The good news is that the Miele people have tech's that will help you diagnose the problem - and Miele sells the parts. The tech number is: 1-800-999-1360. In my case, they showed me how to read the fault code and reset the DW. They also reccommend what parts to be replaced if the fault reoccurs. There is a water pressure sensor that may be faulty. I got one for about $90.

Be sure to plan for a way to turn your water supply off without moving the machines. I turn my water off upstream of the Miele hoses between wash days with lever-handled quarter turn valves. This protects the machine from water line pressure and ensures I'll never come home to a laundry room full of water. Also you need to clean the inline filters (And there are two of them on each water line) from time to time. Access to them w/o moving the machines means you'll spend less time getting it back in place. I can actually walk along the wall behind my machines, so it's easy for me, but it's something to think about when designing a laundry space even if your set-up isn't like mine. Especially if you're determined to have a counter on top. If I did that I would make sure I could easily lift the counter, or at least, remove a section over the back of the machines. Regarding setting the machines up and getting them level, it's not a one-time deal. They need attention from time to time, and every time you move them you have to recheck (even if is you carefully mark the front feet) as it's possible to need to fuss with the rear ones after a move. Since I find that kind of leveling work tedious, I place great emphasis on easy access to the machine without moving it. HTH Molly~

I'm glad to hear your report of the machine's trip, it really eases my mind. It sounds as if you did everything possible and I am downgrading the trip as a possible cause of the problem. (I was a little worried before that someone else had moved the machine and had allowed it to flop around on the back of a pickup in a way that you were not aware of.) Your second question will reveal me to be a detergent heretic: I use (and have for decades) ordinary non-HE, powdered Cheer in my fancy schmancy Euro f/ls. I have tried most detergents available in the US. (And even some other countries as my DH used to travel out of the US on business all the time. He's brought me more boxes of white powder, from more countries, than a drug cartel's prize mule.) The detergent question is one you will have to work out and Persil (either liquid or powdered) is a fine, if a bit expensive, place to start. The fact that the previous owners used something else just makes it possible you will have to do (once we get the drum fixed) a thorough interior cleaning. Too much of the wrong kind of product can lead to a build-up in interior biofilm from less-than-perfectly- rinsed-out soap products. Since a deep cleaning is best done with a fully opened-up machine, so we're killing two birds with the same stone. We'll probably get to some gunk that will have you wondering if the machine is worth it. But it is, and the gunk is removable from plastic and metal and rubber, so have no fear. Someone else's gunk is always aesthetically more challenging than your own homegrown variety, so expect a bit of the squick factor (have dishwashing gloves on hand.) Your eventual choice of detergent will be most significantly influenced by the chemistry of your water. And you will have many chances to zero in on what works best. Persil will be a good jumping off point. I also want to premptively innoculate you against one of the detergent urban myths that someone may pass on when they hear about your travails: It is sometimes said that the wrong (i.e. specifically a non-HE type) detergent can lead to bearing seal failure around the motor shaft bearings as a result of chemical interactions and seal erosion. This could lead to a failure of the motor to turn the drum, and likely some distressing grinding noises, and possibly, drum stuck-ness. But I don't think it would lead to a condition where you couldn't manually turn the drum. I'm not saying it has never happened, but I think it very unlikely to be your problem. If this is a bearing seal failure, I think it would have been coming on (and making itself known audibly) for some time and not revealing itself as the sudden change from working to not that you are reporting. And I think, again, that the seller would never have allowed you to run the machine if they were concealing suspicion or knowledge of bearing problems since you would have likely walked away with your cash still in your pocket. It would have been a waste of time all around. Detergent choice is an important issue, but doesn't seem likely to be the culprit in this case. One other quick question: did you clean out the pin trap at any point in this saga? (Open up the bottom drain accessed through the hatch on the lower left front of the machine, drain the water inside and inspect the plastic impeller at the back?) I was wondering if there is something stuck back there that is rubbing against the drum somehow. I have gotten surprisingly large objects out of the pin trap, plus a fair chunk of change (cash back!) over the years. Finding something stuck back there would almost be anticlimatic at this point, but a check should be done, first, before you go farther. It's easy, if a bit messy, to do. L.

Well, Miele hose would be better than a garden variety one because I think it is better quality than plain jane black rubber. But the plain version will still deliver the water to your machine. I think you can also buy better quality washer inlet hoses at some stores. If you love your Miele 1918 as much as I love mine, you might want to treat it to the generic (non-Miele) version of the better quality hose. This is particularly true if you aren't in the habit of actually turning the water off at the tap between washing sessions. I do turn my tap off, but if I routinely left it on I would spring for the better hose as insurance against it bursting. I don't know if the threads of the hose end are some European version of standard hose thread. I know I have both of my hoses (both hot and cold lines) connected to a garden variety Y, that in turn is connected to my cold tap. It's been that way for well more than a decade and I haven't noticed any subtle leakage, so I rather think the hose threads match whatever is commonly found in the US. But yes, you do have to make sure you harvest then re-use (or buy new ones) the filters on both ends of both of the hoses. Sometimes the in-board one (meaning one closest to the machine) gets kind of stuck in the hose; sometimes it's stuck in the inlet itself. Just unscrew the (original) hose carefully and take the time to find - and extract - both sets of filter cones. You defintely do not want tiny bits iof pipe rust to get into the machine because it will irretrievably block some of the tiny little emitters that deliver water above the detergent drawer. Those emitters have specific moments when they deliver water during the various fill, pre-wash, and rinse cycles. Having them blocked is ore than just not gettng enough water. It's more about ot getting enough water at the right point in the cycle. Good luck. L.