Our Whirlpool Quiet Partner III started acting up today. We normally run it on the Normal cycle with Heated Dry, and today was no different. I noticed at some point that the display had been stuck on 63 minutes for quite some time (close to an hour), and it had continued making noise during that entire time. It never did move past 63 minutes. I eventually canceled that run. I then ran Rinse Only and Light cycles and each finished successfully. Just started a new Normal cycle w/ Heated Dry a little bit ago, and it got stuck on 63 minutes again. I let it go for awhile and then canceled it. It sounds like it is circulating water inside the dishwasher the entire time it is on 63 minutes.
Sounds like a water heating problem.
The unit is waiting for the water to heat up and reach a set point temperature and for some reason it is not doing this.
First try removing power for a couple minutes to see if this will reset the unit.
If this does nothing.
Remove power from the unit and check the hi-limit thermostat. It should be 0 ohms.
If OK
This step might be easier if you check it at the control board as you would probably have to pull the dishwasher out from under the counter to check just the heating element.
Unplug the unit and remove the inner door cover so you can get to the control board.
Check from P6 to the W-V (white/violet) side of the door switch.
Should be around 20 ohms.
Note that this checks the heater and the hi-limit thermostat.
IF OK
With power still off check across the door switch.
Should be 0 ohms when activated.
Also check that the latch is OK to be sure that the switch does close when the door is closed.
If OK
Check the thermistor, it is what measures the temperature.
P2-2 to P7, see the wiring diagram for the spec.
If OK then odds are that the control board is the problem.
If you do not own a meter, I would suggest you purchase a one. You can get a decent digital multimeter for under $20.00. You do not need fancy though it is nice if the leads are a couple feet long.
If it saves ordering one unnecessary part it has paid for itself and you end up owning a useful tool.
Most places will not let you return electrical parts so if you order it, you own it.
A couple things to watch when measuring ohms and continuity
Always remove power from the machine otherwise you could blow your meter.
Always disconnect at least one side of any device you are checking. This eliminates the possibility of measuring an alternate/parallel circuit path.
When checking for closed contacts and continuity use the lowest scale (Usually 200 ohms). Then try higher scales. This scale is 0 to 200 ohms so if the device you are measuring is 300 ohms this scale would show an open circuit which it is not, you are just measuring outside the scale’s dynamic range.
When you start always short the meter leads together. This will tell you that the meter is working and if there is any 0 offset.
There is a good STICKY at the start of this forum about it’s use. GU2400.pdf (161.1 KB)
Thank you for the advice! I’m hoping to find time tonight to work through your instructions. In the meantime, I neglected to mention in my original post that both times it got stuck at 63 minutes the water was hot when I opened the door to check inside. Whether it was as hot as it was supposed to be, I can’t say. Anyway, if that additional piece of info changes any of your advice please let me know.
Ok, I finally found time to open up the dishwasher. For all of the checks that involve the control panel, am I disconnecting the relevant wire first or leaving it connected? And then am I checking the wire or the control board pin? I didn’t see instructions on the sticky topic for those types of checks - just isolated component checks.
Ok, I think I figured out how to test these various items.
Thermostat was a bit of a pain to get to, but I removed it and it tests at 0 or just above 0 (0.1, 0.3 and so on).
For P6 to W/V on door switch I removed the wires from the terminals and inserted the multimeter leads into the wire ends. It showed 10 ohms. Wiring diagram lists a range of 10-30 for this one, so I think that means it’s okay. Let me know if not
Couldn’t quite figure out how to test the door switch.
For thermistor I wasn’t getting any reading, but I also couldn’t tell if I had a good connection on P2-2, due to the design of the wire “bracket” that attaches to the terminals. I found a couple other ones to test that were on that bracket. The Fill Valve - P10 to P2-3 - showed ~890 ohms and diagram has range of 890-1090. Also the Dispenser - P10 to P2-4 - showed ~280 ohms and diagram has range of 280-340. Tested P2-2 to P7 again for the thermistor and still nothing. Assuming that means the thermistor is bad and I should order a new one? Assuming so, does it have another name besides thermistor, because I’m not finding a thermistor in the parts diagrams for this model.
[COLOR=“Blue”]Thermostat was a bit of a pain to get to, but I removed it and it tests at 0 or just above 0 (0.1, 0.3 and so on)[/COLOR].
Looks OK
[COLOR=“Blue”]
It showed 10 ohms. Wiring diagram lists a range of 10-30 for this one, so I think that means it’s okay. Let me know if not[/COLOR]
Looks OK
[COLOR=“Blue”]Couldn’t quite figure out how to test the door switch.[/COLOR]
Make sure that the switch is activated by the latch.
Pull both wires off the switch (should ba a white and a white.violet.
Should measure infinite ohms.
Now manually activate the switch, should drop to 0 ohms.
[COLOR=“Blue”]Tested P2-2 to P7 again for the thermistor and still nothing. Assuming that means the thermistor is bad and I should order a new one?[/COLOR]
Yes it does as long as you were using the correct meter scale (high enough) (200 K scale).
One thing to note is that it also could be an open connection wire from the control board to the thermistor.
[COLOR=“Blue”] Assuming so, does it have another name besides thermistor, because I’m not finding a thermistor in the parts diagrams for this model.[/COLOR]
They call it a thermister (item 25 in section 08)
[QUOTE=denman;868619][COLOR=“Blue”]Couldn’t quite figure out how to test the door switch.[/COLOR]
Make sure that the switch is activated by the latch.
Pull both wires off the switch (should ba a white and a white.violet.
Should measure infinite ohms.
Now manually activate the switch, should drop to 0 ohms.[/QUOTE]
Ok, the switch sounds like it is being activated by the latch. With the switch wires removed, the switch terminals tested infinity. With the switch activated I couldn’t get a consistent reading. At times it would drop near 0, but never reached 0, and sometimes was as high as 10 or 20. This was with the 200 scale.
See picture below of the terminals. One is shiny, the other is not. Not sure if that’s relevant or not.
[QUOTE=denman;868619]
[COLOR=“Blue”]Tested P2-2 to P7 again for the thermistor and still nothing. Assuming that means the thermistor is bad and I should order a new one?[/COLOR]
Yes it does as long as you were using the correct meter scale (high enough) (200 K scale).[/QUOTE]
Yes, that’s the scale I was using.
[QUOTE=denman;868619]
They call it a thermister (item 25 in section 08)[/QUOTE]
Ah - different spelling. That’s why it didn’t show up when I used the search function. Thank you.
Yes the switch looks like it is toast.
I would replace it.
Be sure to clean the connector on the wire as best you can so it makes good contact to the switch lug.
Ok, thank you. Ordered parts yesterday, they arrived today. I’m a little confused now. I removed the old thermister and hooked up the new one, and then tested P2-2 to P7 again with no change. On the 200 scale, my multimeter shows 1 with the leads not connected to anything. When I connect them to P2-2 and P7, it still shows 1. I decided to test the old thermister directly, thinking that I could test the metal tabs directly and it also showed a 1. (I think that means infinity?) So then I removed the new thermister and tested that directly and it also is showing a 1. I tested the thermostat again to make sure the multimeter was still working correctly and it is. Does this mean I received a bad thermister?
Ok, I have to go up to 200k to get anything besides a 1 value. On the 200k scale, the old thermister reads a 57, and the new one reads a 60. Assuming that means it is bad, so I will return and order a new one.
The spec is 48K to 52K @ 77 degrees F and you are fairly close.
The 57 and 60 you see on the meter will be in thousands (K’s).
Also if the ambient temperature is colder than 77 degrees the resistance will be higher than the 48 to 50.
[QUOTE=denman;868937]The spec is 48K to 52K @ 77 degrees F and you are fairly close.[/QUOTE]
Oh wow, I somehow missed that the spec was 48-52K and not 48-52. So if that’s the case, then when I go back to your original troubleshooting instructions, the only thing that is questionable is the door switch. Well, I do need to re-check the thermister resistance with the wiring included to make sure there’s no issue there. I was using the 200 scale previously, so I need to re-check it with the 200k scale. Assuming that checks OK, then I’ll replace the door switch and then run a normal load and see what happens.
I replaced the door switch, hooked the drain hose and electrical wires back up, and ran a new Normal cycle. It ran through the entire cycle with no issues! Thank you for all of your help, denman!
I do have another question or two. Does the hi-limit thermostat need to be in a specific location to operate properly? i.e. is there a sensor in the thermostat that reads the surrounding air/surface temperature? I was able to remove the thermostat from underneath the dishwasher originally without too much trouble (had to buy a shorter screwdriver), but I had a lot of trouble last night trying to get it reattached. Most of the problem (I think) is that I can’t locate the exact location where the bracket was attached originally. It was screwed in with one screw, but I think part of the bracket itself was also tucked into a slot or something. Not positive though. I felt around under the unit for quite some time but couldn’t come up with a location that felt right. I did find a post extending down that felt like it had a tiny hole in it, so I tried to screw the bracket into that hole and the screw went part way in, so it’s at least attached to something now and not sitting on the floor. Just wondering if that’s going to be okay long-term, or if I need to put more work into getting it attached the original way.
You are welcome.
And thanks for getting back to us. Now when others search for a similar problem they will see what actually worked instead of just suggestions about what could be the cause.
[COLOR=“Blue”]Does the hi-limit thermostat need to be in a specific location to operate properly?[/COLOR]
Yes. It has to make good physical contact with the bottom of the tub.
[COLOR=“Blue”] i.e. is there a sensor in the thermostat that reads the surrounding air/surface temperature?[/COLOR]
No.
[COLOR=“Blue”]Just wondering if that’s going to be okay long-term, or if I need to put more work into getting it attached the original way.[/COLOR]
I cannot say.
It is important that the thermostat’s metal face has good contact to the tub.
Have you looked at the video for it (item 30 in section 07) of the parts.
You clip looks similar but is held with the screw so the clip can pit pressure on the thermostat to hold it tight to the tub (I think)
A mirror and a flashlight would be useful here.
A mechanics mirror is ideal. It is like a dentist.'s mirror just larger.
In a pinch a small mirror taped at an angle onto a dowel will work.
I have even used one of my wife’s makeup mirror in a compact. I think it was called a compact.
The mirror idea was helpful in determining that, as best as I could tell with the mirror, I had the thermostat in the proper position and just needed to tighten the screw down more - which I successfully did.
Problem is - I’m right back to the dishwasher getting stuck at 63 minutes remaining. So it’s back to square one with the testing procedures tomorrow - will see if anything tests differently than the last time around.
Ok, I tested all of the parts again and they’re testing correctly. Strange. The only thing I did differently last night when I put it back together was I put the black plastic cover back over the control board/wires. Tonight I put it back together without that cover and it’s now working properly again. I’m wondering if that plastic cover is interfering with the physical operation of the door handle/switch - preventing it from being triggered properly. I’ll put it back on tomorrow and see if the problem returns.
When I initially tested the new door switch last night I couldn’t get an exact 0 reading - it would go as low as 0.03 - 0.05, but not 0.00. When I re-tested it later in the evening it was 0.00. Assuming the 0.03 readings are close enough to 0 to be irrelevant. If I’m incorrect on that assumption please let me know.
I ran another cycle this morning without the control board cover and it got stuck at 63 minutes. The problem thus appears to be somewhat random.
I ran it through the Service Diagnostics Cycle this morning and no issues showed up there.
Am I looking at a control board replacement? Or possible door switch issue still? Or something else?
