The short answer
A dead dishwasher is usually the cabinet socket or its spur switch. A lit machine that will not run is usually the door latch, a delay start or a child lock, in that order, and each is cleared without tools.
Which is yours
- No lights at all — Supply: the socket, the spur or the breaker.
- Lit, but nothing happens on start — A condition is not satisfied.
- A delay indication counting down — It is waiting deliberately.
- A lock symbol showing — Child lock active.
- It hums briefly then stops — A condition failing immediately, often the water supply.
- Not this fault: it starts and stops midway — That is the cycle page.
Ranked for built-in machines
- Cabinet socket switched off at its spur — First, and it is invisible behind a cabinet door.
- Door not latched — First among lit machines; the latch has to make before anything runs.
- Delay start or a program not confirmed — Third, and both look exactly like a refusal.
- Child lock engaged — Fourth, and it survives power cycling.
- Water supply tap closed — Fifth: the machine may refuse to begin without it.
- Latch switch, control or supply component — Last, and the point at which it is service work.
Check it in this order
- Open the cabinet and check the socket and its switch — The most common single finding on a dead machine.
- Check the breaker — Two minutes, and it costs nothing.
- Push the door firmly closed and press start — The most common finding on a lit machine.
- Look for a delay, a lock or an unconfirmed program — The last of the free checks.
Owner checks
- Find the socket in the adjacent cabinet and confirm it is switched on — Spur switches get knocked while cleaning.
Tools: torchAbout 10 min
- Check the breaker and reset it once if tripped — Once only; a repeat trip is an electrical fault.
About 10 min
- Close the door firmly until the latch engages — Listen for it rather than assuming it.
About 5 min
- Clear any delay start and confirm the program — Both are common and both cost nothing.
About 5 min
- Open the water supply tap under the sink — Some machines will not begin without a supply.
Tools: torchAbout 10 min
- Stop before opening the door panel or the base — Mains wiring and the latch switch live there.
Before anything is opened
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never force or bridge the door latch to make a machine run, do not reset a breaker repeatedly if it trips whenever the machine is connected, and close the water supply before disturbing any fitting under the sink.
When to call
Call when the socket and breaker are proven and the machine is still dead, or when a properly latched door with no delay and no lock still refuses. Both point inside the machine. Call at once if the breaker trips whenever the dishwasher is connected, because that is an electrical fault rather than a starting problem, and it belongs on the electrical-safety page.
Other faults here
Scope
Generalized across dishwasher families under this badge; where a family-specific or model-specific page exists it is the narrower answer. Not here: latch and board part numbers, child-lock key sequences, supply arrangements and program confirmation steps by generation.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
