Samsung EcoBubble stuck mid-program - Repair guide

[@ldp007]

Cheers Gold Flemming! We just saved one of these machines from the tip and it exhibited the same issue many have been seeing. The drum will try to move or spin and there is the initial jump as the motor tries to turn, but then nothing. After several tries, the machine just hangs or puts up a 3E error code. The issue gets worse with time. The procedure you filmed is exactly the one I followed. Disconnect the power to the machine and wait for the caps to discharge. Cutout the bottom of the tray the main PCB sits in and slowly carefully pry up the conformal coating (I used a plastic spoon and small plastic clay modelling tools as the metal implements would damage surface mount components sprinkled about the board and tracks). Once the conformal was off, especially the larger solder joints, I used a solder sucker and solder iron/pencil to reflow and remove the old solder and then lay down new solder. Visually the existing solder joints looked ok, but as Benny Zeusian points out in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3-tmK2bm7Z6aJY, there are subtle cracks and flaws. I was able to re-solder just the larger joints to all of the plugs, large capacitors and motor control chip (both sides) and it worked! Carefully inspect your board though. Also, be very careful not to make a worse joint than the original. I was not successful in simply re-flowing the existing solder and used flux, a solder sucker and wick to remove the existing stuff and completely re-do it. Hats of to you for putting up this vid for encouragement as well as Benny and micr1969 kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4fGo6WtgbeEm80, who did much the same!

[@bennyzeusian9458]

Will thank you for your video. I was about to buy a new motherboard and your video saved me 200euros (or a new washing machine for 500 ~ 600euro). Your video encouraged me to open the motherboard according to your description. I'm working at a company where we are designing and manufacturing circuit boards for heavy-duty components and tools for industrial use and I have good experience of both designing, soldering and inspection of PCB's. After I opened the board (on the backside) I found several components that had been loosened from their soldering and there were cracked soldering all over the board there they were “heavy” and big components (as you mentioned in your video). Most cracks were for the component under the heatsink. The heatsink is quit heavy and long and it is directly attached (screwed) to the component underneath, also the heatsink lays on the component, which in my opinion, it should be fastened/screwed directly to the board instead. I understand that the component which is attached to it will vibrate more violently (because of that heavy heatsink) and in the end the component will straining its “roots/legs” and that causes all cracks and misconnections. Will add a video with pictures I took during the repairing the board There are several issues with design of this kind of boards: The first problem is that the manufacturer of circuit boards has stopped using leaded solder in manufacturing because the lead is hazardous to health. Lead is a soft metal and that made that leaded solder was quite flexible and stronger. On the other side lead-free solder is hard, and very fragile, and therefore in the end with all cracked solders and a dead device. The second problem is that the Samsung, or their board supplier, have chosen to cover the circuit board with a silicon-like glue to minimize the vibration effect and/or isolate the board against corrosion because of high humidity. They may have thought that they have found a workable solution, but the problem is that this “jelly-alike-glue” will not help any components to be fastened on its place, that heavy heatsink is not even covered with that jelly-glue, when the device vibrates, heatsink will vibrate more violently(just go on and try to vibrate gel and observe how the top of it vibrates more violently) in the root, and when it vibrates, all bigger and smaller components will vibrate together simultaneously. on the other side, this jelly-glue goes off very easy from the board, which it shouldn’t. As I know how this process should be done, the entire production process has been wrong from the beginning. The board for instance have never been primed before gluing, which would increase the adhesiveness of the jelly-glue. The solution will be, as you may find in Braun rechargeable Shavers for instance, is to cover the whole circuit board with melted glue or industrial hard glue. In Braun case, even the batteries attached to the board are covered with hard glue. The third issue is the design of mainboard itself. When I start to re-solder the pins and connections, I realized that the components pin-hole are oversized and pads are undersized. The pads are there to solder (attached) the components to the circuit on the board. That means the components have too little support for that kind of force and vibration the board is exposed to. You may find this kind of boards in all cheap “one-dollar” China-products. Summary: short and consistent, the board is designed and mentioned to malfunctioning. You may say it is another conspiracy theory, but how would Samsung and other companies survive if their products last for ever? And this is the problem that occurs in the Samsung echo bubble products and eventually all other product with this solution will stop working after a few years. This is the result of a poor designed and solution for this kind of motherboard. This is evidence of poor quality of Samsung washing machines or/even other Samsung devices that will stop working after 2-3 years. I think Samsung must take responsibility and replace the motherboard in goodwill/warranty, because this is a quality problem during manufacturing which Samsung must admit.

[@goldflemming4912]

Thank you for your extensive analysis and take on this. Was an interesting read!

[@edoardgrace6118]

bought our machine 2015 and had this problem this last week of nov. 2018.. decided not do the repair or replacement of the motherboard because it cost 200€.. I have a machine before this and it lasted almost 9 years.. tought This machine with its price of 600€ would give me happiness just like the first one but it only put me on total mistake.. decided to take a cheaper one for 100€ plus of the price of the samsung motherboard...

[@johndoestechstuff1357]

Thanks so much for this - I followed these instructions more than 4 years ago. The first time I did it, it lasted a few months, so I had another go and it's still running 4 years later (must have finally hit the right joint) If you have one of these, and you are able to do this, would highly recommend as these are great machines and a board replace is expensive and will eventually suffer the same problem as they are likely flow soldered. My machine is about 12 years old now and running fine.

[@jochencloet]

Thanks a lot for making this video! I have the exact same machine with the exact same problems. It took about an hour or 5 to go through this repair but without this video it would have taken so much longer let alone start the repair. Before the repair, I could not get a washing cycle finish, now after the repair already 9 cycles without issues! Hopefully this repair will extend the lifetime of my machine a few more years.

[@jonasandersson2289]

Thanks for the video. I followed the instructions in the video and my washing machine is now working again. I am now washing my 5th wash in a row, and the machine is working flawlessly.

[@andyagnew5878]

Watched your video last night as I had the issue of the drum not rotating - would move slightly with a judder and stop. Tried calibrating with no success. When put into test mode, machine returned an error code of 3E2 😟 Followed your procedure and viola, machine now fully functional again 😀👍 Further to what you have done, have coated the board with a Conformal spray to keep moisture and humidity at bay, and hot glued the base panel back on. Hoping this will help protect the now exposed board. Again thank you for making this video, all the best.

[@dejouss73]

Thanks a lot !!! after 9 months i past 3 hours to repair it as you showed and i can confirm the machine still working without problems and me and my wife are so happy !!! thank you so much !!!

[@goldflemming4912]

Good to hear the video was able to help you. My machine is washing another load right now as I'm typing this. :-D

[@NexiTech]

Thank you so much for this video! You saved me over 200euro. Wish you a the best to you and your family. Cheers!

[@PhilipTheBird]

Thank you for your kind words. Great to see how the video is still useful to people after 5 years. 🙂

[@tracelistener]

Incredible work. My replaced inverter board failed again in a similar Samsung Washer. Re-soldered some large components(after angrily removing gel and plastic) and back to normal. Cheers. Much appreciated.

[@sugeroby]

Excellent, encouriged by your video guide I fixed my washing machine. Saved me some immediate cost and saved the planet from additional waste. Btw, I closed the housing with duckt tape. Thanks for sharing.

[@goldflemming4912]

Update edit 1 June 2023: the machine still works perfectly and has not failed me since the repair shown. Apart from the mishaps in it's adolescence, it grew up to be a loyal and hardworking member of the family. 😊 Update for all those wondering: I can confirm the machine is still working flawlessly and has not stopped to work flawlessly since the repair. Good luck to anyone out there facing the same problem.

[@henriksoderholtz8368]

Gold Flemming did you do anything to dampen the bottom side of the board again after removing all the gel?

[@goldflemming4912]

@@henriksoderholtz8368 I did not as I couldn't think of a suitable material (that I had on hand). I took the chance and all I can say is the machine is still working without any issue.

[@nilsfrahm1323]

To dampen bottom side, I think you can use sealant that says polymer and becomes like a rubber when drying, and put just around the edges. That will also hold the bottom plastic piece you cut out. In my town this sealant has price similar to silicone sealant, about 4 euros a tube of 450g. It is used to stick light things on walls or stairs, is high tack. Another solution is hot glue gun, similarly put on edges, but it dries very quickly. Its also cheap. That gel is just a gimmick, they make things harder to repair on purpose. Older washers didn't have gel on mainboard and worked the same. Components are usually soldered through the mainboard, i.e. holes are 3mm thick, and if e.g. capacitor is pressed well against mainboard before soldering, it sits tight and solid after soldering, so vibration effects are minimal. Small components have low mass, less force acts on them. Also mainboard sits on frame, not the drum, and it has springs and suspension and lower vibration on frame. Keeping gel out is good idea, because next to fail are capacitors, so you can replace them easier. They can fail after about 8-10 years.

[@isijella5458]

hello you have any link where i can buy 1 new from this piece you repair in video

[@joedon9758]

@@nilsfrahm1323 yep, this coposite plastic on bottom side just for prevent the user to try repair this piece of shit, but a lot of sucks working can remove, by the way this trough hole soldered components can release the soldering like all others, this just because many years ago electronic industry uses non lead component soldering tin, and release easy the copper foil the old leaded tin softer and usually not broken the connection points or the legs the components, recommend to resoldering whit this material. This soldering problem common in any electronic part in the last few years like cars ECU panels as like as household machines like this.

[@BlueSky-cy5nw]

The gel you are referring to is silicone and the purpose is not to reduce vibration, but to prevent moisture from damaging the board. If you remove it, the moisture is going to corrode the contacts. So after soldering and confirming that the issue is fixed, it is a good idea to spray a rubberized coating on the board to prevent moisture damage. Something like Rustoleum Leak Seal might work.

[@ericbaan671]

many thanks for this contribution. It was the solution for my eco bubble. it totally costed me 10 minutes to open the case and 5 min soldering. and it worked !! you're my Eco bubble Hero :-)

[@ivormectin3442]

Thanks Gold Fleming, just had the same problem with our Samsung EcoBubble and followed your directions and its working fine again now! I must admit all the soldered joints looked good so I was a bit sceptical at first that it would make any difference, but I went ahead and resoldered each of the larger components and it worked! - thanks again!

[@julienvanderheijde2352]

Hi, U did only de lager ones?

[@considerspiders]

Hey man I just wanted to let you know that you are a hero for taking the time to film and post this.

[@goldflemming4912]

Thank you so much for your comment. I'm happy that two years later this is still helping people.

[@mllebrian]

Genius! Thank you so much. Did this a month ago and it is working perfectly. I owe you a beer!

[@StockyLocky123]

Thanks for this 🙏🏼 My neighbour asked me to help out, they had an E3 error code “Motor Fault” but had the cycle stop midway through and was also doing a juddering.. whipped the PCB out.. (They only had 3 screws too..) soldered most joints but left the smaller/close gapped soldered joints alone.. it now works well and they are very happy! Thank you!

[@goldflemming4912]

Glad to hear that they were helped. My machine is still going strong since, so they should be good for a while, at least regarding this problem.

[@bashoe4567]

I did this as well! I only welded the bigger parts! The machine now works flawlessly again for a month!

[@michaelgriggs3543]

Thanks Gold, worked for me as well. Our machine lasted 6.5 years before we got the error. Great instructions. I didn't have a dremel, so used a bit of precision angle grinding. Silicon potting compound was stuck very well, so this took the longest time. I know that automotive ECU's have to go through a very stringent vibration testing regime (you wouldn't want your ABS ECU failing like this!), maybe Samsung should do the same...

[@Gundinn]

It worked! I was a bit sceptic since I did not see anything wrong with the soldering, but did the big ones anyway and now it is working fine.

[@aertvandehulsbeek2411]

Thanks a lot for this video! Like you said, this wasn't as hard as it might seem at first. It seems to have fixed our washing machine (WW575H5400EW) too! I did end up ripping off an SMD diode (flyback diode between the relay coil pads) when removing the epoxy around the big contacts; but replacing it with a standard 1N4148 worked fine. Thanks heaps!

[@wallinmx]

Thank you so much! This fixed my problem and now I don’t need to spend boring money on a new one🙌🏻 Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@ClariXen]

Did u soldering all of just the big ones?

[@wallinmx]

@@ClariXen I soldered as much as possible just to be safe

[@Beckah82]

Fungerar maskinen fortfarande? Gjorde du något för att ersätta gelen som ska skydda mot fukt? :-)

[@wallinmx]

@@Beckah82 den funkar finfint! Någon gel adderade jag inte 😄

[@Beckah82]

@@wallinmx Toppen! Tack för svar :-)

[@andrewngwenya8150]

You are absolutely right these circuit boards soldering will give up on the most active components like capacitors,relays etc. thats where the resoldering should be done.

[@davidpreece3168]

Thanks for the excellent tip. Our machine just developed the same fault of stopping mid cycle and when I checked the warranty we were at 5 years + 3 months of the original 5 year warranty, so nothing to lose by attempting the repair. I actually purchased a new mother board as a fall back and used that to confirm the fault was cured by replacing the original and sure enough it did the trick. I have now repaired the original so have a spare to use should the problem occur again. Thanks once again for a very useful video. (By the way, I only had the 3 screws too, Samsung were obviously on an economy drive!)

[@sweetlime3821]

Where did you buy the motherboard?

[@davidpreece3168]

@@sweetlime3821 I'm sorry I can't recall exactly where as it was a few years ago but I took the machine apart as per the video and I recall I did an online search for the machine/motherboard part number and was able to track one down fairly easily online.

[@smartvision9499]

Thanks a lot, I was able to repair it by following your video !! Correctly, all welds must be viewed with a 40 / 50x lens, the ones that fracture are the largest and medium ones. You need to control them ALL!

[@doraemon5990]

Naar hier verwezen via Tweakers. Héél erg bedankt dat je deze video hebt gemaakt. Hij doet het weer 😀

[@glennvandemeulebroecke4703]

Erg bedankt voor deze video ! Wij hebben net 5 uren bezig geweest in totaal , bijna alle punten opnieuw gesoldeerd en testprogrammas doorlopen en het werkt momenteel goed ! Triestig van samsung dat de kwaliteit van de solderingen zo was ... alsook die gel die meer kwaad doet dan goed. Lang verhaal kort : dit kost niks en je hebt niks te verliezen !

[@goldflemming4912]

Vijf uurtjes werk en daarmee een dure herstelling ontweken die bovendien na 2 jaar toch weer hetzelfde probleem zou opleveren. Blij dat ik je kon inspireren! Mijn machine draait nog steeds volledig probleemloos!

[@aminzakaria1079]

good video, I felt really helped, I found your video this morning, and immediately soldered everything I suspected, now the machine can work as it should. My washing machine is WF1124xac, 12kg. Thanks

[@u.e.s.2982]

Thanks for the informative video, I have a samsung 12kg ecobubble that was partially working (found the motor driver ic is bad). I have ordered a new PCB and the silkscreen is a different colour so I'm not sure if samsung has updated the boards? the lead free solder they use is a big issue for weak joints possibly leading to premature component failure...

[@goldflemming4912]

I can only hope that Samsung received enough warranty claims that their manufacturing process has since been improved.

[@ivancerovski9272]

Thanks for tutorial. Had the same problem with my eco bubble washing mashing... before fixing you needed to kick it real hard where PCB was but over time even that stoped working. First time I resoldered only big parts, and it only worked for a two weeks before going into errors again. So I resoldered main chip this time like in video and it's working flawlessly over month and still going like a new washing mashine!! I think this is general flaw in this series of washing machines and I presume resoldering gonna be needed to do every few years in future. Probably it's general problem both with really bad PCB assamlby and vibrations during usage of washing mashine. All points out to pins loosing contacts over time and it is needed to resolder them.

[@JonesBeiges]

Thx for this video. I have 1 with a simular issue (timer resets to start in a program) so now i know i can try some things first before buying and replacing the board.

[@frank.gentile]

Thanks a lot for your video!! I follow your instructions and now it is working perfectly!!! I was thinking on buying a new wash machine but your video encourage me to try. You save me money, but the most important we save to send more contaminant waste to our planet. we all should try always to repare

[@goldflemming4912]

I am so happy that it worked for you and that I could assist with the repair. My machine is still working flawless by the way. 😉

[@janhorrix9917]

Hallo. Even getwijfeld of ik het zou aandurven, maar met pasen de stap gezet en ervoor gegaan. Sindsdien draait de machine nog steeds vlekkeloos. Hartelijk bedankt!

[@goldflemming4912]

Blij dat het gelukt is. De mijne werkt nog altijd zonder fout.

[@kronen8432]

Thanks for making the video. Just did what you shown and my wf1124 is back in action. Hurrah

[@jockesgarage6049]

I do this today. What a job to remove al Silicon. Now its Works like a charm

[@davidreynolds3082]

You need to stress that the machine should be unplugged before opening it up and touching capacitors in a mains-powered appliance, especially 240v (they can store tens of thousands of volts) could possibly kill. Otherwise, it's a very helpful video as I'm about to try and do the same on our machine which starts up but stops after about 5 seconds. Pausing it a few times, or turning it on and off can make it work, but as it's an intermittant fault, resoldering every darn joint seems worth a shot as it'll cost nothing but my time and 20p's worth of electricity and solder.

[@goldflemming4912]

Good points. Will add the warnings to the video description.

[@zaneh6224]

@ David Reynolds: That's incorrect, the capacitors are rated at 250V, they can only store 250V not thousands of volts, they do store DC voltage which at 250V will give a nasty shock, but not enough reserve in them to kill you, You should discharge these particular capacitors BEFORE soldering anything near them, or you may get a nasty BANG

[@martinw5766]

Yes unplug it and leave it 5 mins for the caps to discharge, but tens of thousands of volts....bullshit.

[@alisonpritchard-jones6213]

Thank you, chickened out of soldering and bought new mother board for £145 on eSpares which is still cheaper than buying a whole new machine.

[@paulluther2503]

Excellent bit of information, thanks. I'd never have thought it would provide such an easy fix. I noticed you missed out the 'how to remove the plastic glop' from the back section, not so easy but it did come off ok, although it took a lot longer than the actual soldering. Many thanks.

[@goldflemming4912]

The gel is indeed by far the most time-consuming part of this though it is quite straightforward.

[@glennkamphuis9781]

Thanx your fix worked on mine as well 😄 just gave it an new layer of tin

[@abdelfattahsaad5853]

Thank you for your effort. I'm not sure if my case is like yours. My machine some times work and sometimes don't work. It might stop during the program. Also some times 3E appeares on the screen

[@mirzabajagilovic7360]

Thanks voor je video TOPPER, super uitleg is me gelukt vrouwtje ook blij je bent een HELD

[@josteinhisen75]

My maskin Stop 2019 After 5 year so I followed this video. And I fix the problem. The maskin is still working 2023 So thanks for this video.

[@StefanyTenelema]

Hi! Thank you for your video. I have one question. In the part below, the one you opened, you didn't put the gel nor the cover, right? Did you leave it with nothing?

[@goldflemming4912]

That's correct. I didn't have any suitable material to replace the gel with, and from reading about the subject, I came to the conclusion that the gel might be part of the problem (less heat transfer off the board). The machine is still working btw...

[@StefanyTenelema]

@@goldflemming4912Thank you!!

[@Geoffh777]

@@goldflemming4912 As an industrial electronics technician, the gel you refer to is probably conformal coating which is to protect against moisture, not vibration. I would have put the bottom cover back on and sealed it with silicone. The conformal would NOT have been part of the problem but dry soldered joints obviously were. I would have applied a little more solder to each joint as it was probably assembled with lead-free solder which is often problematic. I would also have paid attention to the motor driver I.C. joints. The motor driver I.C. is hidden under the black heatsink. Otherwise, congratulations!

[@goldflemming4912]

@@Geoffh777 Thanks for the feedback. Always good to hear a more professional take on it. I hope it helps many more people.

[@hittj106]

Gave it a shot. Got the control board opened up and cleared but that seems to have been the easy part... Even the silicone protection came off relatively easy with a bit of patience and actually trying to get off as a big of a piece as possible instead of trying to nibble off little chunks at a time. But I'm having trouble desoldering. It takes really long time to get the tin to melt. Like almost impossible. especially the thicker solderings I haven't managed to do anything with. I bought a 30W soldering iron for this but it really seems to do f*** all if I'm honest. EDIT: With a bit more trying I managed to get soldering done too. I must've had the wrong technique in the beginning. However now the machine gives "dE" error right off the bat when starting any programs so I must've f**** up to board. Oh well, I tried. Thanks for the video, looks like many found help with it.

[@goldflemming4912]

Sorry to hear you couldn't fix it, but it's always better to try.

[@epicwrap6070]

Thank you so much this helped, its been 2 months and machine works great ;) thank you for the video

[@csabaambrus1708]

Köszönjük a videót! Az én Samsungom nem indul be néha. Szétszedem és megjavítom a módszereddel. Szerintem ennek is ez lesz a baja.

[@ChristosChasapis]

2021 Thank you Man! Just fixed it

[@theobastiaan5943]

They really did their best on newer models to make it impossible to fix yourself.

[@sergioforlivesi7287]

Cheers Gold Flemming, following your instruction I was able ro give a new life to my washing mashine for more than one year. Now I have a new big problem. The integrated component IC6 is completely damaded by I do not know what reason, but on it there are no indications regarding type nor numbers for buying a new one. Do you have any information about this? Thanks in advance and sorry for my orrible english.

[@goldflemming4912]

Hello Sergio and don't worry about your English, it is absolutely fine. Unfortunately I have no information about this broken component you mentioned and can't help you with this. I hope that perhaps in the mean time you found a solution.

[@nikolayyankov4777]

Thanks ! I had the same problem and by soldering the larger details the defect disappeared. The washing machine works again for a second month.

[@KingKong-mp6gj]

The "gel" is a conformal coating which purpose is to shield the solder joints from moisture.

[@cioroiurazvan87]

How did you remove the silicone? How long did it take?

[@mikep-j894]

Normally this sort of solder joint problem is worse with wire to board connections, i.e.where a pin from a connector or a component leg comes through the board, as the hole has to be made larger than the pin so it can be assembled easily in the factory, and the solder is then stressed by trying to stretch and form a bridge - so check those points first, sometimes you will see a little hair-line of fracture. Larger components add mechanical stress to this. My observation is from many years of TV repair, but the problem is basically the same here, sadly.

[@jeroenvanderkraan2844]

Geweldig het heeft geholpen bespaart ons een nieuwe wasmachine thx

[@MinhNguyen-qq7uj]

Hello. A huge thank for sharing. The machine works again!

[@naginagi9295]

It's true I had the same issue. I only soldier the big point ....Happy days ....thanks alot

[@chrishyde1216]

That's very helpful. My problem is that there is no power getting to my Ecobubble. I'm guessing it's the power cable, but could it be another component?

[@goldflemming4912]

I'm sorry but I am not a technician nor a washing machine expert. Just a brave guy with nothing to lose and some basic soldering skills.

[@chrishyde1216]

@@goldflemming4912 Actually, that in itself is a lesson to all of us; don't be afraid to have a go yourself. The result is potential large cost saving, or even an ecologically sound way of avoiding buying new stuff. Thanks.

[@veght333]

Dear Uploader! How did you remove the gel from the motherboard?

[@loesknopper]

Thanks for this video! Helped us a lot, looks like the machine is working again after this fix! 😀

[@dinbauer8525]

Belief it or not if you run the wole program twice and after the 90 degree cotton twice with or without load. It works again as normal. The problem stayed away for like 6 months than started stopping within the program again. Followed the same routine and now it's working again as normal for weeks. 7 year old machine.

[@hskt39]

Thanks a lot! Got my washing machine fixed!

[@davidsol9676]

i see it now 4 years later and i like it good job my man and i hapy thet it help becuse my samsung just started to make trubolls so i will do the same

[@drooy1510]

I have the 9kg. But the bord is in front of the machine. Turn wheel and screen are molded with it. Dous this one has the same issue? Not as easy as yours unfortunately

[@dm6877]

I have eco bubble 6 kg,problem was that it start to work and stops after some time. I found the mother board that was in the front cover and two cold solder were bad, i solder it again and the machine is working now ok

[@csabaambrus1708]

Kérlek mond el, mivel távolítottad el a bevonatot a panelről! Köszönöm!

[@nasserjari2829]

Hi! Thank you for your video. It was really helpful. I have a Samsung washing machine 2005 eco bubble vrt plus 9kg everything working except the buttons under the display. Is it easy to repair it? Do you have any idea? Thanks in advance

[@gjwestonable]

Nice work. Sadly even Samsung's latest ecobubble are still failing mine stopped working after 9 months from new.

[@goldflemming4912]

Sorry to hear it. I will not ever be buying Samsung washers again, that much is sure. Although I wouldn't say no to a FREE EcoBubble with this problem... ;-)

[@omarmarzouk2988]

hello, i have 3E error code but it is unstable like sometimes the cycle works perfectly and sometimes not, is this the same problem ?

[@mvanprooyen]

Removing the gel is hard… its a thick layer and im worried that i break the connectors underneath, i cant show a picture, but was it a half centimeter thick yellow layer? Yours looks very different and cleaner. Any tips on this step?

[@PhilipTheBird]

Hello and sorry for my late reply. For the sake of future people browsing these comments I will answer your question and say that the gel on my board was about half a cm thick, but not yellow and more transparant (from what I can remember so many years later). Perhaps yours was a different (more recent?) model of washer? The machine in the video (Samsung WF71F5E5P4W) was bought 3 years before making the video and the video is 5 years old now. While I did buy it new, the model was definitely not the newest Samsung had available at the time. I imagine the materials used in the production changes over the years as well as the designs of the inner workings themselves.

[@romanrom1]

Hi! First, thanks for your time and this great video. I have exactly the same issue. My Washing machine SAMSUNG Eco Bubble 7.0kg stuck at mid-program. As I do not speak well english I don't understand what points of "welding" must be redone. Absolutely all the points? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[@goldflemming4912]

Hello Romain, I'm sorry I only saw your question now. I didn't do absolutely all of the soldering, but as much as I could, working from the bigger ones down.

[@ashleighrowan7265]

took panel off today removing gel was a nightmare I don't know how you managed to get panel as clean as you did I took it to an electronics friend who has thirty years experience repairing and replacing components yes many cracked and dry joints he resoldered but guess what now machine wont even bring up screen I gues removing gel has caused further damage so advice be extremely gentle removing it mine would not peel I used a plastic car trim tool remover tool to gently scrape board but thanks for your info it was worth trying new board purchased

[@goldflemming4912]

Hey Ashleigh, I'm very sorry to hear the repair was unsuccessful. It is possible something was damaged in the process of removing the board and accessing the solder joints. Of course it is equally a possibility that your board had an unrelated issue. Let us know if this new board fixed your problem. Best of luck!

[@Mikster_Mindo]

Over 80,000 views. This means a similar number of people had their Samsung wasmachine broken. My washing machine is also broken just like the Samsung wash dryer just about a year ago. It seems like a planned failure to make money. Samsung, besides your quality seems to s*ck big time, imagine the pollutions of these hundreds of thousands of machines that end up as waste. Please take responsibility and care. In 2020 it is not the way you should do business anymore.

[@fuxmolder2200]

How did you remove the gel?

[@chim5951]

im trying to find an easier way to remove it because holy shit is it a long fucking process scraping it off with a plastic pry tool.. literally just have to scrape under the gel then grap it with your fingers and peel it off.. comes off in little chunks. comes off somewhat clean off the board in the less congested areas but the other 50% of the board where its reall congested it doesnt come off clean at all... at this point im scrubbing it with a stiff brush, isopropyl alcohol and i-fixit plastic scraper.. im 2 days into this process and i recon its going to take another 2 more days to fully clean it so then i can reflow the board.. unless i find an easier way to remove the remaining gel :/

[@goldflemming4912]

@@chim5951 Thank you for describing your process. I don't remember it being that big of a problem to remove it. Like you said it was mostly peeling it off in small chunks. I think it took us about 30 minutes.

[@kokabs.5641]

Hi! Thank you for sharing this. My Samsung washer is about 3 years and has the same problem. I wanted to ask: 1. Did you cover the circuit board with something or just left it without the silicone gel. 2. How did you fix the underside of the box? Thanks

[@goldflemming4912]

Hey there, glad you found this video. To answer your questions: 1) No I left the circuit board uncovered. My theory is that the gel causes too much heat to be trapped on the board, making the soldering points susceptible to micro-cracks. 2) If you mean the side where I cut the hole, then no, the underside is still open. That may sound like it could cause problems, but the machine has been working multiple times per week since april and never encountered the problem again. If you could find a way to close the hole, perhaps you'd like to share it with us here. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it for sure.

[@henriksoderholtz8368]

The heat is not the issue here, it is the vibrations. Soldier joints are likely more brittle at lower temperatures. I am considering adding a foam (such as from a mousepad) inside the bottom lid and gluing or clamping it back in.

[@goldflemming4912]

@@henriksoderholtz8368 I'm not an expert but a user called Benny Zeusian commented here a few months ago with an extensive analysis of what he thinks could be problem. Worth a read.

[@Cre8or]

Hi!, how did you remove the "gel" from the pcb ?

[@Cre8or]

i did use a chopstick to peel of the silicon and it did work fine : www.bildtagg.se/bild/o8xemt1umrbidsgcefljd2r

[@chrisread2265]

hi please show more about samsung washing machine as i have one thanks chris from norwich

[@Tugmaster]

Thank you very much you are a genius this contribution worksss, I made this repair on a Samsung WF18H5000AW, it was a bit difficult but it is working 100%, thanks and happy new year, I owe you a beer.

[@goldflemming4912]

I'm very glad to hear the video was helpful!

[@slicepatroler]

Had terrible trouble removing top panel. So tight never been off before had some sticky tape on it, nearly give up. I think this should be explained that some could be a real struggle on first removal

[@alfredosepulveda8121]

How did you remove the gel? Im having a hard time trying to do it

[@goldflemming4912]

Hello Alfred, with lots of patience while being carefull not to damage any component of the board. It's a messy job, don't expect it to come off in one piece.

[@franskamps1975]

Superhandig. Hartelijk dank voor de moeite. Ik ga het maar eens proberen ook denk ik.

[@goldflemming4912]

Fijn dat je het nuttig vond. Laat ons zeker weten hoe het gegaan is! Mijn machine doet het nog steeds goed!

[@tessakuyvenhoven6378]

Thank you so much for this video, it inspired me to try and repair our washing machine tomorrow. The only thing that is unclear to me is: do you put the plastic piece back you cut off from the casing in which is the print plate? Or you just leave the print plate bare? Greetings Tessa

[@goldflemming4912]

The print plate has been and is still bare since doing the repair. My machine still works without problem. The bare print plate did not cause issues in all this time. Good luck with the repair!

[@sbronko]

You didnt show two main things: how to remove the gel and which contacts should be resoldered... I don't understand why, I, would rather see whole repair instead of cutting out two most important processes of the repair.

[@goldflemming4912]

Thank you for your feedback. As to removing the gel, it simply has to be scraped off. There is no trick or tips to be shared other than meticulously but carefully removing it and clean the contacts on the PCB. Regarding the soldering, as I believe I have stated, you solder all of the cracked solder contacts. As this might be different for your PCB than for mine, you will have to use your own judgement to determine which ones might need some new solder. Good luck with the repair.

[@mvanprooyen]

@@goldflemming4912 how thick was your gel? And how in earth did you remove it at the important black blocks?

[@grimworld]

The gel is around 2-4mm thick and you can use a plastic scraper to remove it, it's bit laborous but not hard. Cut a line and pry off in big chunks worked well for me. I found two visible cracked solder points on two largest pins, but I also resoldered many other pins, some had really thin layer of solder so I added more solder to those point. Before putting it back, I sprayed the board with silicone spray that's used for weather proofing electronic boards.

[@delsoanez6056]

Hi Gold Flemming I have a Samsung washer/dryer WD6122CKC it’s an old model, it was working fine until the drain pump stopped, it happened that it was full of dirt, so I cleaned it and work fine but doing that I moved the washer to a new place but was no balanced, so after that, the washer jumps while spin dry cicle. One week later I got the "dE" error code, door lock problem (front load). I test door latch assembly and its good, the wiring is ok too. So that leaves me to check the main board. I opened it and found that some places the gel has come off due to the heat. I want to know your opinion, if it’s worth trying to resolder, or the problem is elsewhere?

[@goldflemming4912]

I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, but I don't feel qualified to answer this question. I have no experience with washmachine repair in general and I don't know this model of Samsung washing machine. This video is about a specific and sadly common problem with the Samsung EcoBubble. In closing, I will say that from what you write, I understand that you probably know a thing or two about diagnosing and fixing appliances so I would advise you to inspect the main board and look for faulty solder. If done properly, re-soldering will in any case not damage your board. Good luck with the repair.

[@satishbhanang3064]

sir pcb on only relay noise not pcb on and bridge not geting voltage 325 vdc

[@ArthurVines]

The gel is there to prevent condensation from damaging the electronics, not as a shock absorber.

[@lorantnagy4336]

I used a heatgun to reflow all at once and it worked.

[@KuroMicra]

If you depress the temp, delay end and power switch simultaneously, it enters calibration mode. Allow it to Complete this cycle without washing in the drum and then it completes full cycles uninterrupted.

[@goldflemming4912]

I did try that before attempting this rather invasive repair and for me did not fix anything. Definitely a good tip to try this first though, thanks!

[@michaeltilstdk]

Thanks @kuromicra! That tip solved my problem for a while at least. Had succesfully runned 5 washes with no problem after calibrating🎉

[@karppa157]

What tools did you guys use to rip the plastic from pcb?

[@goldflemming4912]

I used a multi-tool (like Dremel) to cut 4 grooves in a rectangle shape on the bottom of the plastic case, housing the PCB. This casing is then still held to the PCB by the isolating gel. I simply pulled off the cut-out casing. To remove the gel you can use any (plastic) tool to carefully scrape the gel from the PCB. I used a plastic knife. It's a pretty slow process though.

[@82nikolov]

Hi I have the same problem, can someone tell me how to remove the silicone gel?. Tnx a lot

[@beogeek]

Great video, you're wrong about the gel/silicon coating though, it's not added to dampen the vibrations, it's added so the part cannot be easily serviced, instead, the entire control board needs to be replaced. If Samsung wanted to protect the board there are far better ways to do it than just coating the entire thing in silicon and removing almost all possibility of servicing the board! Dick move by Samsung!

[@chrishyde1216]

They don't want efficiency where machines can be easily repaired, they want as much money from consumers as possible.

[@goldflemming4912]

Ah thanks for the insight. Another commenter made a similar remark. To me, this silicon is not very hard to remove so a DIY servicing is not rendered impossible by it, but I guess it's not worth the time for a real technician to do this procedure for a paying client.

[@beogeek]

@@goldflemming4912 trust me the silicon on mine was near impossible to remove, my machine is a little different from yours and I removed my board from the plastic casing without cutting the frame, I injected isopropyl alcohol with a syringe and the board eventually lifted out with a little prying with a plastic prying tool. Then I cleared the silicon off and this took a while, seemed like it was baked on! Anyways I inspected the board under my microscope and sure enough micro-fractures everywhere around the through-hole components, this is due to two reasons. One - cold solder joins, and two - lead-free solder. Combined these two contribute to the premature failure of the board. After using some quality Amtech NC-559 flux and leaded solder I re-soldered all the through-hole components again with leaded solder. Re-assembled the machine and it has been working for almost a month now without any more issues. It completes all cycles and programs, while in the past it would get interrupted mid-program and stop. Simple enough fix for someone who has a bit of time on their hands and doesn't mind getting their hands dirty. This repair saved me a quoted 140 euros for a replacement control board.

[@mikahakala7463]

How did you remove that protective gel from the surface of the board? My washer has same symptoms and if samsung refuses to replace board free of charge, I’ll try resoldering. Thanks for your informative video! :)

[@goldflemming4912]

Hello Mika, I just used a blunt knife to gently peel it off, starting at a corner. Remember it is not necessary to remove the gel on both sides of the board; only the underside will suffice. I found it was easier if I ripped/broke the gel layer as little as possible; this gave me more of the gel to hold on to while peeling. Removing the gel probably took the longest of all the steps. Just be gentle and careful not to break any connectors and you'll be good. Good luck!

[@mikahakala7463]

Well, Samsung replaced PCB free of charge after I complained that this is product defect and expired warranty does not matter since the machine is quite new still (3y and few months). Going to open lid to see if there are some absorbers under the screws - if not, will add, to minimize vibration to the PCB.

[@goldflemming4912]

Good to hear Samsung took responsibility. The internet is full of defects with this machine, but unfortunately it is equally full of people getting a hard "sorry, but no" from Samsung. When it comes to the screws, I believe that the problem is not that the PCB connections break because of vibration. I believe they break because of bad soldering as well as the protective gel keeping the heat trapped in the board. That being said, extra absorbers won't hurt of course.

[@InWeCome]

Ik heb hetzelfde probleem. Samsung wil dit repareren maar omdat ik buiten de fabrieksgarantie zit moet ik van hen meebetalen. Dit is een onderdeel wat helemaal niet stuk zou moeten gaan binnen zo'n korte tijd en een vervanging verlengt dus ook niet de levensduur van de machine. Kan ik Samsung hier volledig voor op laten draaien, en repareren zij dit met een PCB die beter werkt dan het origineel?

[@goldflemming4912]

Hey, sorry voor de late reactie. Ik veronderstel dat Samsung gewoon een board zal steken dat op dezelfde manier gefabriceerd is. Aangezien het probleem volgens mij (en anderen in deze comments) ligt aan de manier waarop het board gemaakt is, zal dit opnieuw slechts een tijdelijke oplossing zijn. Een manier om de zakken van Samsung te spijzen en +/- drie jaar te kunnen wassen (als er al niet een ander onderdeel stuk gaat intussen door slijtage). Mijn machine werkt sinds de reparatie nog steeds goed, als dat enige indicatie is... Succes!

[@InWeCome]

Ik heb hem niet laten repareren. Dat grapje zou mij even 260 euro kosten. Als ie stopt sla ik een paar keer tegen de zijkant en dan gaat ie weer verder... Wanneer ik daar zat van wordt ga ik zeker jouw reparatie uitproberen!

[@bartvanderleij6756]

I did the repair however my waching machine doens't turn on anymore? It seems completely dead. Any advice?

[@goldflemming4912]

I am sorry to hear that your repair did not have the intended result. If it turned on before you attempted the repair and now not anymore, I can only imagine that during the procedure one of the components or circuits got damaged. In your stead I would probably try to resolder the work I did, double-check the connectors and cables and the main wire/plug. Good luck.

[@mikeysmith6525]

Hi. Still working fine after 3 years?

[@goldflemming4912]

The machine had been in storage for a good year due to a move and a period spent abroad, however recently we reinstalled it and it hasn't missed a beat. Didn't do anything to it since the repair in this video.

[@dennyrutten8719]

Thank you for posting this video, very helpful for me!

[@timdecuypere850]

Great video, I have the same machine, luckily for me its still working fine. Do you have any suggestions how this problem could be prevented? Or is it unavoidable? Thanks - Bedankt! Gr

[@goldflemming4912]

Honestly as long as it works, I would not touch it. The things I would say that prevent it are the steps of the repair in the video: break casing, remove gel... Can't think of another prevention. It's just a badly soldered main board. Sorry and good luck. Maybe you have the exception confirming the rule. ☺️

[@henriksoderholtz8368]

This issue could be prevented by either placing the PCB assembly outside of the washing machine. I have just done this procedure and found broken weddings under the big black heatsink where the motor controller is placed. I am considering extending all the wires and placing the PCB in a separate enclosure. The stress on the soldering joins are most likely from vibrations during the spin part of the cycle.

[@mvanprooyen]

Is it still working?

[@goldflemming4912]

I am happy to confirm that it is still working without further problems.

[@mvanprooyen]

@@goldflemming4912 Wow Great! I need to find someone who can solder this for me... Thx for your quick reply!

[@thure1982]

But it says 10years warranty on the front. Was that machine actually 10years old?

[@neosilvergk1669]

I believe not. The warranty is only on the motors

[@goldflemming4912]

The Machine was a little over 3 years old and so it was out of the standards warranty period, which convinced me to do this repair myself. The 10 year warranty sticker on the front reads "on the motor" in smaller print, like @Neosilver GK mentions. ;-)

[@DrDnepr]

Just did the same to mine - however my weldings did not look broken - BUT the peint lanes going from the capacitors looked weird ... i filled them with solder and it worked ...-

[@paulb9769]

The encasement is more about waterproofing and not vibrations.