How to change brushes on an Indesit washing machine
Anyone who has ever worked with a brushed motor has likely had to replace the carbon brushes. An Indesit washing machine also has a similar motor, meaning after a few years of use, it will start to malfunction as the carbon brushes wear down to the roots. How do you know when the brushes in your Indesit washing machine's motor need replacing? How can you repair them yourself? Find answers to these and other questions in this publication.
Let's get ready for work
Replacing carbon brushes, for example, on an electric pump, is a piece of cake—with the right skills, it only takes 5-7 minutes. However, replacing the motor brushes on an Indesit washing machine is not so simple. The first hurdle is identifying the problem—in other words, determining whether the brushes need replacing or whether the problem lies elsewhere.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to determine with 100% certainty that the carbon brushes are worn out without disassembling the Indesit washing machine. One can only make an assumption about this based on the symptoms of the breakdown.
- The motor loses power and cannot rotate the drum loaded with laundry at the required speed.
- A system error is generated indicating a motor failure.
- The motor makes extraneous noises.
- The engine sparks and even smokes, emitting a persistent burning smell.
The second obstacle is partially disassembling the washing machine. For some reason, many men are intimidated by this. 
The prospect of disassembling an automatic washing machine, however, there is nothing complicated about this matter.
- We turn off the washing machine and turn it so that the back wall is facing us.
- At the back you will see a service hatch with a screwed cover. You need to take a Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the screws - the cover will fall off.
- With a light movement of the hand, we remove the drive belt from the large pulley (drum) and the small pulley (engine).
- Take an 8 mm wrench and unscrew the bolts that secure the engine to the holder.
- We disconnect all wires from the electric motor.
- We pull the motor off the holders and pull it out.
Note: To help the engine disengage from the mounts, pull it toward you first, then downwards.
Don't think it just looks easy while you're reading this article. It's not difficult in real life either, the main thing is to act decisively and follow these instructions.
What will be needed for repairs?
The list of necessary tools and materials will be short, as replacing electric motor brushes is a simple repair that doesn't require much time or effort. Generally, you can get by with the following tools:
- 8 mm socket wrench;
- Phillips and flat head screwdrivers;
- multimeter;
- a set of markers for marking wires.
The materials are even simpler, as there won't even be a list. You'll need new carbon brushes for the specific type of Indesit washing machine motor, and possibly a new motor if a winding failure is detected during testing.
Where can I buy new brushes for this washing machine? They're not sold at appliance stores, and even specialized retailers can be difficult to find. A good solution is to buy this part online; it won't cost much and will arrive fairly quickly. If you don't trust online stores, you can try buying carbon brushes for your Indesit washing machine at washing machine repair service centers. These centers often have good parts stores where you can find everything you need at a reasonable price.
95% of all Indesit washing machine motors use carbon brushes of the CAR014UN type. They cost approximately $6.50-$7. If done correctly, this amount will be your final cost for washing machine motor repair.
Important! The N52A, CAR024UN, and UN135 brushes are complete equivalents of the CAR014UN type brushes.
Progress of work
Once you've successfully removed the motor, the first thing you need to do is unscrew and remove its brushes for a visual inspection. It's usually immediately obvious that the brushes are worn. If the brushes are clearly intact, but the motor does not work, the problem may be in the winding or fins. All this remains to be tested.
We always start by checking the electric motor brushes. To do this, locate the two protruding plates on the housing and unscrew the fasteners that hold them in place. Remove and inspect the plates. If they are worn, replace them and reinstall the motor. If they are intact, inspect the remaining motor components. You can read about how to check the motor components for functionality in the article. Washing machine motor repair.
If other engine parts are damaged, it is quite possible that you will have to replace the broken motor with a new one. Just in case, you can look up the model of the motor you need and find out how much it costs; it’s usually quite expensive, about 1/8 of the cost of a washing machine. Indesit.
After renovation
Once you've successfully replaced the old, worn-out brushes on your Indesit washing machine's motor with new ones, you can begin assembling the machine. Mount the motor on the motor holders and connect the wires. Tighten the fasteners, then attach the drive belt to the drum pulley and the motor pulley.
Next, we'll spin the pulley a bit to check how it rotates, then replace the service hatch and screw it back in. Install the washing machine, connect it, and run a test wash, possibly with laundry in it.
Important! The first three or four washes will be quite noisy. The motor will hum quite loudly as the new brushes are being ground in. Afterward, the motor will return to normal operation without any unusual noise.
To summarize, replacing the brushes in an Indesit washing machine motor in Moscow costs $60, plus the cost of the brushes, which is about $7. Considering the simple repair and the lack of tools and skills, it's worth considering whether it's worth paying such a high price. Wouldn't it be better to buy new brushes for $7 and replace them yourself, spending 30-40 minutes of your time? But that's our opinion—the final decision is yours! Happy repairing!
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Thank you, very useful!
I recently repaired an Indesit. You can, of course, clean the circuit board with alcohol, but it's easier to wash off the carbon dust with warm water and a brush (don't overdo it!). It all comes off in a jiffy. Then, use a hair dryer (a regular household one) to dry the circuit board until it's warm and the moisture evaporates.
Helpful article. Links to the parts store would be great too :)