I am looking for help replacing the timer on my 9 year old dishwasher. The timer stops when the timer knob is pointing down (almost 6 o'clock) in the wash cycle. If the knob is advanced slightly, it continues through the wash cycle but stops again at the start of the rinse cycle. Once it is advanced again, it will finish out the cycle. I had a repairman come out and he said that I need to replace the timer. I can probably figure out how to replace the timer if I can figure out how to get to it. I tried taking the torx screws out that surround the inside of the door, but it did not loosen the cover over the timer knob and cycle buttons. I didn't want to pry the cover off for fear of breaking it. Can anyone tell me how to get at the timer?
I would also apprieciate any help or opinions about the problem itself. I did not stand over the repairman's shoulder while he tested it, but I want to know if others agree that the timer could be, or is, the problem. Also, is a dishwasher this old worth repairing? The repairman said no. It is in very good shape and only gets run once or twice a week, so it hasn't seen a lot of wear. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi, Yes, the timer was the problem and I was able to fix it myself. The hardest part was taking the door apart and figuring out how to get the cover (fascia) over the buttons and timer off. I know that I read a description of how to get the door apart somewhere (I think it was in this forum) but couldn't tell you exactly where right now. Here is my description:

TURN OFF THE BREAKER / ELECTRICITY TO THE DISHWASHER.

1.) Open the door and remove all of the torx screws that hold the front (metal) panel of the door on.
2.) Once the screws are off, and while holding the metal panel in place, close the door.
3.) Once the door is in the upright position, slide the metal panel up. It will only slide up an inch or so. Once it is up, pull the bottom of the panel out gently.
4.) Unhook it from behind the fascia, let it slide down a little again, and it should come off. There are a couple of plastic covers over the hinges that may come off also but it isn't hard to figure out how to put them back on.
5.) Once you have the front panel off, it is easier to get at the tabs that hold the fascia on. You will have to look up under the fascia to try and find the tabs. There are two on the front, one by the buttons and one by the timer knob. Push up on those slightly.
6.) There are two more tabs, one on each side/end, that are very hard to see. These side tabs are what really hold the fascia on. You will just have to get your fingers in there to find them. I think that they released by pushing up on them also. Once those clips are released, pull out on the fascia and it should come off.

Now that the door is apart, here are the next steps:

7.) Once the fascia is off, there are two more torx screws, one on each side, inside the door. Removing those screws allows you to remove the panel that holds the timer in place.
8.) Remove the timer knob by sliding the spring ring off of the shaft of the knob, toward the timer.
9.) The timer is held onto the metal panel by 3 or 4 metal tabs. They can be bent easily with a pair of needle-nose pliers, releasing the timer.

Now comes the tricky part. My biggest fear was not connecting the new timer correctly.

10.) My solution was to leave the old timer attached and move the wires, one at a time, from the old timer onto the new one. You will need another pair of steady hands, or a stack of books or boxes to support the timers while you make the connections. You will also need a small slotted screwdriver and a pair of needle-nose pliers to carefully pull, and pry the wire connections off of the old timer. Each of the wire connectors has a small "button" in the center of it that you have to press to get them to release. Some are easier than others. That is where the pliers and small screwdriver will come in handy.
11.) Once you have moved all of the connections over, you can remount the timer onto the metal plate.
12.) The hardest part for me was getting the timer knob back on! That spring clip was tricky to get back in place without damaging the knob.
13.) Go backwards through the steps above to put the timer mounting and door back together.
14.) Turn the power back on.
15.) Cross your fingers, turn on the dishwasher and let it run it's cycles.
16.) Now that it is working again, reach around and give yourself a big pat on the back and smile knowing that you saved a bundle of money!

I bought the replacement timer here (A.P.P.) for about $85.00 + Tax and it arrived in 2 days. I had the dishwasher apart and back together in about 2 hours. The repair company that I called wanted $249.00 to do the job.

Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!