Comments on: Potentially restrictive practices in Miele washing machines

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:55:08 +0000

I think customers should be entitled to an explanation of an error code’s meaning, but not to any help to fix a fault. I don’t believe we even have any rights to detailed explanations of what could be wrong, just what the error code actually means.

In the old days, when washing machines and other domestic appliances went faulty they simply exhibited symptoms. Observing those symptoms the owner of the appliance could either hazard a guess as to whether the fault was serious or not, or they could consult an appliance engineer and describe the symptoms whereupon he could advise about possible causes and costs.

Appliances now often exhibit mysterious error codes instead. There are no symptoms to observe or describe to an engineer. This isn’t too bad as long as appliance engineers can find out what they mean and then advise as to possible causes and costs. If your local engineer doesn’t know what any error code means – or they do but even after fixing the fault they can’t reset the error code – then all options and choices are removed and you are then forced into dealing with the manufacturer exclusively, which has been discussed at length on this article and comments.

A few error codes are commonly explained in the user manual such as those for timing out on empty or fill, which are both faults that could have a simple explanation such as a tap turned off or a blocked pump filter. My own Miele W3740 ironically displayed an error yesterday, which was very helpful. It displayed something like, “water inlet fault” which made me instantly realise the water was probably frozen as my machine is in the garage. Sure enough after switching on a heating source the error eventually disappeared and the washing machine resumed working. Clearly Miele don’t hide all error codes and do have some helpful ones.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:22:23 +0000

The person I spoke to was not offering a technical discussion. I assume her instructions would have been more or less along the lines “this fault requires this intervention”
The fault occurred after the outlet pipe had been frozen. It is reasonable to suppose that this may have led one way or another to a sensor in the base getting wet. What one needs to know as a user is how to remedy that situation and of course whether the remedy is enough.
as a parallel my Audi has a sensor that detects engine speed and uses this as part of the engine management system. It fails about once a year. A reasonable mechanic will charge 15gbp + to diagnose this then a charge for a new sensor then of course a charge for fitting it. The car runs adequaely without it but eventually I pay up and repeat the cycle. THere is lways a price to pay for placing sensitive electronics in dirty wet or vibrationary situations – guess who pays?

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:35:05 +0000

Hello Jeremy: Sorry for the delay in responding to your question. I think the waterproof error might mean a leak was detected. There is a base in the bottom of the machine and a method of detecting leaks. Did you ask them what the error meant?

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:21:58 +0000

slightly off topic but related my Miele 3740 developed a fault the “waterproof” error code. I rang Miele who said it would take ten days for an engineer to come and look at it.
I emptied all the water out of the sump and eventually the error light went off and the machine now works. Now of course there could still be a problem so i will wait a couple of days before cancelling the engineer or it could be a simple matter of an over sensitive sensor, switch or whatever.
I wonder what the Miele engineer would have done and why the user manual did not suggest a simple course of action like mine rather than jst suggest ringing the service department

By: Bernd Jendrissek

Bernd Jendrissek — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:44:12 +0000

I have been agonizing over which washing machine to buy for the last several days, and as sexy as a Miele’s build quality seems to be by all accounts, I just can’t justify to myself spending more than twice as much money on a machine that then locks me into a non-choice of service personnel.

I’m in the software world, and my position is even further towards customer choice than Mr Washerhelp (sorry, I’m not sure what the right name is): I wish manufacturers would hand out technical information to anyone who asks – whether service engineer or Joe Public. Let it be on my head if I screw up the repair due to 10 left thumbs, but I want the choice to be mine. Companies don’t have the right to make a profit – merely the right to pursue profit.

I wish there were more concrete info on exactly which error codes are “sticky”; I can certainly sympathize more easily if the “sticky” faults are safety issues, but I don’t see Miele ponying up any answers to legitimate questions. Epic fail, guys – Immer schlimmer. In the lack of such information, I’m simply not taking the risk that I’ll be hostage to some arrogant take-it-or-leave-it Miele agent charging me half the price of the machine to reset a warning over some trivial, transient issue.

I regret that (AFAIK) ISE are not available in my country (South Africa) as that seems very close to the “open source” approach that I would prefer to see.