Pause the cycle, open the lid, pour some in from a bucket or gallon jug or whatever-have-you. If you add too much more, the machine will think it's having a flood-condition and trigger a drain period and/or a fault code.

Dadoes, have you heard of a software tweak that a technician can do to increase the water level? It was mentioned on this site. I called for a technician to service the machine but asked him if he was aware of this software upgrade. He wasn't so I canceled the *repair*. Am going to call Whirlpool's ts but wanted to see if anyone else knows about this. My clothes are coming out more wrinkled and sometimes where wrinkles are, you can find lint that's been trapped on the clothes. In addition, stains aren't being removed as well as in the KA topload (non-HE)
Monica

I guess that's not the right term for what I'm trying to ask. I really don't want to go to the kitchen and fill a pail of water to add to the machine. I was hoping there would be an option on the washer to "add water" :)

I don't care who ya are, that's just not enough water to get clothes clean and rinsed! This is a Heavy Duty/Hot Water/High Speed/Pre-Soak load. Look at the water level.

Go ahead and let the tech take a look at the machine. Just because it isn't flashing error codes or making absurd noises doesn't mean it's working properly. My aunt has the oasis and on a heavy duty the water does show a little past the clothes. Not a whole lot, but you can see it...and not just soaked up by clothes.

All the people complaining about insufficient water in the Cabrio/Oasis and other such HE toploaders ... are your clothes *really* coming out of the machines still dirty ... or are you *assuming* they're not clean just because of the visual of the low water levels you're seeing? Have any of you thought about simply using the machine for a few weeks without trying to micromanage it, letting it run as designed and see what is the effect on your clothes?

I've been using a Neptune TL for 4 months, which runs with a water level similar to what I see in monicakm's Cabrio pic ... if not even less. I use a proper dose of HE detergent (usually Tide powder). My clothes are not left dirty, smelly, or sudsy. The Neppy TL doesn't handle *small* loads very well due physical aspects of the machine's design, but a proper-sized load washes quite well.

Jeans tumbling in Neptune TL. Sorry for the low-quality video. Try adjusting the brightness/contrast controls on your media player.

I bought the Whirlpool Cabrio washer and dryer in july of 2007 and i absoultely DESPISE it! NEVER had a washer and dryer before that you had to vacuum out every time you use it because the hair or grass or whatever was on your clothes stays in the bottom of both. Not to mention the MESS all over the top of the dryer when you clean the lint trap. Your clothes come out of the dryer a wrinkled mess even if you use a lower spin speed. Biggest waste of $2000 bucks i've ever spent. HATE IT and wish it would blow up! These things are a JOKE!

sugarshack, your post proves my thought that Cabrio and Bravos are not one and the same as many people assume. I have a Maytag Bravos 6700 washer, and I've never had any of the problems you mentioned. You have my sympathy.

Comparing water levels between the HE 6400 and th non-HE 6200. And this is on "auto" water level setting. I don't know, maybe it's me, but just seems like a no brainer that it takes water to clean and rinse clothes.

lemme tell ya folks...i've been washing clothes for 40+ years and have owned a number of machines. i'm sure some know-it-all will find a way to debunk what I'm about to say, but he facts are what they are!!! I bought this 'bout a year ago because it didn't have a center agitator and i though it wud be big enuf to wash comforters. well...if i'd paid $1000 for it like they wanted i'd be one pi____-off customer...luckily i got it as a scratch/dent for about $300 and the local water co gave me a $150.00 cash "conservation" rebate...anyway, this machine is one pile of junk!...what was whirlpool thinkin??? i'm pitchin' it, buying a regular center agitator model and it WON'T be a whirlpool...every complaint is valid...i have had to add water to every load that isn't set to "bulky" - that's the trick, by the way, to get a decent water level...i consider myslef a fairly bright indvidual and even with HE detergent, IT LEAVES DETERGENT IN THE CLOTHES!!! no matter what brand/amout I use...i have to use second rinse...always!!...and, their idea of "warm" is barely above cold...really, what was whirlpool thinking???...it is completely uncontrollable...it sets the water levels/tempeature to what IT wants, not what you want...and there is no override...it always turnes the clothes into a chinese puzzel and wraps the around themselves so i have to unravel them before i put them in the dryer...always...what was whirlpool thinking???

@ purkee1, you just may be lucky, it wont last 15 years. But by then, the government will have us washing clothes with a cup of water. If you can afford to, ditch it and get one that will actually use water. Even with the current restrictions, there are some out there and are lots cheaper than the he toploaders.