GE Top Load Washing Machine Not Spinning

On this page, we will look at GE top-load washing machines that are having trouble spinning. These machines are mainly belt-driven, with a few high-end models using a direct drive system. Belt failures are common with these washers. They generally can display error or diagnostic codes and self-test data, varying from unit to unit. Later units have more capabilities in this regard.

The first step before you do anything else is to adjust the load. On some top loaders, the spin light will blink to indicate an out-of-balance condition. There may also be error codes 26 or 31 on some top loaders.

• Check to see if the load has bunched. This can be common with a mixed load with a fitted sheet among the items. The sheet becomes like a sack, and the rest of the load ends inside it in a huge ball).  This can happen with flat sheets, too.
• Also, washing a single large item can lead to this condition. Try to wash items that can be adjusted to balance each other.
• Rearrange the items to be more evenly distributed.
• An overloaded machine can also suffer from a no-spin condition. Overloading can increase belt slip, which will generate error codes. If the machine is very full, try removing some items.
• Start the cycle again and observe if the problem recurs. If the machine doesn’t turn, go to GE Top Load Washing Machine Not Spinning below.
• If no problem, you are done!

Make sure your washing machine is level. This can cause out-of-balance conditions, which will translate into unfinished spin cycles. Level both front to back and side to side. In some cases, the top may be uneven in profile, and you may need to use the edges of the cabinet where the top joins the sides. Make sure your machine doesn’t rock in any direction. If you just moved your machine to a different location, be sure to re-level it.

You will find information for reading the GE Washing Machine Error Codes on this page. Some earlier machines will have very limited information, mainly about the motor (GE traditional type and Hydra Wave Type), while newer top loaders will have much more information available and the ability to run sequenced self-tests.

Answering a few questions can help you to check the most likely cause first.

• Will it spin in other cycles but not complete a cycle?
  • Go to the GE tech sheet link below about the air dome repair possibly needed
    • HL01 17 GTW HTW MTW No Spin Agitate Or Drain 1
  • Go to Drain Pump Failure
• Does it stop in the middle of a spin repeatedly?
  • Make sure you check Leveling and Load Balance immediately above if you skipped it.
  • Go to Suspension Problems.
• Will it not agitate as well as not spin?
  • Go to Drive Belt Problems.
  • Go to Lid Switch and Latch Failure.
• Will it repeatedly not enter fast spin?
  • Go to Suspension Problems.
  • Go to Pressure Wwitch/Water Level Control System Failure.
  • Go to Drain Pump Failure
  • Go to Motor Failure

Keep in mind that a failure here may also cause a refusal to run a wash cycle as well. Sometimes, you may get a machine to run by closing the lid more forcefully.

Top load units with just a flat plate on the top of the machine below the lid (no hole for a strike to go into) have a magnetic lid switch, and forceful closure will not do much except potentially dislodge the magnet.

• Use another magnet to see if the switch can be made to operate.
• If the switch operates with the other magnet:
  • Check if the magnet on the lid has failed (still there) or come off.
  • If the magnet is still present, replace the switch and magnet, as you can’t easily determine which of the two is the cause.
  • If it checks ok, go on to the next item.

The next step is to check the drive belt. This will also give you insight into the drive mechanism of your washing machine. It may not have a drive belt!

Several GE top-load machines, usually the top-of-the-line units, don’t have belts. Instead, they have a pancake-shaped motor on the bottom of the outer wash tub that drives the agitator or wash plate and basket directly. If you have one of these, skip to the next cause.

Take a look at your belt.

• You can check by tipping the machine back toward the wall,
• Prop it up securely.
• Check underneath and look carefully at the drive belt and the pulleys
• Is there oil or grease on the belt or pulleys? This is most common on top-load machines. Go to Oily or Greasy Belt.
• Is the belt frayed, cracked, or worn?
• Is the belt broken?

Most GE top-load washers also allow you to access components by removing the front panel. Two clips are located in the seam area between the front panel and the top panel.

• Use a putty knife (or a butter knife) to locate and then push back on two clips that hold the front panel to the top panel.
• From the front of the machine,  push against each clip in turn toward the rear of the machine. It should release the front panel.
• Once both clips are released, the top of the panel can be tilted forward, and then the bottom can be removed from two tabs on the machine frame.
• This will give you basic access to the machine for reading codes on the motor/inverter on those models that have such.

When belts slip, they get damaged in specific spots, leading to breakage. Oil and grease are especially harmful to belts in this regard.

If you discover oil or grease on the belt or pulleys of traditional type top load machines, it usually has leaked from the transmission. This is a sign that the seals on the transmission have failed. You can try just cleaning things up and replacing the belt. You will need to be prepared for the same failure again.  The real solution is a new or rebuilt transmission.

On machines with the belt guard, sometimes this oil or grease is just “there,” and there is no apparent leak from the gearcase. On these machines, if you find a failed drive belt, check the machine carefully for damage. The belt may have flailed around and damaged other components.  The speed sensor on the motor can be hit, as well as other nearby wiring, such as that for the mode shifter.

To clean an oily belt condition:

• Remove the belt.
• Clean the pulleys thoroughly, preferably with paper towels and rubbing alcohol.
• Don’t try to clean or reuse the belt; replace it.

Hydro Wave machines have a very large pulley driven by a very small motor pulley, which can easily burn the belt if any part of the drive gets stuck. The tension on the belt is fairly high.

Suspension problems will cause the washer not to spin or not finish spinning, often with a repeated out-of-balance condition.

Suspension rods on both kinds (traditional type and newer models) can get old and worn out and lose their ability to damp the motion of the tub.

• A quick check for the condition of your Suspension Rods is to push down on the washer basket/tub once, firmly, then release it quickly.
•  It should spring back into position and not bounce repeatedly; one bounce is ok to return to position. If it bounces more than that, the suspension rods must be replaced.

This will likely be the cause of the machine refusing to finish a spin cycle.

Another quick check for a failed rod is to check to see if the tub/basket is off-center when the machine is empty and stopped. An out-of-level condition could cause this, so this presumes you have checked that your machine is level. Remember, if one rod has failed, you should replace them all. If the rods are ok, move to the next item.

If the Mode shifter fails, the machine will be unable to spin, meaning the shifter can’t engage to allow the basket to spin, or you may find that there is a grinding noise when the machine tries to spin. Frequently, the machine will reach the spin cycle and fail to engage, which will result in an error code. (Usually code 5) If the mode shifter looks corroded or you get that code along with the symptoms described above, replace it. Otherwise, move on to the next step.

If your machine thinks it still has water in it, it may refuse to spin. The Pressure Switch, or Sensor, functions as the water level control on both Hydra Wave and T-Type. Some of these controls are mounted directly on the control board, which is expensive if you need to replace the board. On Front loaders, a pressure sensor is a more common item, rather than a switch, and the usual resistance is around 20-23Ω.

Newer machines usually give error codes if there is a problem with the sensor or the water level system. Among the numeric codes you might encounter are 6, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, and 25 (pressure sensor dropout)

• If the sensor can be checked in a diagnostic mode on the machine, do so.
• If the sensor is a switch (common on older models), you can check it with a multimeter.
  • First, blow into the switch. It should be possible to hear the switch click. If it doesn’t click, it might be a sensor rather than a switch.
  • Set the multimeter to a continuity or Resistance setting, If it shows something around 20Ω, it is likely a sensor. If you get around 1Ω or less, it is a switch.
  • Check the switch operation with the multimeter connected. You may need a helper to hold the multimeter probes against the switch connections.
  • You should be able to blow into it and cause the switch to open and close, and the multimeter will confirm this.
    • Remember that this is not a foolproof test; it will only show you that the switch contacts can function. It may be defective such that the rise in pressure in trapped air will not operate the switch.
• If the sensor is OK, go on to the next item. If not, replace it.

On many machines, the sensor is connected by a piece of flexible tubing (the Pressure Tube) to the tub or drum, and blowing through it is sufficient to blow out clogs. Occasionally, a no-drain condition can be caused by a clogged pressure tube. The machine will fill with water but fails because the clogged pressure tube holds in the pressure and makes the machine “think” it is still full, even when the pump has pumped it out. Numeric error code 21 can be associated with a permanent blockage if you don’t have codes 6,7, or 12 as well.

• Disconnect the pressure tube from the pressure sensor/switch
• Blow through it to see if it is clogged. Blow strongly through the tube. You may hear a little gurgling, and there may be a bit of resistance, but you usually can dislodge a clog this way.
• You can also try to clean it using a vinegar solution. Use a small funnel and pour the solution through the tube into the washer drum or tub. If it won’t flow, this is a strong sign of a clog issue. Replace the tube and check the air dome for clogs. The vinegar does not harm your machine and may even make it smell better.
• If the tube checks out, go to the next item.

There is an outside chance that your drain pump is failing or is clogged. This is a good thing to check if you have found that the machine is leaving the clothes rather wet. Many machines will not enter the high spin mode if they aren’t completely empty, or they may give a long drain code and stop.

• Disconnect the hose from the tub to the pump and check for blockage.
• Remove the drain pump and check that it spins freely.
• Check the tech sheet with your machine, if possible, for the resistance of the Drain pump winding. Use a multimeter to check it.
• If it checks ok (usually 15-40Ω), move on to the next step.

This is found on some later-model GE units mounted on the drive motor. These are the ones with the belt guard underneath. The symptoms will include an inability to complete a spin cycle or a wash cycle. There isn’t a specific test for it; rather, the symptoms will be a willingness to start the cycle and then shut down after a very short while. These symptoms are so characteristic of the speed sensor that it is worth just replacing the part.

To access the sensor:

• Remove the belt guard,
• Remove the drive belt
• Disconnect the motor wiring
• Remove the motor
• Remove the pulley
• The speed sensor is clipped to the motor immediately under the edge of the pulley. Unclip it and replace it.
• Reassemble and test the machine. If it completes cycles, you are done!

Early Hydra Wave, 2010 and earlier (usually Green LED on the Motor) Can be checked as a fuse in the neutral side of the circuit. Check the continuity between the wire on the connector on the motor and the neutral terminal of the plug. If it tests ok or your machine isn’t a Hydra Wave, go on to the next item.

Located on the back panel of the control on T-type units (Traditional machines) Not a frequent failure, but an easy check. Use a multimeter to check the capacitor. If it shows continuity followed by increasing resistance, it is probably good. An open circuit, or a steady resistance near zero, shows a bad capacitor. Replace it. If it tests good, go to the next item.

The motor on your machine may have failed or partially failed so that it can’t go into full-speed spin mode. The bearings may have failed, causing the motor to become overloaded. You may find that the motor is very hot to the touch or will restart after it has time to cool. If a winding has failed, generally, the motor will struggle even to start. You can find values for checking the resistance of the motor windings in the mini manual for your machine. This is a fairly major repair, and if your machine is older, it may not be economical to attempt. If the motor is ok, move on to the next item.

At this point, the main control board is the remaining item to check. Several error codes may lead you straight to it. This, too, is a costly part, but the replacement is less involved than replacing the motor, so that it may be worth the attempt. You may be able to get a main control board from a broken or discarded machine as well.