Bosch washing machine rattles and jumps during spin cycle

If your Bosch washing machine knocks during the spin cycle, this does not mean that the “home assistant” has served its term. Such symptoms can appear even in new washing machines of the latest generation, which “have not yet seen really dirty laundry.” Why do excellent Bosch machines behave in such an inappropriate way? We cannot answer this question in a nutshell, so we wrote an entire article on this topic.

Why does the body jump?

If the machine rattles and jumps a lot, we have two problems, which, by the way, may not be related to each other. It may make sense to consider separately the strong vibration and active movement of the washing machine body and extraneous noise. Let's start with the "bouncing effect".

In some cases, even completely serviceable Bosch washing machines can move 30-50 cm to the right or left in one wash cycle. What is the reason for this movement? Maybe this is intended and there is no need to attach importance to such things? In fact, such “behaviour” of the machine cannot be ignored. By moving to the side, the housing may damage interior items, and the drain and inlet hoses may come off.

Why doesn't the machine stay in place? Most likely, it's the surface on which it stands. The cabinet may not be level, or the floor surface may be uneven or sloped. It is very possible that the machine is standing on a shaky and unreliable floor. Try to securely strengthen the surface under the body of the washing machine, and armed with a building level, set the machine strictly horizontally.

On some Bosch washing machines with a narrow body, the manufacturer deliberately reduced the size and weight of the counterweights. This was done in order to fit the necessary parts into a smaller body. As a result, the weight of the washing machine was reduced, which inevitably led to a decrease in stability. You won’t be able to do anything about this, but if you strengthen the floor as much as possible and level the body, the negative impact of centrifugal force can be reduced.

Why is the machine rattling?

If a Bosch machine makes strange noise, it can be difficult to determine the cause. This is not like vibration, there are more reasons here and they are much more hidden. Let's try to list them.

• The shipping bolts that hold the drum in a static position when transporting the machine were not removed. A similar malfunction occurs during a makeshift installation of the machine. The installer simply forgets to remove these bolts, which causes the machine to make a terrible noise. Removing the bolts will solve the problem.
• A metal object fell into the washing machine tub. The item must be quite large, for example a five-rupee coin, a key, a keychain, or something similar. When the drum rotates, the object gets stuck between the metal and plastic walls. The machine is noisy and makes a metallic grinding sound. What to do? Most likely, partial disassembly of the washing machine will be required. You will have to remove the heating element and pull out the foreign object through the resulting hole.
• The bearings have collapsed. On old Bosch washing machines this problem occurs all the time. When the bearings are damaged, strong play and vibration of the drum occurs. It is quite difficult to fix this problem on your own; you need to contact a specialist.
• The top or side counterweights are loose. On Bosch washing machines that have been in service for 5-7 years, such a malfunction can be found quite often. Due to constant vibration, even the most powerful fasteners are destroyed, causing the counterweights to openly dangle. Solution: you need to remove the top cover and back wall of the washer and tighten the loose fasteners.
• You got a defective damper, or it has collapsed over time. Dampers, like other parts of a Bosch washing machine, are subject to wear. You can replace a broken damper yourself, but it is better to contact a professional.

In conclusion, we note that if your Bosch brand washing machine begins to rattle and bounce, do not ignore it. Immediately stop using the “home assistant” and start looking for a breakdown. If you encounter any difficulties, contact the specialists!