What is actually happening
This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
The Willow fault codes that point at this
A Willow washing machine will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to drum not turning:
- E01 — The machine can't confirm the door is locked, so it won't start filling or washing.
- E02 — The machine isn't getting enough water in, so it has stopped and shown E02.
- E03 — The machine can't get the water out of the drum, so it has stopped and flagged a drain pump fault.
- E04 — The machine thinks it has taken in more water than it should, so it has stopped the programme and gone into a protective drain.
- E06 — The machine has lost the signal that tells it how fast the drum is turning, so it has stopped rather than spin blind.
- E07 — The washing machine's control board has lost or mismatched its settings — it no longer knows which model it is supposed to be running as.
- E08 — The control board can't drive the drum motor properly, so the machine stops rather than carry on.
- E09 — The machine has stopped because the mains voltage reaching it is outside the range it will run on.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a Willow washing machine
- A snapped or dislodged drive belt
- Worn motor carbon brushes, leaving too little power to turn a loaded drum
- A seized drum bearing
- A failed motor or motor control board on direct-drive machines
- An item jammed between the inner and outer drum
What you can safely check yourself
- Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings
- Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement
- Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge
Still drum not turning?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on Willow machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my Willow washing machine drum not turning?
The machine fills and the cycle runs, but the drum never rotates. This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
Can I fix a Willow washing machine drum not turning myself?
Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings. Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement. Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What Willow error codes mean drum not turning?
Willow washing machines report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at drum not turning are E01, E02, E03, E04, E06, E07. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a Willow washing machine repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Other Willow washing machine faults
- washing machine not draining
- washing machine not spinning
- washing machine leaking water
- washing machine making a loud noise
- washing machine not heating the water
- washing machine door will not open