"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
harryagain wrote:

I have a similar machine (Alko3500)
The reversing switch (adjacent to the on off switch) is a bit dodgy on
mine.
(Poor design)
I have had to fiddle with it a couple of times.

It might indeed be the switch, rather than the capacitor, but to
check this out, I still appear need access to the same area,
which is blocked by the security screw.

What precisely did your "fiddling" consist of?

Also there is an overload device that reverses the machine if it jams.
This
might cause your problem.

I know that, but that doesn't seem to be the problem.

If the capacitor was faulty, it wouldn't run at all, it would just hum.

At the moment, the symptoms are that sometimes it just hums, and
has been known to blow the fuse in this stall condition.
Sometimes it starts OK, sometimes it starts in the reverse
direction. The direction is no longer influenced by the reversing
switch.

Once running it is perfectly OK.



On most electric motors,the start circuit is switched out once the machine
is running.

There is a stupid sort of cam operating a micro switch for reversing.
The switch was OK but the cam was semi seized and bunged up with crap.
Clue was reversing switch was stiff and didn't rotate as far as normal
Cleaned up and WD40 fixed it. So far at least. But still feels a bit dodgy
when I turn it.
V.poor design I would say.
The cover on mine just has pozidrive head screws, no security screw(s).
It's about four years old.