Try this before anything else
Open the door fully and close it again with a firm push until it clicks, then select a programme and press start. On countertop machines an unlatched door and an unpressed start button account for more dead-machine complaints than every electrical cause combined, and neither gives you any warning that it is the problem. Only when both are ruled out is the receptacle worth testing.
What you are seeing
- Completely silent, no lights — Supply, or a tripped receptacle. Nothing on the panel means nothing is reaching it.
- Panel lit, programme showing, nothing running — The machine has power and is waiting. Latch or start press.
- A small indicator lit that you did not set — A delay timer counting down. The machine is behaving correctly.
- It started, then stopped and went dark mid-cycle — A trip or a thermal cut-out, which is a different fault from never starting.
- NEAR MISS - it fills and hums but does not wash — Power is present. This is a spray or pump problem.
Causes, ranked for a countertop machine
- The door is not fully latched — First, and by a distance: the latch switch has to be made before anything runs, and these doors give no audible confirmation when it is not.
- A programme selected but never started — Second. On most of these panels selection and start are separate presses, and a selected machine sits silently forever.
- The protected counter receptacle has tripped — Third. The reset may be on an outlet elsewhere in the kitchen, which is why nobody finds it.
- A delay timer left set — Fourth, and it is easy to set by accident on a small panel where the keys are close together.
- Cord, plug or an internal thermal cut-out — Last. The cut-out shows itself by the machine having stopped mid-cycle rather than never having started.
The order this page argues for
- Latch first, because it is free and it is the top cause — Open fully, close firmly, listen for the click.
- Then the panel state — A lit panel already proves supply, which removes the next two causes from consideration.
- Then the receptacle, but only if the panel is dark — Testing outlets on a machine whose panel is lit is time spent for nothing.
- Delay timer, then a power-cycle reset — Both are free, and the reset is the last thing worth trying before calling.
Owner checks
- Open the door fully and close it firmly — Listen for the latch. Check nothing in the top rack is holding the door proud.
About 5 min
- Select a programme, then press start — Watch the panel for an indicator change confirming the machine accepted it.
About 5 min
- Look for a delay indicator and cancel it — Holding the cancel or start key usually clears a pending delay.
About 5 min
- Test the receptacle with a lamp, and reset it — Check other kitchen outlets for the reset button that protects this one.
Tools: table lampAbout 10 min
- Unplug for a few minutes, then restore — A full power-down clears a latched control state that a quick replug does not.
About 10 min
- STOP before opening the panel or the casing — The latch switch and the supply terminations are behind them and both need a meter.
Two things not to do
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 hold, tape or wedge the latch closed to make a machine run with the door open: the latch switch exists so that the heat, the pump and the scalding water cannot operate while the tub is open to the room. And keep the machine on a proper wall receptacle - a US household branch circuit is 15 A or 20 A at 120 V, and a heated appliance does not belong on a strip or an extension cord.
When it is genuinely a fault
Call when the door latches audibly, a programme is selected and started, the receptacle is proven with a lamp, and the machine still does nothing - at that point the latch switch, the cord termination or the control has failed, and all three sit behind the casing. Call sooner, and leave it unplugged, if the machine stopped mid-cycle and will not restart while warm, or if the plug or cord is hot. The first of those is a thermal cut-out with a reason behind it, and the reason is what needs finding.
Nearest pages of this class
Where this page stops
This is generalized information across the dishwashers sold under this nameplate - countertop, portable and built-in machines whose panels and latches are not the same. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is the more specific answer and is linked here. Not attempted on a generalized page: which key sequence cancels a delay on your panel, the latch switch part number, and the cut-out reset behaviour for your model, all of which differ between families and would send you to the wrong part if guessed.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
