Considering the fact that this is a theory-only guide unless you've got a meter in your hands, it does a great job describing how to use them! The last time I used one was in college (five years ago or more) and I think this is the best refresher I could ever find. If anyone asks me how to use a meter, I'll be sure to point them here. :)

And since you're so good about answering questions here, I've got a problem with my Fridgidaire dishwasher, model FDR252RBB2, that I'd thought was due to the plastic part that sits on top of the pump motor's drive shaft. The problem is that I hear the motor working, but no water flows into the dishwasher, just a small trickle and slight bubbling in the pump housing. There's a page at a competitor's site (Appliance Zone) that shows a picture of the pump and motor assembly (the part is hidden in the picture from this site) that shows the plastic part in question at the top of the picture. This site appears to be VERY aggresive about filtering any other web addresses, so I can't post their pic, a link to their page, or even their name without the space because it gets turned into a series of *'s. So to see the pic, go to
"www.appliance zone.com/ShowProduct.aspx?ID=5047#", without the quotes or the space between appliance and zone.

The part is broken at the base of the shaft, where it meets the circular fins, so my assumption was that this part being broken is what was causing the issue. But just this morning I decided to double-check what was going on since I could clearly hear spinning inside the dishwasher when I opened the door during operation.

I removed the spray arm (there is only one for this unit) and diffuser and found that the upper impeller was spinning perfectly. So I removed the upper impeller, macerator, pump housing cover, pump slinger, volute cover, lower impeller, and seal one at a time, watching for any differences in part movement or blockage. Everything turns along with the broken part's shaft since the upper impeller screws into it and the rest of the parts slide down over it. When I took the seal out, it looks like it might be broken too because the image below shows that there should be plasic going all the way through the rubber seal itself, with a kind of cap at the top, but in my case, only the rubber part is removable.
Part number: AP3209244

Actually, the first page you attached shows that the seal is actually two separate pieces that are joined by a sleeve to protect the rubber until installation. I'll have to take a closer look at the rubber in the upper piece and see if it's still stupple and un-cracked, but from what I recall it was in pretty good shape. I've fully disassembled the spray arm already, with the same thought about clogging and I did find a few bits of glass and plastic that shouldn't be in there, but it wasn't enough to clog it by any means. I still took the time to remove all bits though, of course.

According to the second page, the pump should be filling up with water first, but it doesn't appear to be getting nearly enough water into the pump in the first place. It seems as if the seal could be the cause, so I'll order a replacement and install it. If that doesn't fix the issue, you'll be sure to hear from me again! :p

Thanks a million for the attachments, they really do help a ton! I guess my first step should have been to look for the manual for my unit, then RTFM! :D

That makes sense. So what's the easiest way to test the inlet without getting water everywhere?

There are no special tests needed. If the house water pressure is good but the dishwasher does not get enough water, just replace the water inlet valve. There is nothing else what can cause it.

- The water inlet valve Part number: AP3851486