What 160 Means
Fault 160 means the bowl re-engaged itself during agitate - the clutch reconnected the basket to the drive when it should have been held still. F&P's checks cover foreign objects under the agitator skirt, dirt and lint on the clutch teeth, overloading, a leaking air bell at the basket bottom, and the drain hose position.
Common Causes of 160
- A foreign object caught under the agitator skirt
- Lint and detergent residue built up on the clutch teeth
- An overloaded basket, or a leaking air bell at the basket bottom
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Unplug the machine, lift the load out, and look under the agitator skirt for anything wrapped or wedged there. Then check you are not routinely filling the drum past its rated load, since overloading is on F&P's own list.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Unplug the washer before anything is retrieved from under the agitator, since the drive sits immediately below it.
- Cleaning clutch teeth properly means getting to them, and forcing the agitator off its spline is how the spline gets damaged.
- An air bell leak is a water-side problem producing a mechanical sign, so treating it as a clutch problem leads to the wrong repair.
- Repeated cycles with the basket engaging during agitate wear the clutch surfaces that would otherwise have lasted.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.