Though Maytag XL washers are among the most reliable in the Maytag family, they, like every other washing machine, can fail. So, the question is not what to do if they fail but when they fail, and that brings us to this Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Troubleshooting guide.
Some of the most typical Maytag Bravos XL washing machine problems you could troubleshoot include a Bravos XL washer that won’t turn on, start a cycle, spin, drain, fill up with water or move to the next cycle. Other issues include a washer stuck on sensing and a non-working control panel.
Many issues could stop the Bravos XL washer from running, but the above eight are the most typical. Interestingly, these washing machine problems don’t necessarily require an expert’s help – at least not most.
Depending on how your Bravos XL washer behaves, you should identify what issues to check and try to troubleshoot them. In that regard, I’ll highlight the most probable causes to enable you to quickly determine why your washer is behaving the way it is and fix it.
Let’s jump in!
In a rush? See the quick fixes to the eight problems and their likely causes in the table below.
Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix | |
| 1. | The Washer Won’t Turn On | Lack of power | Check for power, firmly plug the washer, and turn it on. Reset the breaker if it’s off and replace a defective socket or cord |
| 2. | The Washer Won’t Start the Cycle | Lack of power, enabled Control Lock, open lid, or defective control board | Check the washer’s power supply, disable Control Lock, close the lid, and replace a faulty control board |
| 3. | Washer Won’t Spin | The wrong setting, load imbalance or overload, open lid, or faulty drive belt, motor coupling, or actuator switch | Choose the right setting, balance the load, close the lid, and replace a defective belt, motor coupling, or actuator switch |
| 4. | The Washer Won’t Drain | Excess suds, blocked drain hose, drain valve, or drain pump, or a defective pump | Reduce detergent overuse, unclog the drain hose, valve, and pump, and replace a defective pump |
| 5. | The Washer Won’t Fill Up | Water supply failure or poor drainage | Ensure the washer receives water and fix any drainage issue |
| 6. | Disable Control Lock, close the lid, and replace a defective control panel or control board. Call an expert to fix a wiring fault | Load imbalance or overload, wrong setting, excess suds, poor drainage, or defective belt, clutch, or control board | Balance the load, choose the correct setting, reduce detergent overuse, fix any drainage issue, and replace a faulty belt, clutch, or control board |
| 7. | The Washer is Stuck on Sensing | Jammed keypad, wrong setting, or malfunctioning lid switch, inlet valve, sensor, or control board | Unstick the keypad and reset the washer. Call an expert if unsuccessful |
| 8. | Non-Working Control Panel | Control Lock, open lid, defective control panel or control board, or wiring fault | Disable Control Lock, close the lid and replace a defective control panel or control board. Call an expert to fix a wiring fault |
8 Common Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Problems
Shared below are 8 of the most typical problems among Maytag Bravos XL washing machines that you should try to troubleshoot:
1. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Turn On
The first thing to examine when your Maytag washer fails to turn on is its power supply. In the case of a Maytag Bravos, you must first check for an outage.
Confirm if you plugged in the washer and turned it on. There is always the chance that you forget that important detail.
The other checks include the following:
- Tripped breaker – The breaker may trip up when the power surges to protect the washing machine.
- Defective socket – The socket might also blow up due to a power issue, and if it does so, then the washing machine won’t power on
- Faulty cable – If the power cord is not working, the washer won’t get any power to turn on
Fix
First, check if you’ve power at home. It could be an outage. Once you rule out a blackout, ensure the washer is plugged in firmly into the wall outlet and turned on.
If it still doesn’t power on, check if the breaker is tripped up and reset it. Then inspect the power cord and the wall socket with a multimeter to determine if they work. You can tell if they don’t if they lack continuity; in such a case, replace them.
2. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Start Cycle
Ironically, a washing machine may turn on but fail to start. It, however, can’t do the opposite. So, check if it’s turned on (using the above checklist) before looking at other issues.
Other than the lack of power, other reasons why a Maytag Bravos XL washer won’t start a cycle include the following:
- Child Lock – If the Child Lock function is enabled (which you can tell if it’s showing on display), it locks the control panel and stops the washing machine from running.
- Open lid – The washer may fail to start because the lid is not well latched. It could be due to an obstruction such as debris or cloth, or the lid switch could be defective.
- Defective control board – Lastly, if the issue is not the lack of power, Child Lock, or an open lid, it’s more likely a failed control board.
Fix
First, check if your Bravos XL washer has power using the tip shared in number one. If it turns on, check if Control Lock is on and disable it.
Also, check if the lid is open and try to latch it. Remove any obstruction, and inspect the lid switch with a multimeter if it still doesn’t lock. If it shows no continuity, replace it.
And if the issue is not any of the above, replace the control board.
3. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Spin
Proper spinning is an essential process in the running of a washing machine. Some issues, however, may stop the Maytag Bravos Xl washer from spinning, and they include the following:
- Wrong setting – If you pick a no-spin setting, the washer won’t spin. And if it’s a low-spin setting, you may not see it turn.
- Load imbalance or overload – If the clothes in the washer are out of balance or excessive, they won’t spin in the drum.
- Open lid – A Maytag washer won’t spin if the lid is open. In the case of a Maytag Bravos XL, the issue could be an obstruction, and if it’s not, it could be a defective lid switch.
- Faulty drive belt, motor coupling, or actuator switch – Also, expect the washer to fail to spin if the drive belt, motor coupling, or actuator switch fails. These components could wear out or break.
Fix
Check the washer’s settings and choose the correct one. Ensure it’s a spin setting.
Then check the load and evenly redistribute it. Ensure you don’t wash heavy articles like blankets, rugs, and mats, as they can be too heavy to spin. And while loading the drum, don’t go past three-quarters full.
If the lid is open, check if something is obstructing it and remove it, and if it won’t lock, check the lid switch with a multimeter, as I explained earlier, and replace it if it fails to show continuity.
But if you still can’t fix the washer, check the drive belt, motor coupling, and actuation switch for wear or breakages and replace them.
4. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Drain
You cannot expect your Maytag Bravos Xl washer to wash the clothes well if the water doesn’t drain. The chances are that the clothes will soak wet and may not get clean.
Here are the issues that could interfere with its drainage:
- Excess suds – If there are too many suds, probably due to overusing the detergent or using non-HE detergent, the suds will interfere with the drainage.
- Blocked drain hose, drain valve, or drain pump – If the drain hose, drain valve, or drain pump is clogged, it’ll interrupt the washer’s drainage.
- Defective pump – Since the drain pump’s job is to pump out wastewater, it can’t do that if it’s faulty, perhaps broken, or worn out.
Fix
Avoid using too much detergent if there are excessive suds. If possible, restrict yourself to using non-HE detergents. If the drain hose, drain valve, or drain pump is clogged, clean it, and if the drain pump shows signs of breakage or wear, replace it.
5. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Fill Up or Fill Slowly
If your Maytag Bravos Xl won’t fill up or fills up slowly, it’s likely due to a water supply failure or poor drainage. Starting with failed water supply, you must check if the valve is fully open and the possibility of a kinked supply tube.
And concerning poor drainage, check for the earlier discussed reason to check if your washer has drainage issues.
Fix
Ensure the water supply is totally open, and straighten the supply tube if it’s kinked. What’s more, ensure the water is draining correctly. Fix any drainage issues using the tips I shared earlier.
6. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Won’t Move to the Next Cycle
The washing machine should move from one cycle to another. If it fails to do so, the reason could be due to load imbalance or overload, wrong setting, excess suds, or poor drainage.
And if it has nothing to do with the four issues, it could be due to a defective belt, clutch, or control board. You can inspect the drive belt for breakage and a clutch for wear, and if the two are okay, the control board is probably defective.
Fix
Evenly distribute the laundry in the drum if it’s out of balance and ensure you don’t overload it. Then check the setting and ensure you select the correct wash setting.
If the washer is forming too many suds, reduce the amount of detergent and opt for HE detergent over non-HE detergent. But if the issue is poor drainage, inspect the drain pipe, valve, and pump for clogging and clean them.
If you cannot fix the washer, inspect the drive belt, clutch for war, and replace them. And if the two are okay, replace the control board.
7. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Stuck on Sensing Mode
A Maytag washer rarely gets stuck in sensing mode, but it can happen. It’s one of the commonest Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Sensor Problems which often result from these issues:
- Jammed keypad – If the keypad is stuck, perhaps due to excessive clogging, it’ll become non-responsive. The result is that the washer will stay in sensing mode.
- Wrong setting – Sometimes, a setting confusion forces the washer to stay in sensing mode. In such a case, a reset is necessary.
- A malfunctioning lid switch, inlet valve, sensor, or control board – If any of these components malfunctions, the chances are that the washer will stay in sensing mode.
Fix
Inspect the keypad and clean around it if it’s clogged to release it. Then reset the washer to fix any settings confusion. But since there is no dedicated Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Reset Button, you can reset your Maytag Bravos XL washing machine using any of these two techniques:
- Hard Reset – This requires you to plug out your washer for at least 5 minutes and then plug it back. If it doesn’t reset, plug it out for 30 minutes.
- Control Panel Reset – This requires pressing Power/Cancel and then picking a new cycle before pressing Start/Pause to complete the reset.
If the reset doesn’t work, consider calling an expert to check if there’s another issue stopping the washer from going past sensing mode.
8. Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Control Panel Not Working
If your Maytag Bravos XL washing machine control panel doesn’t work, it could be due to Control Lock. The safety lock could be active, thus disabling the control panel. If that’s not it, it could be that the door is open.
And if that’s not it, it could be that the control panel itself is faulty or perhaps the control board. The difference is that some buttons may be responsive when the control panel fails, but the control board could be defective if none are responsive.
Fix
Disable Control Lock if the safety function is active, and then try to close the washer’s lid. Remove any obstruction on the lid; if the lid doesn’t close, replace the lid switch.
What’s more, replace the control panel if some buttons are working, but if all the buttons are non-responsive, replace the main control board.
Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Error Codes – Troubleshooting
Overall, here are some of the commonest Maytag XL washer error codes for troubleshooting:
| Error Code | Meaning | Fix |
| Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Problems UL Error or ofb | Unbalanced load | Evenly redistribute the laundry and remove heavy items like blankets, rugs, and mats |
| F32/LD/drn | Slow drainage | Check the drain hose for kinking and clogging and unblock it |
| F70/OL | Laundry overload | Reduce the load size |
| Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Troubleshooting F5 Error Code | Open lid | Close the lid |
| F71/SD | Detected suds | Reduce the amount of detergent |
| PF | Power failure | Check the washer’s power supply |
| LOFL, LF or F8E1 | Prolonged water fill-up process fill | Unkink the water supply tube and fully open the water supply valve |
| CO | Slow spin | Improve the washer’s spin speed |
| ldr | The lid won’t lock | Clear any obstruction on the lid |
Closing Remark
Generally, with the above Maytag Bravos Xl Washer Troubleshooting guide, you can troubleshoot your Maytag Bravos XL washing machine when it doesn’t turn on, start, spin, drain, fill up, or move cycles. You can also troubleshoot it when it doesn’t go past sensing mode and when its control panel becomes non-responsive.