Help! Dishwasher not working! (Miele 2120)

[powersuitrecall]

I woke up early this morning to the sound of our dishwasher making a "chug, chug, chug" sound at regular .5 second intervals.  We had put it on the night before so it had being going on like this for the better part of the night.  It appeared to be the recirculation pump making the sound.  There was a normal amount of water at the bottom and the dishes are clean, so I believe the wash cycle had completed.

The on/off switch on the face of the dishwasher did not stop the "chugging", so I powered off the dishwasher at the electrical panel.  I then removed the easy stuff ...

Model: Miele G2120 (Inspira).

The front of the d/w looks like this:


Here is a shot of the interior floor:


Here's a shot of the floor without the filter basket and non-return valve / impeller cover:


The impeller was not jammed and could move freely by hand.

I put everything back together and powered the DW at the electrical panel.

I followed the instructions in our manual to reset.

The DW now seems to be stuck where the drain/recirc pump is going (but no more chugging).

Removing the filter basket and non-return valve thing, I can see the impeller freely spinning.

Internet searching suggests that our float/flood valve is stuck on but for the life of me I can't see where our float valve is.  There has to be a water level sensor somewhere, right?

My next step is to pull the dishwasher out and check some things out. 

Any guidance would be appreciated!

[Metric Mouse]

I might suspect a plugged drain line. I would totally pull it out and take a look. They're not complex machines, and it looks like you've got enough trouble shooting ability to suss it out. Good luck!

[powersuitrecall]

I might suspect a plugged drain line. I would totally pull it out and take a look. They're not complex machines, and it looks like you've got enough trouble shooting ability to suss it out. Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Subsequent searching brought me to http://www.routerjanitor.com/2011/08/dishwasher-broken-miele-f70-error.html & http://www.fixya.com/support/t6870411-when_attempting_start_dishwasher which describes a similar problem with newer machines.  I removed the kick plate, and a small access door which revealed .... water in the bottom pan:



There is about 1cm of water there - enough to move a Styrofoam float switch up (and presumably causing the drain pump to stay on).

The next step is to suck that water up, reset it and try a cycle.  The presence of water there suggests something is not right!  Maybe a simple seal ... maybe not.

[Metric Mouse]

I think you're my new hero.

[powersuitrecall]

I think you're my new hero.

Nah I'm just cheap ;)

So one successful cycle completed, but there is ~3mm water in the recessed area of the pan where the styrofoam float switch sits. Not enough to trip off the drain pump, but enough that I can't use as-is.

I was checking throughout, and it seems to have appeared right at the end.  Not sure what that means other than it involves the draining part of the cycle.

Any ideas on which seals to check / replace first?

[powersuitrecall]

An update after a couple of days off due to parenthood things.

I pulled out the DW and ran another quick cycle to find ....



A leak in the drain hose!  Oddly enough, the bottom pan remained dry through the cycle.  This means that the drain hose, all scrunched in our cabinets, must have been positioned in a way where the stream was pointing at the DW.

Next up is to find a replacement drain hose or to try to repair the hole.  Off to the internet ...

[Dicey]

Best practice is to replace drain hoses, not repair them. They're inexpensive, especially compared to the damage failure can cause. Congrats on figuring out the problem.

[powersuitrecall]

Best practice is to replace drain hoses, not repair them. They're inexpensive, especially compared to the damage failure can cause. Congrats on figuring out the problem.

True.  If it happens once, it'll probably happen again.

[powersuitrecall]

Unfortunately it's a custom part due to a 90degree elbow at hookup, so I had to order a part from the manufacturer.  Not getting fixed today.  I miss our dishwasher :(

[Dicey]

Still cheaper than hiring someone to do it for you. Plus, you can console yourself that it's only temporary.

[TrMama]

You rock! I love fixing the dishwasher. They're such simple machines and it's so satisfying to get them going again for next to nothing.

Even though I work with a bunch of engineers, when I mentioned I'd fixed my own dishwasher they all seemed super impressed.

[powersuitrecall]

You rock! I love fixing the dishwasher. They're such simple machines and it's so satisfying to get them going again for next to nothing.

Even though I work with a bunch of engineers, when I mentioned I'd fixed my own dishwasher they all seemed super impressed.

Thanks!  I was pretty happy that it was something so simple.  Let's hope it lasts another 10 years :)

[powersuitrecall]

Update: It's fixed.  The hardest part was waiting for the part.

Things I learned while without a dishwasher for 1.5 weeks.
- we use a lot of dishes
- you gotta wash dishes every time you cook/eat or the pile becomes insurmountable.

In short, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be - it just took more planning.

Anyways - thanks for following along.  I hope our DW lasts another 6+ years.
 

[Metric Mouse]

Good work! And if for some reason there's another issue - you'll be that much more confident and able to handle it!