LG Front Load Washing Machine Not Spinning

For the causes that follow, we assume:

1. Your washing machine is plugged in and hasn't been accidentally unplugged. Check that it has power.
2. That it is able to fill with water. If so, turn the water off for now.
3. That you have adjusted the load. (UE errors)
   1. Redistribute the laundry. Out-of-balance conditions can terminate a spin cycle, or the machine may just jump to the end of the spin, and your clothes will be wet still.
   2. Remove some of the laundry. Your machine may be overloaded and that will lead to trouble with spinning.
4. You have run a Reset sequence on your machine. If not, unplug it for 5 minutes then plug it back in and try the cycle again.
5. You have checked to see that your machine is properly leveled. Both front-to-back and side-to-side out-of-level can affect the machine’s ability to balance loads.

On to the causes!

Your LG washing machine will refuse to spin (or may not even start a cycle) if it cannot detect the door being locked. If the latching mechanism fails this will be the case. Over time the latch will wear, and cause problems.  Since the door latch is both accessible and easy to replace, and relatively inexpensive, it is worth doing if there is any sign that the latch has problems.

Among the problem signs, you may notice that your door starts refusing to latch properly when you close it. You may hear buzzing or humming from the door latch, or no click or sound at all. There are several things to check.

• Is the door strike bent or broken? If so, replace it.
• Are the connections to the door switch loose? You can check the wiring to the latch mechanism.
• Is the door latch/lock worn out?
  • Sometimes the lock will not secure the door and needs to be replaced.
  • You should hear it click when the start/pause button is pressed to start a cycle. If it rattles or buzzes that’s a sign of failure. Replace it.
• Here is a guide for this replacement.

The suspension of your washing machine allows it to deal with a certain amount of imbalance in the load. It runs a sequence called “untangling” and senses when the load is more evenly distributed. Over time the suspension components wear and the movement of the basket and drum becomes less damped. At some point the machine is unable to properly sense the load, or the vibrations become too severe, and it won’t spin. The main item that fails on a front loader is the dampers or “shock absorbers”. There are also some springs, but they don’t fail much.

Damper Removed From Washer

• You can get an idea of the condition of the dampers by pushing down sharply on the drum or tub and see if it rebounds without bouncing more than once. If it bounces to a stop with two or three bounces, the suspension needs replacing.
• Make sure to replace all of the dampers at the same time. If one is worn, others are sure to follow soon after. There are usually 3 or 4 damper units. Make sure to replace them with the matching part, so get an original equipment part number.
• Here is a guide for this replacement.

Your LG washer will not spin if it detects (or thinks it detects) that it has not drained. There are several potential causes. They can be divided into two main problems.

The water level sensing system uses an air dome to provide a trapped portion of air which is squeezed by water in the drum as it fills. The resulting air pressure pushes against a diaphragm which moves a part inside a coil of wire and the control unit senses this. This system is very reliable since there are no contacts to fail.

Pressure Sensor

Air Dome With No Hose

• Pressure sensor failure
  • The simple test is to check the resistance of the coil. If it is between 21 and 23 Ω it is likely fine. Outside of this range, replace the sensor.
  • You can check to see if the pressure sensor has failed by its frequency output. Consult the Tech sheet in your machine to learn how.
• Air dome and pressure hose problems
  • Is the air dome cracked or are the mounting screws loose?
  • Is the hose connection at the air dome blocked? You should remove the hose from the connection to check.
  • Is the pressure hose obstructed or pinched? You can blow through the hose to check.
  • Here is a guide that may be helpful
  • If everything shows good, go on to the next step.

If your machine can’t drain it won’t spin. If it doesn’t drain sufficiently it will stop the cycle. Spinning only starts when the machine senses that the water level has gone down sufficiently.

• Pump issues
  • Is the pump filter clogged? This is an often overlooked problem that can lead to slow draining and no spin conditions.
  • Is the pump operating at all? Listen for pump operation.
  • Is the pump actually pumping? The impeller may be loose on its shaft. If this is the case, the pump will probably be noisy and make grinding noises. You will need a new pump.
• Pump hose issues. If the hoses are clogged, the pump either can’t pump out the water or can’t get the water to pump.
  • Check the drain hose for problems.
    • Is it clogged?
    • Is it too far down the standpipe?
    • Is the standpipe more than 8 feet above the washer?
    • Here is a guide to help with removing the hose.
  • The tub-to-pump hose may be clogged. Small pieces of laundry can make their way down the hose and become lodged. They will prevent the machine from draining properly and it won’t spin if it is too full.

The motor can also be a point of failure when your washer won’t spin. On most models, the stator can be checked for correct resistance at the control board. This will also let you check for problems with the wiring from the control board to the motor.

• Is the motor connector properly seated at the control board? This connector will usually have a red, a blue, and a yellow wire. The connector itself may be gray or red.
• Are the resistance values of the stator correct?
  • This step will require a multimeter. If you aren't familiar with how to use one, here is a guide that will help you.
  • Check the resistance between each pair of wires, Red-Blue, Blue-Yellow, and Yellow-Red. It should be between 5 and 15Ω.
  • If the readings are different, you should check the values at the stator itself. If the stator values are correct, the problem is in your wiring harness.

If the harness is the problem, you can check each wire from the control board connector to the stator connector.  Some models may have a connector between the stator connector and the main wiring harness, which can allow you to check the portion of wire between that connector and the stator. Since this “pigtail” is exposed to a lot of flexing, you may have a broken wire in that segment.

• Check each portion of each stator wire in the harness for continuity. If you find a problem replace the harness or segment (they often have part numbers on tags on them).
• If you find a break and are willing to repair it, make sure to use wire of the proper type and size, and color if possible.

The motor assembly itself can also be a source of the problem. If one of the rotor magnets breaks or cracks, the motor will not run properly, and likely the washer won’t spin. The rotor bolt can also come loose which will make noise and likely lead to a no-spin condition (may not give the LE error)

• Is the rotor bolt loose? If so, tighten it. You should reinstall it with a medium-strength threadlocker (usually blue).
• Are any of the rotor magnets broken? (You will need to remove the rotor bolt and the rotor to check, make sure to have some blue threadlocker for reinstalling the bolt.) Here’s a guide to help.
• You should inspect the stator for cracks as well as the rotor. If these items all check out, go to the next item.

Many, but not all LG washing machines utilize a hall effect sensor for sensing rotor position.  If this fails, the machine will have difficulty running, will likely not spin at high speed, and will give an LE code.

• Here is a guide for removing the stator if you need to test it. This will also give access to the Hall effect or position sensor.
• A basic test for the Hall Effect Sensor is to check for appropriate resistance. Here are two videos. The first one is the most basic test, and the second is a functional test that you can perform if the unit passes the basic test.

The control board on your LG front load washer can fail and cause a no-spin condition. If you did not notice any unusual sounds from your machine before it was unwilling to spin, which might point to the bearings or spider, then this is the likely culprit.  You might have also seen any number of the error codes, and the main items responsible have tested good.

The bearings on your LG Front Load washer can wear out, or they can fail from water intrusion because of a failed tub seal. This can cause spin issues and may lead to a not spinning condition. You will likely hear a noise like a freight train each time your machine spins. You might say, you’ll hear it coming! This is major surgery, and it even carries the risk that the patient will die during the procedure, as removing the bearings to replace them may damage the washer tub or the bearing seats, leading to a much more expensive repair. If you can even find the part, that is.

A failed spider is a major issue. The spider holds one end of the washer drum that turns and connects it mechanically to the motor via the shaft mounted on the spider. Repair involves tearing the machine down nearly completely. You can often detect a failed spider because the drum will rotate with a noticeable amount of eccentricity.  You will also hear thumping or clunking noises as the drum rotates slowly. For reasons that are not well understood, the spiders in many LG machines were unfinished. The alloy used for the casting can corrode readily in alkaline environments, so these unfinished units will fail. If your machine is over 5 years old this is something to watch for.

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