The short answer
Most dishwasher noise is something in the wrong place — an item in the sump, a spray arm hitting a dish, or the machine loose in its opening.
What you observe
- A grinding or rattling during the wash phase
- A knocking that repeats as the spray arm turns
- A high whine that rises through the cycle
- A buzzing during the fill
- A humming with no water movement
- A thumping that shakes the cabinet
- Noise plus water left in the tub — Means: a drain problem — check that first
- Noise plus poor results — Means: the arms are being blocked
- A buzz with the machine idle — Means: an electrical noise, worth checking properly
Ranked causes
- A spray arm hitting an item in the rack — Position: first — Rank reason: a connected platform has settings and modes that produce symptoms indistinguishable from hardware faults — Owner fixable: true
- Loose items rattling in the racks — Position: second — Rank reason: a connected platform has settings and modes that produce symptoms indistinguishable from hardware faults — Owner fixable: true
- A small object in the sump or against the impeller — Position: third — Rank reason: the moving hardware is well built and fails after the sensed components do — Owner fixable: true
- Wash or drain pump bearing worn — Position: fourth — Rank reason: the moving hardware is well built and fails after the sensed components do — Owner fixable: false
- Filter not seated after cleaning — Position: fifth — Rank reason: the moving hardware is well built and fails after the sensed components do — Owner fixable: true
- Motor mount perished — Position: sixth — Rank reason: the moving hardware is well built and fails after the sensed components do — Owner fixable: false
- Basis: Ranked for the whole line, generalized across families.
Check in this order
- Establish whether your machine is front-control or top-control — Position: first
- Note when in the cycle the noise happens — Position: second
- Stop the machine and check the sump and filter — Position: third
- Spin the arms by hand with the racks loaded — Position: fourth
- Check the machine is level and secured — Position: fifth
Owner checks
- Run a cycle and note whether the noise happens on fill, during the wash, or on the drain. — Position: first — Tools: a notepad — Time: part of a cycle
- Open the door and look at the top edge for the control panel, then check whether the outer door carries a cabinet panel rather than a factory one. — Position: second — Tools: no tools needed — Time: a few minutes
- Stop the machine, twist out the filter and feel carefully round the sump for foreign objects. — Position: third — Tools: gloves, a flashlight — Time: a short job
- Load the racks as normal and spin each spray arm by hand through a full turn, watching for contact. — Position: fourth — Tools: none — Time: a few minutes
- Check the machine is level and that the mounting brackets are tight to the countertop or cabinet. — Position: fifth — Tools: a spirit level, a screwdriver — Time: a short job
- Re-seat the filter until it locks, and run one cycle with a light, well-secured load. — Position: sixth — Tools: none — Time: one cycle
- Note: Times are given as qualitative bands, not measured values.
Safety
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off.
When to call a technician
Call when the sump is clear, the arms turn freely, the machine is level and secured, and a whine or grinding remains — particularly if it rises with the wash phase.
Sources — This page carries no warehouse-derived figures; the only numbers in it are published safety constants, cited here.
General guidance- The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), 29 CFR 1910.147 — OSHA, fetched 2026-09-06
The nearest same-class pages
Generalized information
Links down: - [Café Dishwasher: Abnormal Noise or Vibration — Built-In Top-Control Family](/blog/caf-dishwasher-abnormal-noise)
Model-specific wiring, component locations, part numbers and code lists for individual Café models.
Related pages
- Common Café Dishwasher Problems — All Families
- Café Dishwasher: Does Not Clean or Dry — All Families
- Café Dishwasher: Controls, Display or Error Code — All Families
- Café Dishwasher: Cycle Will Not Run or Complete — All Families
- Café Dishwasher: Door, Latch or Seal Fault — All Families
- Café Dishwasher: Will Not Drain — All Families
SC
Sarah Chen
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
EPA 608 UniversalNASTeC Certified
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
