hi, larsi,

I just did this today, for my machine. I set it to "soft water" "Maximum water level". I have a W3033, but am thinking the procedure is quite possibly the same for your W4842 since they were made the same year.

"Programming Mode"
Note: Access has to be completed within 10 seconds.
 switch the washer off
 press start and hold
 switch the washer on (I think while holding start button)
 release the start button, as soon as the "Start" LED flashes
 press start 5 times and on the 5th time hold for 4 seconds until the display shows the programming functions
 press the left menu button to select the desired programming function, and confirm by pressing the right menu button (OK)
Note The set option is marked by a checkmark V
 press the left menu button to select the desired option, and confirm by pressing OK

++++++++++++++++

Service Mode (I think this is the mode you were in, where you can see operation hours, etc.)

Note: Access has to be completed within 10 seconds.

 switch the washer off
 press start and hold
 switch the washer on
 as soon as the "Start" LED flashes, release the start button
 press start 3 times and on the 3rd time hold for about 4 seconds until the display shows the service functions, and the "Start" LED flashes slowly (1 flash per second)
Select and start a service function:
 press the left menu button to select the desired service function; start the function by pressing the right menu button OK
 the component test automatically switches off 30 minutes after the last component test is activated

Thanks cryptandrus, but the W4842 does not have an On/Power button. The machine comes to life by selecting a cycle, and goes to "sleep" either on it's own, or by pressing pause/cancel and holding the button for a second or 2.

I think the 3033 and 4842 are just enough different, that I cannot access settings menu myself :(

We had a new W4842 delivered today (the original one from 3 months ago, kept giving error and fault codes. Miele was very gracious, and excellent to replace the unit).

Installed and delivered today. Really wanted to set it to Water +, but now that is the least of my worries. When the machine hits the Max Spin cycle, the unit shakes, rattles and jerks so badly, without joking the house shakes, and we have the laundry room decorated with vintage Miele and Persil German pictures, tin pictures, etc... They are literally off center, the room and wall shakes so bad. I called the installers, but of course it was 4:30pm (California time) on a Friday. Very annoyed. This machine sounds worse than a 1970's unbalanced top loader. No joking it is thrashing side to side, wobbling, rattling.

And YES, it is 100% balanced. Checked with 2 different levels (levelers) and the machine could not be more level

:( :(

Thanks sshrivastava, but the pause button thing did not work either. All I can access is the service menu!

Pedestal bolts are tightened, and the feet are making perfect contact with the floor. I too thought that was the problem, as one the feet was not even touching the floor. It made no difference.

Honestly, the spin cycle is so loud and violent, I cannot do laundry. No joke, it sounds like it will rip the machine apart, and damage the floor and walls.

This is my 4th W48XX Miele washer, and right now all I wish for is to wake up and have the damned thing not be there. I dealt with the last W4842 for over 3 months (3.5 months), and was so happy and relieved to have a new washer, and the new one is MUCH WORSE than the old one.

I am seriously thinking of getting something else, and just throwing the towel in. LG, ASKO XXL, Bosch Vision, Kenmore Elite....

So disappointed and honestly I feel very sad, helpless and so deflated :(

If the washer shakes so badly, I wonder if you shouldn't just get another one (since this isn't your first Miele) rather than trying to adjust the rinse water level. I know, the kind of fabric care the Miele offers is probably second to none but still... if it shakes that badly.

I know Bosch sells holding brackets that attach to the feet of their washers and are screwed into the floor. Maybe this could help? Otherwise, you might try to put a piece of plywood under the washer to reinforce the floor. Or just look at CU and see which washer had the best anti-vibration technology. :-/

FWIW, here's the Miele with the high water level option activated: W4840 Rinse

Alex

Oh larsi, how frustrating! The installers obviously did a poor job, and I would be hesitant to have them back if I were you. Do you have access to actual Miele Techs in your area (not Miele certified, but actual Miele employees?). They are much more knowledgeable and careful about their machines. It might be worth it to make a service call, rather than trust the same installers, plus a tech could turn on all the water options for you.

Just a thought - since other machines access the service menu with 3 button pushes, and the options menu with 5, maybe your machine needs 6 or 7 pushes of the pause button to access the options menu, since 5 presses gets you to the service menu.

Good Luck!

Larsi,

I went through the same sort of thing with a W1612/T7634 set. 9 months of terrible laundry (wrinkled/still wet/etc.) and worse service/support.

Eventually I just asked for a full refund from Miele and got it. I replaced the POS Miele's with a set of Huebsch (Speed Queen in the US) machines and couldn't be happier.

Not only was the price less than 1/2 of the Miele's, but our laundry takes 1/4 the time and 1/2 the loads AND everything comes out the way it should!

Just something for you to consider.

Five button pushes is all it takes for the W4842. You have to press quickly, otherwise you won't succeed. The machine must be on, door ajar. Hold the pause button, close the door, release the pause button and press five times QUICKLY and hold. After holding for 1-2 seconds you will see service menu options for water levels, water intake, temperatures, spin speed, etc. If that doesn't work for you, Larsi, then you are doing something wrong. I've done it many times.

With regards to shaking, what you are describing is not normal. My W4842 does vibrate on occasion, especially with very heavy loads, but never to the point where that vibration would be transmitted to the floor and walls. The W4842 does not have a very sophisticated suspension system, at least when compared to Asko, but my machine does not behave as yours does. In fact, my machines sit atop pedestals which are supposed to cause even more vibration, but my machines function just fine without anything I would classify as "shaking". The machine DOES vibrate, and it always will. Would I put a glass of wine on top? No, because it would probably slide off, however this type of vibration is normal and to be expected.

If you can't stand even the slightest vibration or noise, you will need to go with a machine that promotes its quiet and vibration-free operation. Samsung comes to mind, as does Asko's smaller capacity machines.

Below are the correct instructions, for the W4840 at least. It's the start button, not the pause button. And after closing the door, wait for the Start LED to flash before releasing and starting the 5 presses.

Re vibration, my W4840 definitely transmits vibration to the floor, on not-perfectly-balanced loads spinning at high or max spin. My wood floor is very sturdy (1957 house), and the washer is near an outside wall, so the vibration is noticeable but not alarming. If your floor is at all "bouncy", I believe it could get ugly. Maybe padding would help, as discussed in other threads recently.

Programming Overview
W 4840
Initial requirements
- Install and connect the appliance correctly.
- End the current program as well as the demo mode.
- Open the door.
Accessing

Note - Access has to be completed within 10 s.
- Press Start and hold.
- Close the door.
- Release the Start pad, as soon as the Start LED flashes.
- Press Start 5 times and at the 5th time, hold until the Start LED flashes
rapidly (5 Hz).
Acknowledgement indicator
Start LED flashes rapidly (5 Hz).
Display: The display shows the service department program mode.
If access is not successful, the control reverts automatically to "select program".

Yes, it is the START button. My bad.

ah! another W48XX vibration problems....

That's one of the feet not getting enough contact to the floor as other have pointed out here...

when the program started to spin up and vibrating use your finger to feel all four feet...

in your case you'll find AT LEAST one foot is not touching the floor while the machine is spinning...

you know you nail this when you can put a glass of wine on top while spinning at "high" with an unbalance towels load!!

really! :p

somonica...we thought that was the issue as well. We found one of the rear legs/feet not making contact with the tile floor in the laundry room (actually thick, marble). Didn't make any difference.

Miele installers came back out (new crew), messed with the machine and pedestal/drawer for over one hour. They were 100% certain they fixed it. NOT!

The shaking and vibrating is HORRIBLE. Literally it is unusable! So sad!!!

larsi, they didn't test the machine before they gone?

may be you should post a video online...

let us and more important people at Miele HQ see how it spinning...

good luck and please keep us posted!

If you jump up and down on your laundry room floor, do things rattle around nearby or is it rock-steady?

Larsi,

We did not purchase the pedestal option (although I wish we had as the laundry basket fits in them), but one of the Miele techs that serviced our machines said we were better off as they are prone to vibration. He did say that there is an optional accessory that looks like a crows foot wrench that goes over the foot (above the pad) and is anchored to the floor. I have not personally seen the accessory.

Sorry to keep reading about your troubles and hope you have them resolved soon.

suburbanmd and fahrenheit...Laundry room floor is solid, thick marble. I think you could have 4 adults jump up and down on the floor, and it would not move. After 4 Miele techs could not stop the violent shaking and vibrating, they (and me too) knew it was not the pedestals, or rubber feet that touch the floor!

I tend to think that your building structure just isn't rigid enough for these machines, unfortunately. Our house is so strong that the Miele installers thought there was concrete underneath the laundry room (there are joists and a basement). But when the washer spins a somewhat unbalanced load at high or max spin, you can detect it in other rooms. Just a barely noticeable tremble, not violent shaking, but it shows that the machine can transmit quite a bit of force to the structure, more than many houses can take. Your floor may be thick and solid-feeling, but that doesn't say anything about what's underneath.

suburbanmd,

I think our floor is as solid as one can get. We are on a flat, concrete foundation (not raised or floating) and under the concrete foundation we are on solid granite & bedrock (we live in a canyon/mountainous area!

:-o

Your floor is on a concrete foundation, which in turn sits on solid rock. Lots of mass there. Is the Miele transmitting its vibrations through all that mass, and thereby making the house shake? A load of laundry spinning somewhat unbalanced at 600+ G's does generate a lot of force, true, but enough to vibrate a concrete foundation and the bedrock it's attached to? Doesn't seem possible. The machine isn't that strong, it would tear itself apart, or go bouncing around the room, long before it moved your foundation.

Mine vibrates when it's spinning, but nothing that I would say is objectionable. Atop pedestals sitting on solid slate stone tiles atop concrete foundation. I expected more vibration than my older Asko, which had a "quattro" suspension way ahead of its time. No matter how heavy or unbalanced the load, the exterior chassis would barely shiver. I literally forgot a glass of wine on top of it once while it was spinning and thought what a wonderful commercial that would make!

The Miele vibrates during spin. Period. If you're expecting a silent spin cycle that doesn't cause any vibration at all, pass on the Miele. I have not seen mine behave as badly as some of you have experienced. But every machine and installation is different. When I spoke with my salesperson about the spin - he has almost geek-level knowledge of his appliances and he visits this forum - he told me that the Mieles do have a tendency to vibrate more than other modern machines. The reason is because Miele's spin balancing algorithms are a little too forgiving, allowing the unit to go into unbalanced spins more often than we would like.

The other, somewhat dirty secret is that the W4842 does not employ the more sophisticated suspension systems of its competitors. Miele tries to compensate for that with the added weight of the unit, which explains the "built like a tank" references. Miele's focus on automation and experience with sensors, the sophistication of the programming, all parts designed and built by Miele to Miele's reputably high standards, and the fact that Miele invests time and money into real research all played a role in my decision. I thought the Honeycomb drum design was clever and the "clean washer" program is simply brilliant and gets water everywhere.

Jeez I'm talking about my appliances like they just made the honor roll or something!