Tools or parts needed
Make sure power's on
Hi, this is Wayne here from Sears PartsDirect. Today we're going to talk about fixing a dishwasher that has no power. First, we'll try a simple solution. Many dishwashers have a switch, often next to the garbage disposal switch, which you must turn on for the dishwasher to get power. Turn this switch on if it's off. Flipping a little switch beside your sink might just fix what you thought was a dead dishwasher.
Next, check the house circuit breaker. Because you often can't tell whether the breaker has tripped, reset the breaker for the dishwasher by shutting it off and turning it back on. Check the dishwasher now to see if it powers up.
Next, we’ll check the power source. Some dishwashers have a power cord that plugs into an electrical outlet under the sink, while other dishwasher power cords are wired directly from the wall to the wires in the dishwasher's junction box. If your dishwasher power cord plugs into an electrical outlet, make sure the power cord is plugged in. If the power cord is plugged in, it’s possible the electrical outlet doesn’t work. Check the electrical outlet for power by plugging in a small lamp. If it doesn't light up, have an electrician repair the bad outlet.
If your power cord doesn't plug into an electrical outlet, then it’s hardwired into the junction box. Check the power cord connections in the junction box. Shut off the house circuit breaker for the dishwasher to disconnect electrical power—you don’t want electricity flowing to the junction box. After you shut off the power, remove the bottom front access panel and toe panel. Remove the mounting screws from each side and then pull off the panels. Next, remove the screw from the junction box cover and pull off the cover. Check the black wire connection and the white wire connection. Reconnect any loose or disconnected wires. Reinstall the junction box cover and then reinstall the bottom front access panel and toe panel. Restore electrical power to the dishwasher and see if it works.
Check user interface control wire harness
If the dishwasher still isn’t getting power, check the user interface control wire harness. The control panel won't light up if the wire harness is disconnected. Shut off power to the dishwasher. Open the dishwasher door and remove the Torx screws from the outer edges of the inner door panel. So the outer door panel doesn’t fall off, support it with one hand as you remove the final screws. Separate the outer door panel and the control panel and rest the outer panel on the floor. If the user interface control wire harness is unplugged, reconnect it. Reassemble the dishwasher and restore power.
Replace user interface, electronic control boards
If the dishwasher still doesn't power up, then a defective user interface control, a failed electronic control board or a broken wire could be preventing the dishwasher from starting. Have a Sears service technician examine and repair the dishwasher. Additional diagnosis requires live voltage checks, which only should be performed by someone with the proper training.
Once you know the diagnosis, here are some links to videos to show you how to repair your dishwasher. If the electronic control board is defective, here's a video that shows you how to replace it. If the user interface control is the problem, replace it using the steps in this video.
I hope this video helped you out. You can find links to the parts we talked about in the video description. Check out our other repair videos here on the Sears PartsDirect YouTube channel. Subscribe and we’ll let you know when we post new ones.
