Dishwasher not filling with water

we noticed this last few times we run our dishwasher that it is not filling up with water when we start it. we have found that if we start and stop it several times at the beginning that the water will begin to flow into the unit. i have read that i need to check the float switch and water inlet valve. can someone provide me with detailed instructions on the proper way to check these two items and to hopefully resolve this issue. i have a multimeter to do the tests with.

please help!

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