If the machine spins but produces a low roar or grind that gets dramatically louder as it accelerates, suspect the drum bearing. A front-loader's drum hangs horizontally, and its sealed bearing carries the full weight of a wet load at over a thousand RPM. With the machine off and empty, grasp the drum at the top and bottom and rock it — noticeable play confirms it. Catch this one early. A bearing replacement typically runs $150 to $250, but a bearing left to disintegrate destroys the drum and outer tub with it, and that repair can approach $900 or the cost of a new machine.
If the machine hammers, vibrates violently, or physically travels across the floor on spin, look at the suspension. The drum hangs on springs and shock absorbers that damp an unbalanced load, and shocks wear out. First rule out the free causes: a machine that is not level, feet that were never adjusted, or shipping bolts never removed after delivery. If it is level and still moving, the shocks have most likely gone and are usually replaced as a set. Left alone, a violently swinging drum accelerates the bearing wear above.
If the drum does not turn at all, or washes but will not reach spin speed, the drive belt is the first suspect on belt-driven machines. Belts stretch, crack and slip, often with a squeal or a burning-rubber smell. LG and some other direct-drive machines have no belt at all, which moves suspicion to the motor, the motor control board or a hall sensor. A belt is inexpensive; the parts behind it are not, which is why a real diagnosis is worth more than a parts swap.
A front-loader will not run unless the door lock confirms the door is shut. A failed lock assembly presents as a machine that does nothing when you press start, or one that finishes and refuses to release your laundry. The part itself is relatively inexpensive; working out whether the fault is the latch, the wiring, or the control board is the diagnostic work.
Sometimes nothing is broken. A single heavy item — a bath mat, a duvet — can defeat the balance sensor, and the machine will refuse to spin and may throw a UE or similar code. Redistribute the load and try again before assuming a fault.
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