The short answer
Expect worn drum glides at the front first. Most dryer noise comes from parts that are designed to wear and are cheap to replace, and the checks below identify which one without taking the machine apart.
What the dryer is actually doing
- A rhythmic thumping that matches the drum turning — Something on the drum's rotation: a worn roller, a flat spot on one, or a heavy item balled up inside.
- Vibration that shakes the machine beside it — Usually levelling or a machine standing against a wall rather than a fault inside.
- A squeal that rises as the machine warms up — Classic belt or idler-pulley noise; it often fades as things expand and then returns cold.
- NEAR MISS — the noise is the water inlet or the washer beside it — Stacked and side-by-side machines share a floor. Run each alone before deciding which one is making the sound.
Causes, most likely first on a l2 dryer
- Worn drum glides at the front — The drum turns on small support rollers, and those rollers are a designed wear item. As they wear they go out of round, and the drum then thumps once per revolution — the most recognisable dryer noise there is. Ranked ahead of the rest since it is both the likeliest and the only one that can be settled before anything is taken apart. The platform behind a smaller badge is usually a common contract build, so the causes that lead here are the generic ones that class is known for.
- Drive belt worn, or the idler pulley squealing — It sits here because it is a genuine wear item, it is inexpensive, and because the same belt that squeals today breaks later — at which point the drum stops turning altogether. It takes second place because the check is quick and because leaving it unchecked makes everything below it harder to read.
- Feet that have dropped, leaving the machine rocking — It is on the list because it is free to correct, because it is very often the answer after a machine has been moved, and because nothing inside the appliance has failed. It belongs at this point because by now the field has narrowed and the remaining checks cost more time.
- Blower wheel obstructed or loose on its shaft — The blower pulls air through the drum and pushes it out of the duct. Anything drawn past the filter — a sock, a coin, a mat of lint — reaches that wheel and produces a rattle or a ticking in time with the motor rather than the drum. Last, and the reason the order matters: it is the least likely of the four, and the three above are quicker to settle.
The order that finds it fastest
- Note whether the noise tracks the drum speed rather than the motor speed — A thump once per drum revolution is the roller signature. Start at this check: it is the one most likely to end the job on its own.
- Note whether the squeal is loudest at the start of a cycle — Cold squealing that fades as the machine warms is the idler bearing rather than the drum. Next, because it takes the same few minutes and covers the other likely half.
- Check nothing touches the machine at the back or the sides — Including the duct: a rigid duct hard against a wall transmits vibration as well as air. Third, and the last thing worth doing before the phone comes out.
What to do, step by step
- With the power off, turn the drum slowly by hand through several full turns — Listen and feel; the point where it catches tells you which part is worn.
About 15 min
- Stop using the machine if the noise becomes a grind — A belt about to break is better replaced before it takes the drum with it.
About 5 min
- Adjust the feet until all four take weight and the machine does not rock — Check with a level across the top as well as by hand.
Tools: spirit level, adjustable spannerAbout 25 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is the line between an owner check and a service call, and it is not a line worth crossing for a fault that is already narrowed to two causes.
Read this before you start
Safety
Before anything is opened, switch the breaker off and let the machine cool: the drum, the duct and the cabinet all hold heat for a long time after a cycle. Wear a glove when clearing lint from a hot air path.
When to stop and call
This becomes a service call at the point where the front or rear panel has to come off. Everything above that line is listening, levelling and emptying, and it resolves a good share of noise complaints without a part.
Other pages for this dryer
What this page does not cover
A note on scope: this page treats l2 dryers as one class. A page written for your specific family or model line will carry what this one deliberately leaves out — component locations, fastener sizes and the disassembly order — and it takes precedence over this page for your unit.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
