Why does my washer's spin cycle activate only when set to the “super” size?

Question

I've inherited an old washer (GE WJSR2080). It works fine, except that the spin cycle only works when the washer load size is set to the higher settings. When set to the small setting, it sounds like it's trying to spin but cannot. My hunch is that this isn't an out-of-balance issue (the small loads I've tried seem well balanced), but I'm willing to accept that it could be related.

Any thoughts on what could cause this?

I'd obviously like to keep using this as long as possible so if there's something I can do to prolong the life of the machine, that would be great. Also, it'd be nice to not waste water.

Answer 1

Because you mentioned the load size switch, it sounds as if it has issues detecting the empty tub when set to a minimum change level (small load); this may indicate a blockage of some sort.

There is a thin 1/4 inch tube that runs from near the bottom of the tub up to the water level switch inside the console. Disconnect and blow the gunk out of that tube. You will need to get inside the console and the front of the machine must be removed to do this. Use a putty knife to the front, then unscrew the console.

If you had mentioned the speed switch making a difference, it would be the motor/transmission or something stuck slowing down the assembly.