How to diagnose a dishwasher
PirateNinja
Icrontian
I need help from any electrical people. One morning, my dishwasher stopped turning on. I checked the outlet, the outlet is good. My next thought was the latch sensor in the dishwasher, so I ordered the parts direct from Bosch and replaced the latch, latch sensor, and the cabling that hooks up to the circuit board. Sadly, none of that fixed it. So the problem could be anything from the power cord, other internal wiring, the circuit board (expensive 
) or a number of other things.
I think I need to go buy a multimeter and figure out where the juice stops flowing. I was wondering if anybody here has a suggestion because I feel like I'm taking shots in the dark.
I actually had a repair guy out for 30 minutes and he just told me to hire a Bosch specialist ($130/hr) but I'd have to wait until the end of the month. I'd rather fix it on my own first.
Comments
What's the model? Does it have a fuse?
I thought my dishwasher was broke for like a week once, then it turned out that the cleaning-last (or somebody) had turned Oct the emergency switch on the wall behind the kitchen counter (it looks like a light switch). In the ten years is lived in that house, of never turned that switch off, so it took some time to think to look at it.
@Signal I don't think it has a fuse, I'll take it apart and look at the front board later today. It's a Bosch 800 series, in use for about 2 years now.
Exact model, parts, and diagrams:
http://www.bosch-home.com/us/store/spareparts/24RecessedHandleDishwasher/SHE68T52UC/02
Oddly enough there are two circuit boards on this model and the one on the side would be a mini-nightmare to get at.
Did you have your dishwasher hooked up to the garbage disposal socket? :P
I'm assuming you checked if there was a GFCI circuit breaker in the outlet it's plugged into and you made sure it wasn't popped?
Yes, the outlet is good. It doesn't have GFCI which is odd because I thought modern code required all kitchen outlets have GFCI ..maybe because it is under the sink? Anyway, I can throw any other electronic thing in that plug and it works great.
Define "doesn't come on"
Does the display not come on at all (as in it appears the dishwasher is off) or does the cycle you select not start?
No power whatsoever, the display does not respond to me pressing the on/off button. It is in a permanent state of "off"
I would start by taking the circuit board back away from the surface buttons and seeing if you can identify a problem with the little push button or thin film contact that actually makes the "on/off button". See if the solder joint is broken or borked there.
Then try to trace that along the circuit board and see if you have juice to switch while the dishwasher is plugged in.
No. It's code in my area apparently that dishwashers have to have an emergency shut off switch in the room with them. Every place I've lived in Ohio has that, but not the places I've lived in Kentucky.
Physical button seems fine. I get small amounts of resistance on the board which to me indicates the circuit is alive. Tomorrow I'll test while plugged in. I get burned out on dishwasher troubleshooting quickly on Friday nights.
Call their technical support. Those guys will walk you through diagnosis really thoroughly.
next time get a good dishwasher
Does it look like this?
Then I'd say you probably have a case of Dishwasher
It was the junction box, the people who installed it two years ago didn't properly screw down the positive power line inside the jbox and it got so overheated over the last two years that the contact became lost and the wire hardened. So...replaced the jbox, cut off the bad power cable, and screwed it in proper. Screwed some wood in to the floor so that the feet could be made even to avoid long term shakiness because the dishwasher wasn't evenly set. Oh, and moved the jbox to under the sink instead of behind the dishwasher where it is impossible to get at. WTF Lowes. Poor guys aren't really trained to install appliances much I don't think.
I only got one installation ever done thru a big box store, the kitchen floor. And I'll tell you, the guys they sent were completely ace - but they were a subcontractor that I wish I'd been able to find directly. It woulda been cheaper and easier. They actually rewrote the store-generated cut plan for the linoleum because it was stupid - 2 seams when it could've been done in 1. They said something to the effect of "some guy in a cubicle with no flooring experience did this in 30 seconds" and fixed it on the spot.
Dropped by Lowes today to see if I could get store credit for my costs. Brought all evidence, pictures, frayed/burned wire where the connection was bad, old jbox.
They told me I installed it myself that way and that their installers don't connect the power on dishwashers. (Right, like any company would go "install a dishwasher" but not hook up the power for people). They wouldn't touch the wire and laughed at me as I was explaining it. I left shaking, I didn't even care about the money. Would have been fine just to be listened to.
Lesson learned: Lowes is almost as bad as Steam. Don't shop at Steam. Don't shop at Lowes.
Email corporate, get their lying asses sacked.
I don't want anybody to get fired. Dealing with people on low brain cell count enough, I know they would take it personally and likely continue a downward spiral in life. I'll cut my losses and just do shit myself in the future.
I'd be more concerned with being reimbursed. I don't think you have to mention anybody by name when speaking with corporate.
That is true but the money involved is inconsequential. It's not worth my time to bugger up corporate, it was worth (at least to start) a 10 minute visit to the store when I needed to buy some wasp spray anyway. It ended up being an insulting waste of time though. I don't go around in a suit with a clean shaved face and angry old white man look because that isn't me. I showed up in a hoodie and jeans with a box of parts and some receipts and they assumed I was some shit trying to scam them. Or maybe that main person I was "talking" to had a bad day and took it out on me. Regardless of the actualities, I can't be arsed to do more. You get wronged in life, it is what it is and it isn't anything personal. I'll just never have an appliance installed by Lowes again.
Simples.
Man @PirateNinja is throwing down some dad advice up in here.
I had a similar issue with Sears and a built in refrigerator. 5 days after the installation I had water running under the refrigerator on to the kitchen floor. The store, including the manager basically told me to bugger off. I called the corporate resolution line and got it fixed right and they refunded 25 percent of the entire refrigerator and install cost. As it was a 4,000 dollar bill I got a grand back. So I say it is always worth a phone call.
Who are you and what have you done with Ninja Dan?
100% agree that the initial issue wasn't worth going to corporate, as you stated, that's why you went to talk to the peeps at the store. If they would have just said, "We understand your concern Sir. Thank you for telling us and we will certainly look into the quality/safety of our installs in the future"
Even if it didn't result in any reimbursements, you would have walked out of there and went on with your life. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
The goal as I understand it was to just get what extra it cost you to past what you had originally paid for the device + install. If you still wanted that, you would have called them already.
Not buying stuff from them anymore because of a bad experience with a store worker? What? That's not Ninja Dan. That doesn't teach any lesson at all other than "bad shit happens, bend over and take it". Fuck that. I know you don't care about the money but you wouldn't have mentioned it if it didn't miff you a bit for whatever reason. Share your experience in their store. Don't accept idiocy. That at least lets them know they have dumb asses working in their store.
I just don't care about this stuff any longer. I've changed I guess? I could spend hours shitting and throwing a fit on social media, letter writing, public forums, and whatever. And at best I get my installation fee back. Honestly? CBA. Financially it's more in my favor to work, psychologically it's more in my favor to not care. The best I can do is spread the word that Lowes sucks on IC. Or at least that is all I care to do.
This sucks. I'm so fucking pissed reading all this BS and it's not even happening to me. If smartphone were like oldphones i would slam mine right down it's base.
I highly recommend a bottle of 18yr old single malt to fix things.
http://icrontic.com/discussion/35126/newegg-is-getting-too-big-for-their-britches-warning-rant-coming/p1