Miele W906 Water Level Problem On Rinse Program

[jpete]

I have a Miele W906 that has behaved faultlessly for nearly 16 years. It has been plumbed in its current location for 10 years, connected to low pressure (loft tank fed) cold supply - there is no mains supply where it is located.

It has just developed two problems, and one would think they are related but I can't work out how.

Problem 1: With machine switched off but stop cock on, the drum fills with some fresh, clean water overnight. Stop cock off, this stops and if you take the detergent drawer out there is a drip, drip of water, hours after the machine has been used. Diagnosis = inlet valve failure (I have cleaned the filter).

Problem 2 has appeared at the same time - if put on a rinse only cycle, the drum overfills - it fills half way up the door, then immediately pumps out, moves on to second rinse and does the same. However, it rinses perfectly during a normal wash cycle, filling just the bottom of the drum with water as it always has. This is repeatable behaviour - washes ok, rinse cycle alone not ok. I have done two checks -

a) check voltage reading on the inlet valve during a rinse cycle, in case the valve is sticking open after power is off - it isn't. The valve is only open while it has power, it is the power that appears to be on too long.

I pulled out the water level switch and checked the contacts work. It has three switches in it, which do appear to switch correctly in sequence when I blow into the tube.

I haven't yet checked if the switches are actually activated by the water level during a rinse cycle - that might be the next step.

My problem is this - a replacement inlet valve is £100. I don't want to sink this into a 16 year old machine if it has another expensive problem, like some controller failure and while I don't understand what is wrong. However, the machine is otherwise in good nick - nothing much seems to be worn.

Anyone any ideas on how I can work out what is going on?

Many thanks for any help

Pete

ps: No error shown on front panel at any point.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

That behaviour is bizarre because a fault on any component that controls correct water levels should cause overfilling every time and not only on certain programme. There should be nothing different about rinses on the wash and a rinse programme. Sorry, it makes no sense.

General help on overfilling washing machines including description of how washers control water levels.

[jpete]

It's heartening to see if makes no sense to you either - that's helpful.

As the pressure sensor detects three different levels, I'm wondering if it uses first for normal filling, next for when the front panel switch for 'water plus' is on, and the third for overfill. Perhaps the second level (water plus) is used for a rinse only cycle, while a normal rinse during wash uses the first level? I'll try a wash with 'water plus' on and see if that has the same problem.

Thanks

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

A third level would normally be for detecting overfilling. I'd expect it to be first level for wash, second for rinse, and if it reaches the third it knows it's overfilling and starts pumping it away. There's no logical reason why it would overfill on rinse programme but not on the rinses during a wash.

[jpete]

Did a number of washes with Water Plus on over the weekend - it worked perfectly. It still misbehaves on the rinse only program so this is very strange. I'll change the inlet valve - found a much cheaper (15 euros) clone part on German Ebay, (Miele Magnetventil 1678013) and I'll wait to see what happens with that.