What you are looking at
A dishwasher makes a predictable set of sounds — filling, spraying, draining — and a new noise is usually something loose in the tub, a spray arm hitting a dish, or a pump with debris in it. On a Crosley a wash or drain pump bearing failing comes first, because on a machine that has been in the same place for years, the parts that have been moving all that time are where the fault usually is. Loose items, loading and filter debris are owner work; a wash pump or motor bearing is not. The order below is written for a long-service machine in a settled installation; on a unit that was installed or moved in the last few weeks, setup and supply faults rank above everything here.
The observables
- A loud humming with no water movement — A motor energised but stalled, which needs immediate attention.
- A rhythmic knocking during the wash — A spray arm striking something in the rack on every sweep.
- A grinding or buzzing during the drain — Glass, a label or a bone fragment in the pump.
- NEAR MISS — A single thump as the cycle changes step — The diverter or the drain valve, and it is also normal.
What is actually wrong, ranked
- A wash or drain pump bearing failing — Ranked first here: on a machine that has been in the same place for years, the parts that have been moving all that time are where the fault usually is. A bearing noise grows over weeks and is present throughout the step the pump runs in, with nothing loose to find.
- A spray arm bearing worn, or an arm not clicked home — Ranked second: An arm that is loose on its mount wobbles and slaps rather than spinning cleanly, and it also sprays unevenly.
- A spray arm hitting a dish or a rack item — Ranked third: A tall glass, a handle hanging through the rack or a pan lid leaning over the arm makes a regular knock that follows the arm’s rotation.
- Glass, labels or bone in the sump and pump — Ranked fourth, and last: Hard debris passes the coarse filter and reaches the impeller, where it rattles for the whole cycle and eventually jams something. The filters, screens and seals on a long-service unit are years older than the owner tends to remember, and they fail gradually rather than suddenly.
What to check first, second, third
- Note whether the noise follows a step rather than the arm rotation — A noise tied to the drain step alone is the drain pump; one through the whole wash is the wash pump. First, because a long-service unit reports its consumables before it reports anything else, and this check costs nothing.
- Lift each arm and check it is secure and spins freely — Play at the hub or an arm that lifts off easily is the fault.
- Spin both spray arms by hand with the load in place — If either catches, the noise is explained and the load is the fix.
What to try before calling
- Refit the arms fully and confirm they spin without wobble — If an arm is cracked or its hub is worn, note it — it affects cleaning as well as noise.
About 15 min
- Reload so nothing protrudes into the arm’s path and spin the arms by hand to confirm — Handles pointing down, lids to the sides, nothing through the rack wires.
About 10 min
- Stop here if the next move needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Read this before you start
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 taps before any hose comes off, and never bypass a door or lid switch to run the machine open.
Where an owner fix ends
Call when the tub is clear, the arms spin freely, the sump is clean and the machine is secure, and the noise continues — a pump or motor bearing needs the machine pulled out and opened.
Related pages for this appliance
What this page does not cover
This is the family-agnostic page for Crosley dishwashers. Nothing more specific exists to send you to at the moment; a model-level page, once written, is linked here and is the better answer. Deliberately not here: wiring colours, resistance values, torque figures and part numbers, which differ between families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
