The short answer for these models
The pump is the last suspect, not the first. A hose kinked behind the cabinet, an end pushed too far into a standpipe, or a filter full of lint and coins will defeat a perfectly healthy pump and produce exactly this symptom. What changes on the MAR models is the sequence rather than the diagnosis. A twin-tub keeps its wash and spin functions on separate motors and separate timers, so half the machine can fail while the other half works perfectly and hides it, which is why the function-by-function checks belong at the top of the list here.
How this shows up
- How your MAR unit is built — the check that comes before the list — Count the baskets. Two means wash and spin are independent and one can fail alone; one means a single fault stops everything.
- The pump runs loudly but nothing leaves — You can hear it working, so the motor is alive; something between it and the drain is not letting water past.
- The spin will not start, or stops early — Most machines refuse to spin a full tub. A drainage fault shows up as a spin fault long before anyone opens the filter.
- A smell of stale water between washes — Standing water in the filter housing or a sagging hose. It is the same blockage, noticed by nose instead of eye.
- NEAR MISS — it never filled in the first place — Then nothing failed to drain. Look at the supply side and at the page about a machine that will not start its cycle.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- An object caught between the tub and the drum — A coin or an underwire that has escaped the drum can sit in the outlet and pass water slowly while blocking a full pump-out. On a MAR unit this rises to the top of the order, because the identification step above changes what it proves — so the function-by-function checks answer more in five minutes than the rest of the list answers in an hour.
- The drain pump or its control — It is reached by exclusion: filter clear, hose right, plumbing clear, and still nothing leaves.
Check in this order, and why
- First — look at the hose before you open anything — The hose is free to check, visible from outside, and the cause people assume cannot be it. On these models this is the step the construction changes: what you found at the step above decides how much weight to give what you find here.
- Second — test the plumbing it drains into — Run the sink or pour a bucket into the standpipe. Slow drainage there means the fault is the house, not the washer.
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. Expect the filter housing to be full: put towels and a shallow tray down before you open it, because a tub of water will come out and a wet floor in front of a heavy machine is a hazard. Never reach into a drum that is still turning.
Where the owner job ends
Book a visit once the filter is clean, the drain hose is clear and at the right height, and the machine still will not empty. Book sooner if the pump is silent during the drain phase, because a pump that makes no sound at all is not a blockage.
The other symptoms covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
