GE Monogram dishwasher won't complete cycle

I have a GE ZBD5900D01SS Monogram dishwasher. The wash cycle will not complete. Sometimes the “fast wash” cycle will complete, but the “normal wash” will stop sometime before the rinse cycle. Neither the “fast wash” or “normal wash” cycles will proceed past the initial rinse if I turn on the temperature “boost” or “sanitize” options. I thus suspect something is wrong with the heating element circuitry. The heating element itself has continuity, as does the overlimit thermostat (which is down by the pump). There must be a temperature sensor somewhere, in addition to the thermostat, to permit the different water temperature options. There is a probe-like thing that is affixed to the inside of the door next to the control board, and is attached to the control board with a short (6 inch?) wire, perhaps a thermistor… not sure if this is it.

What else should I check? Is there any way to run a diagnostic on the control board to see whether it is functioning properly? I don’t want to order a new control board ($300) until I’ve checked everything else.

When the cycle stops, the dishwasher beeps and then all the lights on the control panel go out.

Thanks for any help!

Look for a mini manual. GE usually put it under the dishwasher, on the right side. It also could be inside the control panel or between the inner and outer doors. All instructions must be there.

Here are the break down diagrams for the GE dishwasher Model ZBD5900D01SS

Gene.

Is there any blinking lights, these blinking lights will be the fault code.

There are no blinking lights. When the dishwasher cycle stops, there is a beeping noise, and all the lights go blank. If you touch a key then, all the lights blink, like they do when you press a key during a normal cycle.

There is no mini-manual anywhere to be found, unfortunately.

I’m not very familiar with model. Maybe abadfish can help you better. He is the GE expert.

Gene.

Have you looked for the mini manual glued to the backside of the toekick, that is where they are on these models

After the lights go out, then you press a button and all lights come on, what happens if you press the start button at that point?

Yep, I’ve looked everywhere. I’ve had all the panels off, etc. testing components. The previous owner must have lost the manual.

The problem seems isolated to the heating system, and since the overlimit thermostat and heating element seem fine, I’m wondering if there is something else to check, or whether a new control panel is the only solution.

The delay start button you mean? Btw, thanks to you both for spending the time to help me.

I think your problem is in the door switch. If it was anyother problem you would be getting an error “flashing light”. Let me check something

No not the delay start. after the lights go out, push a button to get the lights to come back on, at that point are you able to start it again?

Press these buttons in this exact order. This will bring up the stored fault code if any, indicated by a blinking light…

  1. Heated dry
    2.Fast wash
    3.Super wash
    4.Heated dry
    5.Water temp

You can press clear to exit out of service mode

These are the fault codes if any are present…

Normal wash flashing = Not heating = less than 8 degree water temp rise in 15 minutes

Super wash flashing = over temp = water temp over 180

Fast wash blinking = Not filling

Rinse hold flashing = not draining

Heated dry flashing = over fill

So, now what is happening (and the behavior seems a bit random), is that when the cycle stops, the lights go out, and then the key panel is totally unresponsive. I have to open and shut the door to get it to respond. When I do this, it seems like the dishwasher is back to the beginning of the cycle, when nothing has yet been pressed.

Actually, when I was testing it this time, I put the temperature on “sanitize” and the cycle actually proceeded past the “pre-wash” to “wash” for the first time. But when I opened the door, cleared it, and tried again, it got stuck before the wash cycle would begin, as usual.

Do the test I posted earlier, post results. It does sound to me like your losing power, most likely at the door switch, could even be at the junction box where the house wiring connects to the dishwasher.

Does the door handle feel like it’s intact?

When I press those 5 keys in rapid sequence, all the lights go off. No blinking, so I assume no fault codes.

Yes, the door handle latches properly.