Dishwasher will fill with water then shut off. Lights working, will not run, but cancel will empty water

Dishwasher Repair
1

Brand: Maytag
Model Number: MDB4651AWB
Main Symptom: Fills, don’t run
What happens & when: Starts

Error Code (if any): no codes
Parts or tests already tried: reset
Photos / video link:

2

After the dishwasher has filled, does the unit shut off as if it has completed the cycle or lost power? Or does the dishwasher fill and then sit quietly as if it is trying to go through the wash cycle but voltage is not going to the motor?

3

Thanks for responding. The unit lights come on and it fills, then after a minute or so the lights shut off. The unit just seems to shut off without running a wash cycle. If I push the start cancel button it will empty out. I have cleaned out the filter area, but it didn’t have much in there. It still does the same thing.

4

If you quickly press the heated dry button 6 times and then press the start button (all within 8 seconds), the LEDs should all turn on and the Heavy Wash LED will flash to indicate the service test mode has been activated. It should proceed for about 10 minutes while the door is closed. Does the dishwasher go through the entire test mode, or does it stop and start flashing the Delay LED and one other LED while the rest of the LEDs are turned off?

5

Did that test today, and it did as you said, lights all on flashing only the heavy cycle light. It filled and ran a complete cycle one time, then emptied water and shut off, no lights on. It appears the main motor works. Checking the main board on it for anything obvious, see nothing. Removing connections and putting them back on. Will reassemble and try again.

Numbers on the main board

WMR W10111825

716011-00289

Date code. 0708271852

Thank you for the follow up

6

Ok, after doing that check, clean connections, put back together and it did the same as it did when I started this fix. So, I ran another dieignosttic test as before and got a different result. After all lights on with heavy wash light flashing it filled with water and stopped this time with two lights flashing. The normal wash cycle and the delay 2 lights. They continue to keep flashing. Everything else off, and it didn’t empty this time. It didn’t run the full cycle either prior to just stopping after the fill, and then start the flashing on normal wash cycle and the delay 2 lights.

7

The Normal and Delay LEDs flashing indicate that the main control has detected a high current draw from the motor.

If there is nothing physically blocking the motor impeller, there are a couple of tests that can help identify the cause:

  1. Turn off power to the dishwasher.

  2. Allow the unit to sit for about 5 minutes, then discharge the capacitor using a screwdriver or another tool with an insulated handle.

Next, test the components:

  • Capacitor Test

    • Disconnect one wire from the capacitor.

    • Test for capacitance using a multimeter.

    • It should read between 14–16 µF.

  • Motor Resistance Test

    • Test between the yellow wire terminal and the blue wire terminal on the motor.

    • You should measure approximately 3–4 Ohms.

Do your readings fall within these ranges, or do they show something different? If the readings fall within range, the main control would be the likely cause of failure.

Here are links to each part.

Motor (part is discontinued by the manufacturer)- 6-919922 Wash Motor | Genuine Whirlpool OEM In Stock

Capacitor (part is discontinued by the manufacturer)- WP99002665 Capacitor, Motor | Genuine Whirlpool OEM In Stock

Main control (serial number starts with 10 through 16)- WPW10218822 Dishwasher Electronic Control Board | Genuine Whirlpool OEM In Stock

Main control (serial number starts with 17 or greater)- WPW10218828 Electronic Control Board (Oven Console Control) | Genuine Whirlpool OEM In Stock