alt Hacker NewsSure it's clever. But it also means you can't repair the appliance without the manufacturer's server to decode it for you.
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thesuitonym • last Tuesday at 5:28 PM
It doesn't require a server, it just requires knowing what the codes mean, same as blinking lights.
Decoding it without help would be difficult for the average consumer, but it's not an impossible task.
Owner of an LG washer that failed here.
All the same diagnostics you can do at the machine, the phone home service allowed a remote engineer to diagnose as well. Things like drum rpm, tilt/knock sensors, uneven balance detection. Instead of paying a human $250 to come out and press buttons, they can do it remotely.
I understand in the pessimistic age of John Deere, all remote diagnostics are bad, but that is not the case here. I was able to do all of the diagnosis myself to determine it was a bad stator and then replace it myself.