Hi people! I recently changed out the control board for my Kitchenaid KUDT03STSS03 after the dishwasher stopped washing/pumping and I found this module had melted/burned out. It seemed to be exactly what I needed and it functioned properly after the replacement. However, two weeks later my dishwasher did a repeat performance and burned out the new control board. I'm now weighing my options on this dishwasher. It is nearly eight years old, but as this dishwasher was a very expensive purchase in early 2009, I'm struggling with the decision to write it off without more of a fight. I'm trying to make sense of what may have caused the electronics to overheat like this. Does it make sense that the first meltdown compromised the wiring harness enough to cause the second meltdown? Is it likely or possible that a malfunctioning pump/capacitor assembly could cause enough heat in the harness and control board? If that is even feasible it might explain the first meltdown. But the pump/capacitor assembly is very expensive to replace on speculation. The dishwasher did seem to work fine for two weeks after replacing the control board the first time. But is it more likely that over eight years the control module just simply went bad, and that the second meltdown is probably just the result of the wiring harness having gone bad after the first control module meltdown? There is presently black sticky matter on the wiring harness (no exposed wires though). This could be either the wire insulation itself OR the adjacent black plastic lining on the inside of the dishwasher door. It is really hard to tell if the sticky gunky black is the lining, the wire, or a combination.

So this is just a potential last ditch effort to salvage the unit (originally a $1,200 purchase). I have to weigh the costs of experimenting again to repair it, which could range between $220 and $400 in parts or giving up on it - writing off all Whirlpool manufactured dishwashers - and replacing it with $540 Bosch (Ascenta Series Stainless Steel Built-In Dishwasher - SHE3AR75UC), on sale. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help.

--Jeff

Thanks for the suggestion. Here are a few pics of the wiring harness, control module and the interior of the door with the black plastic lining which appears to have been damaged by the heat. I've concluded that the black is definitely a combination of overheated wire insulation and the burnt black plastic lining of inside the door. The control module model number is WPW10084141. Have a look:



On the module, the connector that burned out has connections P9, P8, and P6. The most damaged/melted portion of the connector plug is at the P9 (wire blue and red) point on the module which according to wiring diagram is associated with the pump. P8 is associated with the thermal fuse (power source) and P6, the door latch. Just because P9 is pump related doesn't necessarily mean the pump is the problem. Any short could cause excessive heat in a vulnerable node. Right? And if the insulation of the individual wires in the wiring harness were compromised, current could randomly bleed through to any or all the other wires that are wrapped together causing any manner of short. This is why I'm at a loss for a conclusion. I'm really starting to lean away from repairing this dishwasher and toward replacing it instead. If I hazard a guess I could end up replacing the control board several times for each bad guess.

Thanks again for looking and any feedback you can offer.

--Jeff

Yea, there isn't enough positively good wire on that harness close enough for the connectors to reach the control module if I were to cut it down. The burn marks you can see on the door liner show that the wires were hot roughly halfway down. The harness (around $90) would need to be replaced. In all likelihood the control board would need to be replaced (brand new, $200, but cheaper if refurbished and sold on ********), and the thermal fuse ($20), too. And then there could be a deeper cause for the short, like something in the pump capacitor or electronic door latch mechanism. This looks like a loss - or at best a major headache. As stubborn as I can be, I think I have to admit defeat.

It's difficult to avoid Whirlpool-made dishwashers - it seems they make units for so many other companies (Kenmore, Maytag, Kitchenaid, etc.). I'll shop for a Bosch this time. Nobody is perfect, but this experience is going to leave a mark on me. That thing was very expensive, and it couldn't quite reach an eight year life.

Thanks for your input!

--Jeff

I have a Frigidaire that seems to have died. What brand would you recommend?

I had the same issue with my 7 year old Kitchenaid dishwasher. I called customer service and they were not a bit concerned. The dishwasher started self destructing after 3 years. I have replaced the pump, control board, rack glides, and jet dry dispenser. Trashing this thing and getting a Bosch