WD-12412BD LG Washer - Instructions

Contacted LG customer service, not much help there. Watched a very helpful Utube video on how to find and repair the leak. The video suggested that the most common leak is in the drain hose with bellows. Removed the rear panel and removed the bellows unit using pliers for the clamps and screwdriver for the bellows part. This was pretty easy. The rubber bellows was leaking in the exact same place as the youtube video showed. This is a Design Flaw that LG needs to fix. Ordered the new part and installed the bellows portion of the part first, as the angle for that installation needs to be correct. Then attempted to install the end of the hose (very inaccesible) to the pump drain. Very difficult to position the factory supplied spring clamp with pliers so I purchased a screw-type clamp (using the nut-driver rather than a screw-driver to tighten the clamp was helpful) at the local hardware store and that made my job much easier. Note: My unit is mounted on a pedestal, so it was a little easier to access the part location (about one foot off the floor, rather than at floor level), but it may be that the part should be replaced from the bottom of the unit, which would make it much easier to access. Then I installed the other end of the hose to the drain line using a screw-type clamp. I am 69 years old, and not that flexible anymore, so getting down on the floor to reach inside the unit was difficult. You need patience to do this job and you have to make sure all the clamps are properly installed so you don't start the machine up and end up with another leak. For me, this process was difficult and took more than two hours to complete. Limited access to the area made it more difficult and I hate the factory clamps they use. Overall, the repair costs about $25, compared to the $125 just to come look at the machine, then more money to fix the unit. It was satisfying to complete the repair for a small amount of money, but not sure it was worth the aggravation.

Followed the manufacturers instructions to disassemble the washer from the top. There was a video on youtube of a guy who was able to replace his bellows hose from the back, but maybe my arms weren't long enough, I couldn't reach all the way to the front. The washer was pretty easy to take apart, except for taking off the top, where there were 2 extra screws not mentioned in the instructions. Replacing the part was really easy. HERE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: LG DOESN'T MENTION IT IS REALLY HARD TO GET THE CLAMP ASSEMBLY BACK ON THE GASKET WITHOUT A SPECIAL TOOL. You can buy the special LG tool, or you can do what I did (and others on the internet) and buy an $8 "Brake spring spreader" tool at your local auto parts store. Repair was a success. No more water leaking!

Took apart the washer and removed bearings and shaft on spider. My advice would be to order the spider and shaft (one piece) hen ordering the bearings, seal, and tub gasket. If the bearings are gone, it is likely the shaft is gone too as mine was.

The problem ended up being the pump motor which discharges water from the washer. I figured out this was the problem after trying several things. I determined the motor was fine when it was empty. With the unit turned off, if you can rotate the tube with a quick spin and it lights up, probably this is OK. Then I tried to run it again and it went about 1/2 way through the cycle and stopped and started humming again. So I started emptying out the water, which I noticed was about 5 gallons which is way too much. so once empty, I took the pump off by turning unit on side. There are two hoses with hose clamps, and a few screws. Be careful to mark which wire plugs onto which side of the pump. One is brown and one is black. If you take the pump housing off, with the 3 screws, you should be able to pull the motor apart. Mine had water and scum from the wash in it, which was a dead give away that it was the problem.