The short answer
Most new noise on MAR models is the machine walking, an object loose in the drum or in the pump, or a load that has gathered on one side. All three are owner-findable, and all three come before the tub bearing that the generic article puts first.
What you observe
- Loud only during the spin — Balance, footing or something loose. The spin is the only part of the cycle with enough energy to make the rest audible.
- The machine moves across the floor — On a light chassis this is the normal consequence of a foot not carrying weight.
- A squeal that rises with drum speed — A belt or a bearing, where the model uses a belt.
- A rhythmic thump at low speed — A load gathered on one side. It is the machine telling you it could not redistribute, not that a part has failed.
Causes, most likely first
- The machine out of level or standing on a floor that gives — First on this family. A light chassis has nothing to damp a spin that is even slightly out of true, so one foot off the floor turns an ordinary load into a machine that walks and drums.
- Transit or shipping restraints still fitted, or feet not set — A genuine cause on a platform light enough to be moved and re-sited by the owner. A machine that has never been quiet since it was installed is usually this rather than a fault.
- A load gathered on one side — Second. A small drum concentrates an unbalanced load far more than a large one, so a single heavy item or a sheet that has wrapped will produce a thump the whole house hears without anything being wrong with the machine.
- Debris at the drain pump impeller — The pump sits low and takes everything the drum lets go. A hair pin or a fragment of a garment against the impeller gives a grind or a buzz only while the machine is draining.
Check in this order
- Turn the drum by hand, slowly, listening for a scrape — Finds a foreign object between drum and tub without any tool, and it should be done before running anything else.
- Check every foot is carrying weight, with a level across the top — Second because it is free and because it is the leading cause on this family.
- Confirm any transit restraint has been removed and stored — Last of the free checks, and the first one worth doing on a machine that has never been quiet.
- Open the pump filter or access flap and look at what is in it — Worth doing while the machine is off anyway, because debris here explains a noise heard only during draining.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A compact washer full of wet laundry is much heavier than an empty one - drain and empty it before moving it, and keep it upright.
Models in the MAR family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. With one model in the family, what you find on it is simply what the platform does.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| MAR30-0301P/01M-US | black-decker:washer:mar |
When to call
The line on this family is the cabinet panel. Levelling, emptying, turning the drum by hand, clearing the pump filter and reseating trim are all yours and need no tool.
Other faults on this family
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Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
