The short answer
An AEG F dishwasher that will not begin a cycle is usually waiting on the door, the water or the power rather than reporting a failed part. A dishwasher needs power, a door it registers as latched, and water at the inlet before it will run. All three are checkable from the front in a few minutes, and between them they account for most of the machines that sit dead. The table below lists four models for this family, and they are close enough that the fault behaves the same way across all of them; what differs between them is parts rather than diagnosis.
What you observe on these models
- No lights and no response at all — A power question before it is an appliance question.
- Lights come on but the cycle never starts — The machine has power and is refusing to proceed, which points at the door latch or at water.
- It hums or clicks and then goes quiet — It is trying and failing a condition, usually at the fill.
- The machine starts but immediately stops again — Something is being detected — often water in the base tray — that stops the cycle at once.
- NEAR MISS — the cycle starts fine but stops with water left in the base — That is a drainage fault, and the drainage page for this family is the one to read.
Causes, most likely first on the F family
- The door latch not registering as closed — A dishwasher will not run with the door unlatched by design, and the latch is operated twice a day for years, so it is the mechanical part most likely to have worn on a machine that otherwise looks healthy. The four models of the F family share this construction, so what ranks first on one of them ranks first on all of them.
- The water supply turned off or restricted — The machine will not begin a cycle it cannot fill, and an isolating valve left closed after work under the sink is a frequent find on a machine that stopped for no apparent reason.
- The anti-flood device having operated — Water in the base tray shuts the machine down completely and it stays shut down until the tray is dry, which presents exactly as a dead appliance with no other symptom.
- The control, the selector or the door switch itself — The residual once the door, the power, the water and the base tray are proven, and it is the point where the work needs the machine isolated and a meter.
Check in this order on these models, and why
- Close the door firmly and listen for the latch, then check the strike plate is not loose — First, because it is the single most common reason a powered machine will not begin.
- Open the isolating valve fully and check the inlet screen is clear — Third, and it costs nothing.
- Look underneath with a torch for water in the base tray — Fourth, and it turns a will-not-start call into a leak call if it is present.
Models in the F family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| F8242FI | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8242FI-18 | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8642FI | aeg:dishwasher:f |
| F8642SS | aeg:dishwasher:f |
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Close the isolating valve before undoing any hose, and be ready for water in the sump even on a machine that has not run. Leave the door latch switch and the anti-flood float exactly as fitted: one stops the wash when the door opens and the other stops a small leak becoming a flood. Never pull a built-in machine out over a wet floor.
When to call a technician
Call a technician once the latch, the power, the water and the base tray have all been proven and the machine still will not start, because the next step is a meter inside the door or the base with the machine isolated. Call without waiting if the machine operates its protective device when switched on, if you find water in the base tray, or if there is a burning smell from the door panel.
Other problems covered for this family
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Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
