we've had this washer now for 12 years, and I think we are 2 years to the good because nothing lasts mo then 10 years anymore.

Don’t buy a
new machine!! I had the same problem
and had a technician come. He said that
by the sound of the clicking, in his experience it was not the doorlock
mechanism but the circuit board (which caused the door not to lock). He said
the machine at 11 years old was “very old” and I should buy a new one!! I asked
“why did it work once – and only once – when you slammed the door?” He said
that all of these things (circuit boards etc.) break down over time due to
moisture in the air. He said: “I can’t do the following because we can’t
warranty it, but if you slide off the top of the washing machine (easy - there are
only 3 screws at the back top), and get some ‘contact cleaner’ and clean all of
the contacts, it may well work”. I didn’t have any contact cleaner so simply
took out and put back in about a dozen connections (after first unplugging the
machine). I plugged the machine back in and tried the machine and it worked! We
did probably 30-35 loads until we got the same error message, and clicking. I
did the same thing with the connections and it’s working again no problem.

Exactly! I remember on my first tech visit a LONG time ago, he took off the top and took out the the plugs that go into the CCU and plugged them back in. He did this because he ordered a new door latch assembly, installed it, and it did not fix the problem!...By him simply unplugging and replugging from the CCU it worked again....but it was later that F DL turned into F 11. At the time, I did not know to try the unplugging from the CCU and plugging back in and hitting the machine worked for a while but even that didn't work anymore.......All that does is buy you time while waiting for repair. Ironically, my machine will be 11 yrs old in April and it works great still. I will try unplugging replugging if something happens

I didn't want to give up hope because my wife really loves her Duets. As it sat in its dark cubby, alone, I figured why not, one more try. I detached every connection on the CCU and the MCU, cleaned them and plugged them back in. I ran the Diagnostic check, and voila, click click, door lock closed, water filling, excellent, then the dreaded F11 code. Luckily, our local metro appliance store has the newest Duet models on sale today for Black Friday, in chrome no less, here we go again. Good luck.

Why not just a new control board?

Fordtech, I often wonder since my Duet is almost 11, if something like this starts happening again, is it worth it to get a new CCU? I'm thinking other things are bound to start going wrong with a modern machine that is 11 or so years old......The bearings, spider, drain pump. I wonder though how long it would actually last as long as the CCU doesn't run into problems.. So far for me, so good. I know it's been in a surge protector so I dunno if that's helping or not. It's interesting that my CCU started having problems only a year and a half in.....once it was replaced, I'm able to make it from 1.5 years to almost 11 years without a single error code? It it the surge protector, or just luck? I dunno.

Well its always a gamble I suppose. If I could buy a part for 100.00 and get one year from it I figure I broke even. I figure 100.00 per year cost of ownership about average on a good machine. Sometimes we get lucky and get a lot more value, and sometimes we get a real lemon. I dont know what your control board cost but If it were mine I would get the part number and check out Ebay and see what one goes for. But then again, a shiny new one could make the wife a very happy person for awhile :) My redhead would forget in about a month though and be back to her mean old self.... LOL

LOL...LOL

Control boards cost 200 to 250, and as someone posted earlier in this thread, that still did not fix her problem. It could be the Motor Control Unit, which when I looked was about 150, wire harness, or motor. You really need to check independently the voltage resistance on each part per the diagnostic recommendation. So I figure, if I take another chance and put the CCU in, I will be up to 300.00 with no guarantee of success and like Mark said, what is next.

My duet has quit on me. But with a little playing around I can get 3 loads out of it. I take the trim ring off the rubber boot and pull the rubber boot back. Reach my hand in a pull out any of the 3 wires going into the door latch and plug them back in, machine starts. But, I only get 3 loads, just 3 every time. Then have to repeat this procedure. Anybody else have this problem or know how to fix it?
P.S. I tried hitting it with a fish, didnt work. lol

mark40511 and babysmaid, this is amazing. We read your post as the the dl F error code fix. It's hard to believe, but before trying other things to check, we hit the left rear top of the front load Whirlpool duet washer and it works. How long it will work is unknown at this time but thanks for your input. We see that other "fixes" are coming our way and we will address them as need. And, we didn't need a "fish".

Lmao - that fish typo I made lives on. It got me through a few months while I had different tech visits. It allowed me to be able to keep doing laundry until they figured out what was wrong with my machine, which ultimately it was one of the control boards. I think it was the CCU. My Duet is now over 11 years old and still have had zero problems since the 2nd year when they replaced my board.

Ours is more than 11 years and I only changed the pump on the machine a few months ago.. Got the dl/F code after stopping a rinse. It would not start. I punched the back right corner and it did the trick! Thanks! By the way, this machine is well build and easy to repair. You will save a lot of money by doing the repairs yourself by just ordering the parts needed.

I seemed to have solved the door lock problem. I had the same door lock error. A technician came and said that by the sound of the clicking, in his experience it was not the door lock mechanism but the circuit board (which caused the door not to lock). He didn’t have the part, it would take 4 days to order and would cost $270 plus tax! He said the machine at 11 years old was “very old” and I should buy a new one!! He said that all of these things (circuit boards etc.) break down over time due to moisture in the air. He also said: “I can’t do the following because we can’t warranty it, but if you slide off the top of the washing machine (there are only 3 screws at the back top), and get some ‘contact cleaner’ and clean all of the contacts, it may well work”. I didn’t have any contact cleaner so simply took out and put back in about a dozen connections (after first unplugging the machine). I plugged the machine back in and tried the machine and it worked! And I still get the dl/F door lock error message every 3-6 months, but every time, I remove and plug back in the connectors and every time so far (2 years) it then works. Good luck!

Yes - I remember when I first started seeing the F/DL during year 2 of having my machine. The first tech visit he ordered the door latch. 2nd tech visit he installed the door latch that he ordered - didn't fix anything. 3rd tech visit he did exactly what you did. He did nothing but take the connections out and put them back in, and it worked for months until the F/DL started again. Another tech visit - he installed the new CCU and it's worked until current and continues to work. I think instead of people hitting the back of their machine, they should do what you just said. Take the connections out, put them back in. Taking the top off the machine and putting it back in is super easy.....It's crazy to think it took 11 years for you to see the FDL, yet I saw it the 2nd year..

If that's all it takes, be sure to clean the contacts and add some dielectric grease to them to keep it from happening again :)

Holy $&!@ that smack on the bck righ side of the washer actually worked!!! Little tip smack it when it is trying the lock procedure and viola!

Hitting the unit on the side or top sometimes works and sometimes not. Removing the top and jiggling the appropriate wire always does for me. Sometimes the problem recurs shortly afterwards and sometimes not for weeks. Here is a photo from the repair manual (found online) showing which wires I've found does the trick along with some notes:

"HU-300149737: ... that smack on the bck righ side of the washer actually worked!!!"

Back right side.

The CCU is on the *front* right side.