Please Help! This dishwasher will not start. There is power to the unit. All circuit breakers are on and functional. The door of the dishwasher closes properly. The unit has not been abused, banged around or overloaded but it will not start when push buttons are pushed on the control panel. The last time is wwas used it washed beautifully , the complete cycle. Two days later it would not statr. Could the thermal fuse be the culprit? Does this fuse control the operation of the dishwashet? Can one test this fuse or just replace it? Can one purchase this fuse at any appliance store? What other reason could there be for this dishwasher not starting? Thank you.
Are there indications that the washer has power? lights, anything?
No lights on the panel but there is power to the unit.
ok, how can you be sure there is power to the unit? Sorry to ask what may seem like a stupid question, but there are reasons for them.
I had my plumber look at the dishwasher. He took apart the power switch to the dishwasher to be sure it was live and it was. All the circuit breakes were checked also and all were working properly. Thank you.
The first place I would look is at the junction box where the house wiring or power cord connects to the d/w, you may have a bad nuetral wire at the wire nut. Check for burn marks at the wire nuts.
I am confused. There is power coming into the dishwasher from the wall. The line is powering the dishwasher and the garbage disposal. If the line had a bad ground how would it affect the line if it is live? The “Junction box” to which you refer is at the back of the dishwasher in the wall. I don’t know how to get to it. The dishwasher is hard wired to the house wiring there. There is no plug. Please explain further for me.
I didn’t say bad ground 
Bad nuetral…There is a power cord from the wall outlet that connects to the dishwasher at the bottom front left side. This powercord has 3 wires, line nuetral and ground that connects to the diswasher black white and green wires in the little metal box. These wires are joined together via wire nuts. You need to remove the lower access panel of the dishwasher and locate the metal box on the left side. Take the cover off and there are your wires. make sure everything there looks good. You can have a loose connection there, and even though your Plumber said it was live, that does not mean there is not a problem there. Unplug the dishwasher first, then go to that little box and inspect the wiring connections. If the dishwasher is hard wired and not plugged into an outlet, turn power off at the breaker first.
I think the metal box to which you are referring is the one the plumber took apart, tested and rewrapped. He said everything looked fine there and the garbage disposal works fine connected to that box with its own separate on/offswitch. I can’t unplug the dishwasher, it is hard wired into the wall at the back of the unit. We think the dishwasher has another problem.
ok, the very first thing that must be done is to verify indeed you have voltage there before I can go further. Sorry if I don’t trust your plumber. Also the disposer has nothing to do with the D/W. It is totally seperate, so to proceed further you will need a volt meter, do you have one?
The plumber used a volt device to test the connections. That’s how we know there is power to the unit. He is not here now but I saw the device he used light up at the connection.
I know which device that is he used, and that will indeed show live voltage, but will not show a loose nuetral which is what I am trying to get you to check. You can have 120 volts going into the D/W, but if you don’t have 120 volts leaving the dishwasher, it will be dead and nothing will work. There is no way to check where your problem is unless you have a volt meter, or you hire someone to come out and look at it.
Don’t have a volt meter and I am on this forum because I already had a plumber in to set what might be wrong with the dishwasher.
Lets just say that maybe it was a fuse, are you just gonna buy the part without knowing if it is bad or not? That is the most expensive way to fix anything. There is not anyone that can offer you any guidance on here without being able to diagnose different componets on your machine, and a volt meter is a crucial diagnostic tool needed to correctly help you with your dishwasher.
OK. I understand. If I can borrow a volt meter from my plumber I could test certain circuits with you. But, please hear me. I want to know if you happen to know much about my particular dishwasher–Whirlpool (2004) Model DU930PWPQ0 Seriel FR3303061. Seems others have had a similar problem with whirlpool dishwashers and I want to know if there is some commonality here since it is out of warranty. Many car dealers diagnose car problems this way. So, do the electronics tend to “fry”, why and when or are the electronics generally not the problem? Is a bad thermal fuse a common reason for this dishwasher to “not start”? Does this fuse control the on/off capability of the dishwasher? What might be the most common reason for the “NO START” problem? Thank you.
Yes, I am familiar with your machine. Yes the electronics certainly can fry, as can a thermal fuse. The 3 most likely components to fail on yours are the electronics, thermal fuse and the wiring at the junction box of the D/W. Have you tried to turn the breaker off for about 2 minutes and then turning it back on, sometimes an electronic control can just lock up, and needs to be reset by disconnecting power for 2 minutes.
Also, when you close the door can you hear the switches engage, this is also a problem that can give you no display.
Hello abadfish66,
I was locked out of the forum the other day and had to change password. Sorry, we were in mid conversation. I have the whirlpool dishwasher that won’t start–no light on the board but power to the unit. I sent you an e-mail to your personal e-mail address but no answer so I thought I would try you again on-line here. I have opened the dishwasher door and have located the thermal fuse but can’t get it out. Can you tell me how to get the fuse out and how to disconnect the wires. I am afraid to yank too hard becaue I might break something. I can have the fuse tested for continuity at a service repair supply center because I do not have a meter and if the fuse is bad I can purchase a new fuse there as well. Thank you.