The short answer
Film, grit and wet plastics are three different complaints on the Cafe CDT family and they do not share a cause. The matrix below spans seven model tags across more than one prefix group, so running changes are real here and the tag decides which revision of a part a model takes. Grit is spray and filtration, white film is water hardness and rinse aid, wet plastics are the drying system doing exactly what it is designed to do on a low-energy cycle.
What you can observe on these models
- 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.
- Cycle time has got noticeably longer — The control is extending the cycle to reach its target temperature, which points at incoming water temperature or the heater.
- NEAR MISS — dirty water left standing in the tub — That is a drain fault, not a wash fault, and the drainage page covers it. Cleaning cannot be judged until the tub empties.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Hard water and rinse aid — Ranked first here because a vinegar rinse distinguishes deposit from permanent etching in a single load.
- Filter, sump and the drain path between cycles — Second: retained soil in the filter comes back on the next load and adds its own film to the mineral one.
- Spray coverage — arms, holes and loading — Third because the pattern on the dishes already tells you whether this is the cause.
- Incoming water temperature and cycle selection — Fourth: short or eco cycles on cool water are doing what they were designed to do, and no repair will change that.
- Heating element or wash pump failure — Last, and the point at which the job needs a meter.
Check in this order, and why
- Spin both spray arms by hand — They should turn freely through a full revolution with nothing catching. Anything that stops them stops the wash.
- Pull the filter and rinse it under the tap — On these models the filter twists out by hand. A packed one recirculates soil and is the commonest single cause.
- Hold each spray arm up to the light — Blocked holes show immediately. Clear them with a toothpick rather than a drill bit or wire.
- Run the tap at the sink until it is hot, then start the cycle — It costs nothing and removes water temperature from the list for the next load.
Before you open anything
Safety
Kill power at the breaker before working in the sump — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not mix cleaning products in the tub: chlorine and acid descalers together produce gas in a closed cabinet. Run any descaler exactly as its label says, alone, on an empty machine.
Models in the CDT family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CDT805**N*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT828**V*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT84***N*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT858**V*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT858**Z*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT87***N*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
| CDT888**V*** | cafe:dishwasher:cdt |
When to call a technician
On the Cafe CDT family the owner side is the filter, the spray arms, the loading, the detergent and the rinse aid. Call when the arms turn freely, the filter is clean, the water is hot and the load still comes out dirty — at that point the diverter, the wash pump or the heater is the remaining candidate and each needs the machine pulled and a meter. Call sooner if you find glass in the sump you cannot remove safely.
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.
