Lg wt4801cw washer broken stator and damaged wiring — purchased used spin cycle made loud noise

Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.

1. Check 1

   Stop the WT4801CW, press Pause or Power using the normal controls if safe, and disconnect power from a dry accessible position. Record whether the loud noise occurred during sensing, agitation, ramp-up, or full spin, whether the basket stopped or continued, and whether there was smoke, a burning odor, sparking, a hot cord, or visible damaged wiring.

   Expected result: The noise is accompanied by electrical or burning symptoms, the washer cannot stop normally, the tub is moving abnormally, or the washer is now quiet and stable while unplugged.

   Next step: Leave the washer isolated and arrange qualified appliance or electrical service for any hazard or known wiring damage. Keep the observation record for the provider and do not restart it to reproduce the sound.

   Stop if: Do not pull a wet plug, touch exposed conductors, reset a tripped breaker repeatedly, or reach under a moving or unstable washer.

   Why this matters

   Why: Smoke, heat, sparking, exposed conductors, or uncontrolled motion is an immediate stop-use condition. A quiet unplugged washer is not evidence that the stator or harness is safe; intermittent rubbing or insulation damage can recur under load.

2. Check 2

   Without moving the unplugged washer or removing panels, note whether the original load was tangled, too large, a single bulky item, or concentrated on one side. Check from outside whether the cabinet rocks when gently pushed at the corners and whether nearby shelving or objects were striking it.

   Expected result: The load was badly unbalanced, the washer rocks or is not level, an adjacent object was contacting it, or the noise occurred with a normal balanced load and stable cabinet.

   Next step: Correct only an obvious external load or leveling issue as the manual permits. If the stator, rotor, harness, or bearing has already been reported damaged, do not perform a test load; give the condition to service instead.

   Stop if: Do not tip the washer, place unstable shims under it, continue a spin cycle, or move it across a wet floor to inspect the underside.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG says imbalance, unsuitable loads, leveling, and nearby objects can create spin noise. A normal empty-tub noise or a recurrence after correcting an external balance issue makes an internal mechanical or motor-area fault more likely, but does not identify a stator by itself.

3. Check 3

   With the tub empty and the washer still unplugged, look only through the normal tub opening for a coin, wire, or other foreign object that could contact the wash plate or tub. If no ordinary-access object is visible, stop there; do not remove the wash plate, rotor, stator cover, cabinet, or wiring.

   Expected result: A foreign object is visible and removable without tools or internal access, no object is visible but the noise was present with an empty tub, or the suspected stator/wiring area was already opened by a provider.

   Next step: Remove only a loose, clearly reachable object without touching internal moving parts. For persistent empty-tub noise or exposed motor damage, leave the washer disconnected and request qualified service.

   Stop if: Do not use a tool to reach behind the wash plate, scrape the tub, turn an energized motor, or pull on any coil or harness wire.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG identifies foreign objects as a possible source of squeaking or rattling. If the noise persists with the tub empty or the motor-area parts are damaged, the ordinary-access foreign-object branch is not a sufficient diagnosis.

4. Check 4

   Ask the technician or seller for the exact written diagnosis and photos: what stator piece broke, which coil or harness conductors were damaged, whether the rotor contacted the stator, whether the shaft or bearings have play, and whether the machine had a prior loud-spin complaint. Keep the removed parts and the estimate together.

   Expected result: The report names only a stator, names stator plus wiring, shows rotor contact or bearing/shaft play, or cannot identify the damage beyond a loud noise.

   Next step: Request a complete motor-area and mechanical inspection before approving parts: stator, rotor, harness/connectors, shaft, bearings, mounting, tub, and any foreign-object or imbalance damage. Use LG's exact-model support path for documentation and service routing.

   Stop if: Do not splice coil wires, glue a broken stator, bend a harness away from the rotor, bypass the lid lock, or approve a part based only on a photograph or generic WT washer listing.

   Why this matters

   Why: A part label without the failure mechanism cannot tell whether the replacement stator will be damaged again. Rotor clearance, shaft/bearing movement, mounting, harness routing, and an earlier noise can change the repair scope.

5. Check 5

   For the used purchase, photograph the rating/model label and collect the seller's purchase date, prior repair invoices, serial number, and the current service estimate. Ask LG whether the exact serial and original purchase documentation support any remaining coverage; do not assume warranty transfer from the model name alone.

   Expected result: The serial and original purchase records are available, the washer was sold without documentation, or the provider proposes a non-LG repair or used assembly.

   Next step: Give the complete evidence package to LG or qualified service and ask for the exact repair scope, part identity, labor coverage, and cause-of-failure assessment in writing. Keep the appliance out of service until damaged wiring is addressed.

   Stop if: Do not energize the washer to improve a warranty claim, discard the damaged parts before documentation, or install an unverified used stator/harness without model and connector confirmation.

   Why this matters

   Why: LG's support page identifies model-specific warranty and service routing, but coverage depends on its terms and original purchase information. A non-OEM or used motor part may have unknown condition and does not prove the original failure cause is corrected.