Do-It-Yourself Story

I bought my washer used. From the start, it would throw the UE code occasionally, indicating an unbalanced load. Over time, the error occurred more frequently. The ball sensor is frequently suggested as the cause, but a sensor typically fails completely rather than degrading over time. I disassembled the washer and disconnected one end of each shock absorber. Exercising them manually, it was apparent that one had failed, since it exhibited minimal resistance to motion. Since the shock absorbers are inexpensive, I replaced all three. Also, just to be sure, I spent another $35 and replaced the ball sensor since I had the whole thing apart.