The short answer
When a MAS washer makes a new noise, establish whether it happens on fill, on wash or on spin. Those three moments belong to different parts of the machine and telling them apart costs nothing, which is why it comes before any other check on this family.
What you observe
- 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.
- 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.
- A buzz or whine only while water leaves — The drain pump under load. A change in its note usually means something has reached the impeller.
- The machine moves across the floor — On a light chassis this is the normal consequence of a foot not carrying weight.
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.
- 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.
- A worn belt or drive component — On models that use a belt, wear gives a squeal that rises with drum speed and a smell of hot rubber if it is slipping. It is the first cause on this list that needs a panel off.
- Loose panels, lid, hoses or trim — Anything not fastened will chatter once the spin starts. It is worth a hand over the cabinet, because it explains a real share of noise complaints on a light shell.
Check in this order
- Press on each panel and the lid while it runs — A noise that changes under a hand is trim rather than mechanism, and no further diagnosis is needed.
- 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.
- Note which part of the cycle is noisy - fill, wash, drain or spin — Each belongs to a different part of the machine, so this one observation removes most of the list before you touch anything.
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. Turn the water off at the taps before pulling the machine out, and be ready for the drain hose to give up what is still in it.
Models in the MAS family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. This family spans more than one stem, and the stem is worth confirming in the table before any part is ordered.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| MAS120-2006PS/01M-US-S1 | black-decker:washer:mas |
| MAS70-1106PS/01M-US | black-decker:washer:mas |
| MAS80-506PS/01M-US | black-decker:washer:mas |
When to call
Call when the machine is level, the drum is clear, the pump filter is clean and it is still noisy in the same way. At that point the cause is a belt, a bearing or a drive component, and all of them sit behind a panel.
Other faults on 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.
