How do I repair a leaky kenmore washing machine?

DON'T try to look into a running dishwasher! You can't see the leak this way, and you'll get a bath besides!
If you remove the foot panel at the bottom front of the machine, you can look underneath with a flashlight while it's running and see where the leak is coming from. There are two major seals around the motor- the shaft seal and the tub seal. The tub seal will drip down around the motor (but not down the shaft) whenever the tub is filled; the shaft seal will leak down onto the slinger( a round plastic disk on the motor shaft which will 'sling' water off its edges when the pump runs)
Other places to check are the drain hose and the fill valve & supply hose. All of these can be fixed with the washer in its installed position- you don't have to pull it out from under the counter. Before you put your hands in under the washer, be sure the electric supply is disconnected; all wet and live current don't mix well! There's a good d.i.y. repair manual available at repairclinic.com that describes all of this.

Phil
October 2005

Hi,

The only way to tell where the leak is is you have to open the cabinet up and look inside while the washer running. The pump and the centerpost seal are common troublemakers with this washer.

JP
May 2005