[jeremy1635]

I have a hand-me-down dishwasher that is leaking from the front. I have no knowledge about this stuff, but the first thing I saw was water moving around in the bottom of what a google search indicates is the rinse aid. I have attached pictures. There is not a cap so I am not sure if this is just the bottom of the reservoir holding some water or if this is a hole leaking into the door and causing my problem. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

[denman]

Here are your parts
Replacement parts for Maytag DWU8260AAX DISHWASHER- UNDERCOUNTER | AppliancePartsPros.com

There is no cap so water would spray into the rinse aid reservoir during wash so I would say this is OK.

More info about the leak would be

Remove the kick plate and run a cycle to narrow down where your leak is coming from.
A flashlight and a small mirror can help do this.
An ideal mirror is the type used by mechanics, same as a dentist's mirror just larger. You could tape/attach a small mirror to a dowel at an angle.

[jeremy1635]

After further examination the leak appears to be coming from left side between the door and the tub. When I open the door there is water in the jam on the left but not on the right. Also, it does not occur while it is filling up, only while it is actually washing.

[denman]

Check/clean the door seal.
Check the spray arm for cracks or a partially clogged hole. Sometimes this can cause the water to spray at a weird angle and you get a leak.
Check for anything that might deflect the water at a strange angle.

[jeremy1635]

Checked the liner, it didn't seem damaged. It did have pretty deep creases on the lower sides. I took some advice from another forum and pulled it out and flipped so that the side that had been facing out was facing in. Still leaking.

Checked the arms, no sign of cracks or plugged holes. The bottom one had two metal plates on the underside of each end. Should these be tight or loose?

It seems to leak no matter how I load the dishwasher. Is there something in particular I should be looking for?

Also, when the door is sitting open the left side leans lower than the right. Could it no be closing properly? it latches fully so I am not sure what else would indicate that it wasn't.

[denman]

Should these be tight or loose?
I do not think it matters as they are there just to protect the washer arm from the heating element. Unless they are so loose they can flop around and interfere with the water coming out the spray arm.

Is there something in particular I should be looking for?
No, I have already mentioned the usual suspects. Finding a leak can be a royal pain sometimes.

Also, when the door is sitting open the left side leans lower than the right. Could it no be closing properly?
This could be it.
Check that the springs, linkage and hinges are OK.
If everything looks OK then swap the left and right springs to see if it may be a weak spring.

[jeremy1635]

Okay, think I found the problem and feel like an idiot. the door on the left side doesn't have a spring.

[denman]

Sounds like you have found it.

No need to feel like an idiot.
Seems to me you troubleshot it in a logical manner.

I would appreciate it if when you replace the spring and it fixes the problem (fingers crossed) that you post again that it is fixed. This will help others when they search the forum as they will see what actually fixed the machine other than just suggestions about possible causes.

good luck with it
denman

[jeremy1635]

Thank you so much for your help.

I'll post the results once I know what they are.