The short answer for this family
On the Criterion DG dishwasher family a machine that will not start is usually being stopped deliberately: by the door latch, by a delay or child lock, or by the supply, and only rarely by a failed part. On a portable or tap-connected variant the supply and drain are made and broken at every wash, which adds two failure points no built-under machine has Work down the list below before assuming anything is broken. Written against the one model the spine lists.
What you observe on these models
- It starts and stops again within a minute — A fill problem. The machine looks for water, does not find it, and gives up: check the tap before the machine.
- The machine only starts after the door is slammed — A latch or door switch on its way out. It is worth acting on before it stops working entirely, because it will.
- The controls respond but a light or indicator is flashing a pattern — A code is being shown. Note the pattern before you cut power, because switching off at the breaker usually clears it.
- NEAR MISS: the machine starts but stops part way through — A cycle that begins and abandons is a fill, drain or heat fault rather than a starting fault, and it has its own list.
What it usually turns out to be here
- The door is not latching, or the latch switch is worn — First on this platform: the latch both closes the door and tells the control it is closed. A rack pushed out slightly, or a worn latch, stops the cycle before it begins.
- No power is reaching the machine — Second: a tripped breaker, a switched spur behind a cupboard, or a plug shaken loose under the counter. A standard household branch circuit is rated 15 A or 20 A, and a tripped one is a symptom, not a nuisance.
- A child lock or delayed start is active — Ranked high because it costs nothing and is easy to set by accident. A machine in delay looks exactly like a machine that will not start.
- The supply tap is closed or the fill is restricted — A machine that cannot fill stops rather than runs. On this platform the tap is often behind a cupboard where it is closed during other work and never reopened.
What to check first, and why in this order
- Open and close the door firmly, then press start again — Push the lower rack fully in first. A rack fouling the latch is the single most common reason a cycle never begins on this kind of machine. Confirm your own model against the table first.
- Check power at the breaker and the spur — A dead panel is a power question. Reset the breaker once; if it trips again, stop and treat that as the fault rather than resetting it repeatedly.
- Look for a lock or delay indicator on the panel — Hold the lock button for a few seconds to clear it, and cancel any delayed start. Free, instant, and a genuinely common answer.
- Check the supply tap is fully open — The tap is usually under the sink and gets closed during other work. A machine that cannot fill will abandon the cycle rather than run dry.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker before removing the door panel or the console; a capacitor in the control can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not reset a breaker repeatedly to keep a machine running: a breaker that trips again is reporting a fault, and a standard household branch circuit is rated 15 A or 20 A for a reason. Never defeat the door latch switch to make a cycle run with the door open.
Models in the DG family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| DG1-A6301-AM | criterion:dishwasher:dg |
When this stops being owner work
Door, racks, locks, delay, tap and a single breaker reset are all owner work. Call when the breaker trips again, when the latch switch has failed, or when the panel is dead with power confirmed at the spur. On this platform the supply and drain connections have to be broken before most work can start, and on a tap-connected machine those fittings are the parts that have been handled most.
Other faults on these models
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
