Repair guides

Bosch E15: leak tray flooded

E15 means water is in the base pan and the float is up. Dry the pan, reset the float, then find the leak - otherwise it comes back.

4 steps ~60 minmoderate

Cloudy glasses or white film

Tell hard-water film from etching with a vinegar soak: film comes off, etching does not. Film is fixed with rinse aid, correct detergent dose and softening; etching is permanent and made worse by soft water, too much detergent and very hot cycles.

4 steps ~20 mineasy

Detergent not dissolving

Usually cool water, low spray pressure (filter/arms), or a dispenser door blocked by dishes.

3 steps ~20 mineasy

DishDrawer F1: water in base / flood

F1 means the flood sensor found water. Separate foam problems from real leaks before taking anything apart. Real leaks on older units usually come from cracked drain hoses or a lid that is not sealing.

5 steps ~60 minmoderate

Dishes not drying

Many dishwashers (including most Bosch) dry by condensation, so rinse aid is essential and damp plastics are normal. On heated-dry models, check the element, vent and fan.

Dishwasher controls won't respond (control lock / child lock on)

The control lock blocks the keys. It is turned off with a key combination that differs by model.

3 steps ~5 mineasy

Dishwasher cycle runs too long or stalls

Most long cycles are the control waiting for heat (cool supply, bad heater or thermistor) or a soil sensor reading dirty water. Check water temperature, then clean the turbidity sensor, then test thermistor and heater.

5 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher detergent dispenser door won't close or latch

Most cases are caked detergent on the latch or hinge. If the latch spring or the dispenser itself is broken, the dispenser assembly is replaced from inside the door.

Dishwasher door falls open or slams down

Door springs or cables are broken or out of place.

3 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher keeps beeping

A few beeps at the end of the cycle is normal on many models and can often be turned off in the settings. A repeating beep pattern, or beeps with flashing lights, is usually an error code.

3 steps ~15 mineasy

Dishwasher leaking

Rule out suds and loading, then inspect door gasket, inlet valve/fitting, pump seals and hoses. Leak codes mean water is already in the base pan.

3 steps ~60 minmoderate

Dishwasher noisy (grinding, humming, thumping)

Grinding is usually debris at the pump or chopper; loud humming is a stalled or starved pump; thumping is spray arms hitting items.

3 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher not cleaning well

Poor cleaning is usually low water temperature, a clogged filter, blocked spray-arm holes, or loading that blocks the arms. Check those before parts like the wash motor or heater.

Dishwasher not draining / standing water

Work from cheapest to costliest: filter and sump, drain hose and disposer/air gap, then pump impeller, then pump power. Water that returns 30-60 minutes after a good drain points to the check valve.

5 steps ~45 mineasy

Dishwasher not filling

Confirm supply and hose first, then inlet screen and valve, then float/flow sensing and door latch.

4 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher not heating water

Confirm the supply water is hot first, then test the heater (or Bosch heat pump heater), the high-limit and the thermistor. If all test good, suspect the heater relay on the control.

5 steps ~60 minmoderate

Dishwasher overflowing with suds

Almost always the wrong soap: hand dish soap, laundry detergent or too much detergent. Remove the suds, then run clean cycles.

4 steps ~40 mineasy

Dishwasher rack rusting

The vinyl coating has chipped and the steel is rusting. Repair kits or rack replacement.

2 steps ~20 mineasy

Dishwasher smells bad

Usually food and grease in a manual-clean filter, spray arms or the tub bottom, or standing water from a slow drain. Clean, then fix drainage; check the disposer too.

Dishwasher smells like burning

A burning smell is often plastic that fell onto the heater, but it can also be an overheating wire, connector or motor. Stop the unit and find the source before running it again.

5 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher stops mid-cycle

The control usually stops for a code: door, water, drain or sensor faults. Read the code first.

3 steps ~45 minmoderate

Dishwasher top rack not cleaning (bottom rack OK)

When only the upper rack is dirty, the water is not getting up there. Check the upper spray arm, its feed tube and seal, the filter, and on units that switch between arms, the diverter.

5 steps ~30 mineasy

Dishwasher trips the breaker or GFCI

A GFCI trip means current leaking to ground, often from a cracked heating element, water on heater terminals, or a leaking pump. Isolate loads one at a time with power off.

4 steps ~60 minadvanced

Dishwasher upper rack drops, tilts or falls off the track

Upper racks ride on rails with end stops and, on adjustable racks, a height adjuster on each side. Broken adjuster latches, missing wheels, worn end stops or a cracked rail cause most sagging and fall-off complaints. These are snap-in parts matched to the model number.

Dishwasher won't start

Check power (breaker, under-sink switch/plug), lock and delay settings, then door latch switches and the control's thermal fuse where fitted.

4 steps ~45 minmoderate

Door latch problems

The latch holds the door and signals the control. Debris, rack overload, gasket misalignment or a failed switch are usual causes; switches are usually sold with the latch.

2 steps ~30 minmoderate

Rinse aid not dispensing

Check the setting and the cap first. Some models also have a rinse aid sensor that can report a fault.

3 steps ~20 mineasy

Component tests · 5

Dishwasher door latch and door switch

The latch carries one or two switches that close when the door latches. The board will not start a cycle without them. Test continuity with the latch engaged and released.

6 steps ~25 mineasy

How to test a dishwasher circulation (wash) pump motor

The wash motor pushes water to the spray arms. Older units use an AC induction motor; many newer ones use a brushless DC motor driven by the board. Rule out a jam and a filter clog before testing, and use the tech sheet for winding values.

6 steps ~45 minmoderate

How to test a dishwasher heating element

Many US dishwashers have a hidden or visible loop element under the tub. A good one reads in the tens of ohms. A leak to the tub trips the GFCI even when the resistance looks fine, so always check to ground.

5 steps ~20 mineasy

How to test a float switch (dishwasher overfill and similar)

A float rides up with water and opens or closes a small switch under the tub. It stops overfill or flags a leak. Make sure the float moves freely before blaming the switch.

6 steps ~20 mineasy