How do I tell whether my washer has a bad transmission or a bad electronic control pa
I have a GE Profile clothes washer that is about 8 years old. It used to go to a low speed spin before kicking into high speed. Now, it only goes directly into a high speed spin. When this began, it gave off a burning smell that alarmed my wife. It doesn't give off that odor when I run the "drain and spin" cycle, but it does always go directly into the high speed part of the spin cycle as soon as the washer knows it has drained all of the water out.
The control panel is out of warranty by 3 years. The transmission has a 10 year warranty, so I have 1.5 or 2 years left. A friend at work who does appliance repair on the side (but lives far away) says it could be either the electronic control panel (all push-button, no knobs), or possibly the transmission. He said that the control panel would be costly enough to warrant buying a new washer, and recommended getting one without an electronic control panel if I buy one.
I did unplug it for 1/2 hour or so in order to let the panel reset itself if that was an issue. It works on the GE Profile dryer we have when it acts strangely.
How can I tell where the problem is, whether it is the control panel or the transmission?
Also, if it's the transmission, what would the labor cost to replace this part? The part is covered under the 10 year warranty, but labor is not.
Can I replace it myself and get GE to provide the replacement part, or do they require certified repair people to do it under the warranty?
Thanks!!