Are you tired of standing in front of your Bosch dishwasher, waiting for it to start, only to find out that something is wrong? Is the idea of fixing the dishwasher daunting and stressing you out?
Don’t panic just yet, because, in this comprehensive article, we will be providing you with the instructions needed when troubleshooting your Bosch dishwasher’s starting problems.
We will discuss the common causes for the starting issues and include respective solutions for each one of them.
Each guide that we’ll be listing down in this article will be fairly straightforward and simple enough to follow. The troubleshooting and problem-solving can be mostly done by yourself, although some may require professional help if you encounter any difficulty.
Why Your Bosch Dishwasher Won’t Start
A Bosch dishwasher will fail to start a cycle if it is powered off, has an inadequate water supply, incorrectly latched doors, and has faulty cycle settings.
It is also possible that there may be some parts inside the dishwasher that are broken and worn out, causing its inability to start.
How do I fix my Bosch dishwasher’s starting problem?
Checking for the simple causes of the Bosch dishwasher’s failure to start wash cycles should be done first. Since causes such as being powered off, inadequate water supply, incorrectly latch doors, and faulty cycle settings are easier to manage than broken parts.
However, if you do find that everything seems normal but the dishwasher still fails to start, then you should now proceed to check and troubleshoot the dishwasher’s different parts like the thermal fuse and control board for any defects to replace them.
We will be listing each of the causes and their corresponding solutions in the table provided below:
| Causes | Solution |
| Powered-Off Dishwasher | • Turn on the dishwasher by pressing the Power button located on its control panel. This will allow you to cycle through different timers to get the appliance started with its wash cycle. |
| Inadequate Water Supply | • The dishwasher cannot start a cycle if it does not have an adequate water supply. Check its water source to make sure it is providing sufficient water to allow the appliance to function. • Check if the waterline hose and the water inlet valve are in good condition. If they aren’t, then they need to be replaced for water to be supplied to the dishwasher. • Don’t hesitate to call for professional help if the process to replace the waterline hose and/or water inlet valve proves to be tedious. |
| Incorrectly Latched Dishwasher Door | • Make sure that the dishwasher’s door is securely closed and latched. The appliance will not start a cycle if the doors are detected to be open. • If you close the door but it cannot latch properly no matter what you try, then the dishwasher’s door latch is defective. • Access and replace the door latch with a new one. The latch can be located inside the control panel’s housing. • Remember to call for professional help if the process becomes too tedious for you to do. |
| Incorrect Dishwasher Cycle Settings | • Some settings in the dishwasher may prevent a wash cycle from starting. Check if the appliance is set to Child Lock mode or has been set to a delayed start. |
| Faulty Thermal Fuse | • Access and replace the thermal fuse of the dishwasher if found to be defective via a continuity test. The fuse is usually mounted on the control board’s housing. • If you start feeling overwhelmed while trying to replace the thermal fuse, feel free to call in a professional to help you. |
| Malfunctioning Control Board | • Replace the dishwasher’s control board with a new one. The control board’s electronics should be located inside the housing behind the dishwasher’s door panel. • Call for professional help if you feel any difficulty in dealing with the electronics of the control board. |
| Quick Note: • Some of the repairs for the broken parts (namely the thermal fuse, timer, and control board) are highly difficult, to begin with. Do not hesitate to call a professional to assist you in troubleshooting and replacing these parts. • Furthermore, if you need to replace any of the Bosch dishwasher’s parts and components, you can identify the correct replacement by referring to your appliance’s model and serial number. This helps avoid further issues such as parts being mismatched. |
Powered-Off Dishwasher
It should be common knowledge that the Bosch dishwasher will not start to function if it’s powered off. The appliance runs on electricity and will need ample power to make use of its features and complete its designated tasks.
Solution: Power on the dishwasher by pressing the Power button on the control panel. This should allow you to activate the appliance and put it on standby, awaiting the necessary inputs to start a wash cycle.
| Quick Note: • A Bosch dishwasher requires a prescribed amount of voltage for it to power on. Make sure that the appliance is plugged into an outlet supplying it with an AC voltage between 220 V to 240 V. • You can also double-check if the circuit breaker box in your household tripped any of the breakers supplying the dishwasher with power, and if so, reset the power for the appliance to receive electricity. |
Inadequate Water Supply
Your Bosch dishwasher cannot start a wash cycle if it detects an inadequate water supply. The appliance can be powered on but it will not fill with water to function if this is the case.
It is also important to check the dishwasher’s waterline hose and water inlet valve. These two parts allow water to properly flow into the appliance, so any sort of defect on them will cause the dishwasher to have an inadequate water supply.
Solution: Make sure that the water valve of your home’s water supply is turned on to allow water to flow freely into the dishwasher. It is also advised to inspect the waterline hose and water inlet valve of the dishwasher for any damage and defects.
If you find any sharp bends or defects on the waterline hose of the dishwasher, replace it immediately.
Here are the instructions to replace the waterline hose:
- Step 1: Power off the dishwasher and disconnect it from its power supply.
- Step 2: Turn off the water valve of the source supplying water to the dishwasher to avoid any leaks.
- Step 3: The dishwasher should have a panel located at the very bottom of the appliance. Remove the panel’s screws with a screwdriver set to have partial access to the bottom housing.
- Step 4: Open the dishwasher’s door and remove the screws securing the outer door panel. Close the door and then carefully pull down the outer door panel to remove it.
- Step 5: The waterline hose should be accessible somewhere in the bottom housing. Use a wrench to disconnect both ends of the old waterline hose from the water supply and dishwasher.
- Step 6: Connect the new hose to the water supply and dishwasher.
- Step 7: Make sure that the new waterline hose is intact with the water supply line and the dishwasher to avoid possible water leaks.
- Step 8: Return and secure the dishwasher’s outer door panel and bottom panel in their respective places to finish up the repairs.
On the other hand, if you discover that the dishwasher’s water inlet valve is faulty and remains closed no matter what you do, then it needs replacement.
Here are the instructions to replace the water inlet valve:
- Step 1: Power off the dishwasher and unplug it.
- Step 2: Turn off the water valve to prevent water from flowing into the dishwasher.
- Step 3: The dishwasher has a panel located at the very bottom of the appliance. Remove the panel’s screws with a screwdriver set to have partial access to the bottom housing.
- Step 4: Open the dishwasher’s door and remove the screws securing the outer door panel. Close the door and then gently pull the panel downwards to remove it.
- Step 5: The water inlet valve should be located at the bottom housing with the waterline hose connected to it. Disconnect the waterline house from the inlet valve using a wrench.
- Step 6: Remove the inlet valve’s brass elbow and set it aside.
- Step 7: Uninstall the inlet valve’s mounting screws and then disconnect its wire harness.
- Step 8: Use pliers to free the inlet valve from the dishwasher’s inner tube.
- Step 9: Install the new inlet valve by connecting it to the dishwasher’s inner tube and connecting its wire harness.
- Step 10: Install the inlet valve’s mounting screws to firmly secure it back into place inside the bottom housing.
- Step 11: Install the brass elbow into the new inlet valve.
- Step 12: Connect and tightly secure the waterline hose to the new inlet valve.
- Step 13: Reattach both the outer door panel and bottom panel back into their respective places to close up and finish the repairs.
If you have any trouble performing the repairs of the waterline hose and/or water inlet valve, call in professional help to assist you.
Incorrectly Latched Dishwasher Door
Your Bosch dishwasher will not start and perform any of its functions if its door is not latched and is detected to be open. This is the case for the appliance to prevent any mess and accidents that may come from its operations.
Furthermore, there is also a possibility that the dishwasher’s door latch has become defective which becomes the reason why the appliance cannot detect the doors to be closed at all.
Solution: Remember to shut and latch the dishwasher’s door tightly and properly. Make sure that there is nothing obstructing the door’s pathway and that it always closes all the way.
The appliance will not start a wash cycle if the door is not latched.
It is also worth mentioning that the only time the dishwasher’s door opens on its own is if a feature called AutoAir® is activated, wherein the door opens automatically after a wash cycle. Otherwise, the door should stay closed as long as you close it properly.
If you attempt to close the door but it does not latch properly no matter what you try, then the dishwasher’s door latch is defective and needs to be replaced.
Here are the instructions to successfully replace the dishwasher’s door latch:
- Step 1: Power off the dishwasher and unplug it.
- Step 2: Open the dishwasher’s door and remove the screws securing the outer door panel. Close the door and then carefully pull the panel downwards to remove it.
- Step 3: Remove the screws of the inner door panel securing the control panel and then gently set it aside.
- Step 4: The door latch is located in the middle section of the control panel’s housing. Detach its wire harness and then use a flathead screwdriver to remove the mounting tabs holding it to free it from its place.
- Step 5: Install the new door latch by snapping it into its place within the control panel and then connect the wire harness to it.
- Step 6: Carefully put the screws of the control panel back to secure it onto the dishwasher’s door.
- Step 7: Take the outer door panel and attach it to the dishwasher’s door to finish the repairs.
If replacing the dishwasher’s door latch proves to be troublesome for you, then you should call a professional to help with the repairs.
Incorrect Dishwasher Cycle Settings
Some settings on your Bosch dishwasher can interfere with starting a new wash cycle, and these two are the Child Lock mode and Delay Start.
The dishwasher’s Child Lock mode is designed to make the dishwasher unresponsive and unable to start any wash cycles. It was designed this way to prevent children from tampering with the appliance’s settings.
On the other hand, Delay Start is aimed to start a wash cycle but with a timed delay on it. The setting can be easily overlooked, especially if it was enabled from previous uses of the dishwasher.
Solution: Simply disable/cancel Child Lock mode and Delay Start through the dishwasher’s control panel.
Here are the instructions to disable/cancel Child Lock mode:
- Step 1: Locate the Child Lock button on the dishwasher’s control panel. The button should be a padlock or key icon on most models and is lit up if the mode is active.
- Step 2: Press and hold down the button for 3 to 5 seconds to deactivate the mode. The dishwasher will make an audible beep and the button shouldn’t be lit up anymore.
Here are the instructions to disable/cancel Delay Start:
- Step 1: Locate the Delay button on the dishwasher’s control panel. The button should be lit up if the appliance is currently using this function.
- Step 2: To cancel Delay Start, press and hold the Start button for approximately 5 seconds to cancel any cycle you attempted to start with delay.
Faulty Thermal Fuse
The Bosch dishwasher’s thermal fuse is a necessary safety device inside the appliance which disconnects the power in the control panel if there is a risk of short-circuiting.
This will prevent the dishwasher from using any of its functions, including starting a wash cycle.
Moreover, the thermal fuse can blow and trip itself if one of the dishwasher’s major components overheats. If this happens, the fuse needs to be replaced to allow the dishwasher to function again.
Solution: Perform a continuity test on the thermal fuse to verify if it is faulty and needs replacement. The thermal fuse needs to be replaced immediately if it fails the continuity test.
Here are the instructions to perform the continuity test on the Bosch dishwasher’s thermal fuse:
- Step 1: Power off and disconnect your Bosch dishwasher from its power supply.
- Step 2: Open the dishwasher’s door and remove the screws securing the outer door panel. Close the door and then carefully pull the panel downwards to remove it.
- Step 3: Remove the screws securing the control panel and then gently hold it. The thermal fuse should be inside the control panel’s housing.
- Step 4: Disconnect the thermal fuse from its wiring and electronics. Use a screwdriver to remove it from its place.
- Step 5: Use a multimeter to perform a continuity test on the thermal fuse. Touch one of the multimeter’s probes on one end and the other probe on the opposite end.
If the multimeter’s needle moves and/or reads 0 ohms of resistance, then the thermal fuse still has continuity and should work as intended.
On the other hand, if the multimeter’s needle does not move and/or does not have any significant change in its readings, then the thermal fuse has no continuity and is deemed to be faulty.
Here are the instructions to replace the thermal fuse of the dishwasher if it failed the continuity test:
- Step 1: Acquire a new thermal fuse for the dishwasher.
- Step 2: Screw the new thermal fuse into place and reconnect its wiring and electronics to the control panel’s housing.
- Step 3: Return the control panel and put all the screws back into their respective place on the dishwasher’s door.
- Step 4: Reattach the outer door panel and its screws to the dishwasher’s door to finish up the repairs.
Feel free to call a professional to help you with the troubleshooting and replacement of the thermal fuse if you find any difficulty doing the process by yourself.
Malfunctioning Control Board
The Bosch dishwasher’s control board is responsible for allowing the appliance to receive proper inputs in order to function. You cannot even begin to turn on the dishwasher if the control board is malfunctioning, all the more start a wash cycle.
A malfunctioning control board can be easily identifiable if you start noticing a delay in inputting commands and settings for the dishwasher and/or if the appliance is often unresponsive to button presses.
Solution: Replace the dishwasher’s control board with a new one.
- Step 1: Power off the dishwasher and unplug it.
- Step 2: Open the dishwasher’s door and remove the screws holding the outer door panel. Close the door securely and then carefully pull the panel downwards to remove it.
- Step 3: Remove the screws securing the control panel and then gently pull it off the door. The control board should be the larger set of electronics within the control panel’s housing.
- Step 4: Disconnect the wiring and electronics of the control board. Remember to take note of the order of the wires and electronics when doing this step.
- Step 5: Use a flathead screwdriver to release the mounting tabs and free the control board from its place.
- Step 6: Align the new control board and snap it into place inside the control panel’s housing.
- Step 7: Connect all of the wiring and electronics to the new control board.
- Step 8: Reposition the control panel and return all its screws back into place on the dishwasher’s door.
- Step 9: Reattach the outer door panel and its screws to the dishwasher’s door to finish up the repairs for the control board.
If you have trouble accessing the control board and/or replacing it, don’t panic and call a professional to help you complete the repairs.
You should now be able to deal with your Bosch dishwasher whenever it fails to start its wash cycles. Any form of troubleshooting and problem-solving needed to get the appliance to start again won’t be a hassle to you anymore.
