The short answer
When cleaning falls off on the Caf CDT family it usually does so gradually, which points at accumulation — a fouled filter, blocked spray holes, scale — rather than at a failure. With eight model tags in the matrix below, this family covers several passes of the same platform, and a cause that is a running change on one group can be absent on another. A sudden loss of cleaning between one load and the next is the pattern that points at the wash pump or the diverter instead.
What you can observe on these models
- Plastics come out wet while china is dry — Normal for condensation drying: plastics hold too little heat to evaporate their own film.
- Spray arm holes visibly blocked — Seeds, labels and scale close the small holes first, which drops coverage long before it drops pressure.
- Baked-on soil on items that used to come clean — A gradual change like this is accumulation in the filter or the sump rather than a component failure.
- A burnt or stale smell from the tub — Soil retained in the filter between cycles. It is the same cause as the grit, seen from a different sense.
- NEAR MISS — the cycle never starts or stops early — A control or latch problem produces dirty dishes without any wash system being at fault.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Filter and sump packed with soil — First on these models because the filter is a user-serviceable part that is rarely serviced, and a packed one guarantees redeposit no matter how healthy everything else is.
- Upper spray arm feed blocked or the arm seized — Second because it explains a half-clean load, which no other cause on this list does.
- Detergent dose, age and dispenser operation — Third: old detergent loses power in the box, and a dispenser blocked by a tall item never opens at all.
- Water temperature at the fill — Fourth, and free to improve by drawing hot water at the sink first.
- Diverter valve or wash pump wear — Last: the diverter alternates pressure between arms on this platform, so its failure looks like a coverage fault but needs a technician to confirm.
Check in this order, and why
- Read the pattern on the dishes — Uniform film is water and rinse aid; patchy grit is spray coverage; wet plastics alone are the drying system. Each sends you somewhere different.
- Run one load with a rinse-aid top-up and a fresh detergent — Two consumables changed at once is poor science, but it is the fastest way to clear the cheapest causes.
- Inspect the filter and the sump area for retained soil — What you find here predicts whether the next load will come out clean better than any other observation.
- Check the dispenser cup at the end of a cycle — Caked detergent means the cup never met flowing water, which is a loading or a dispenser fault rather than a wash one.
Before you open anything
Safety
Power the machine down at the breaker before anything comes out of the tub bottom; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. The heating element in the tub floor stays hot long after a cycle ends, so give it time before reaching past it, and keep the door supported rather than letting a loaded door drop.
Models in the CDT family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CDT800**N*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT805**N*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT828**V*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT84***N*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT858**V*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT858**Z*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT87***N*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT888**V*** | caf:dishwasher:cdt |
When to call a technician
Cleaning the filter, clearing spray holes and correcting the detergent are yours to do as often as needed. Call once a part has to be condemned, or if the machine trips its breaker during the heated part of a cycle — that is an element or a wiring fault and it does not improve with use.
Other faults covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
