The short answer
A dishwasher that will not start is usually refusing rather than broken: a door it does not consider shut, a lock that is set, or a delay it is still counting down. On this machine the first suspect is control lock, delayed start or demo mode.
What you observe
- The panel is completely dark — No power reaching the machine — the breaker, the switch or the socket.
- The panel lights but nothing happens on start — The machine has power and is declining to run.
- It beeps and the lights flash a pattern — A refusal with a reason: usually the door, a lock or a delay.
- NEAR MISS — it starts and runs but leaves the dishes dirty — That is a cleaning problem, not a start problem, and its own page ranks it.
Causes, most likely first on a Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) dishwasher
- Control lock, delayed start or demo mode — A delayed start counts down silently, so the machine looks dead until the delay expires. Ranked first on a Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) dishwasher: it is free to clear and it accounts for a large share of machines reported as completely dead.
- Control locked out after an interrupted cycle — The machine then ignores start until it has been reset at the breaker.
- Breaker, isolation switch or a tripped GFCI — A GFCI on the kitchen circuit trips for reasons elsewhere and leaves the machine dead.
- Door not latching, so the machine never confirms it — A rack pushed out slightly, or a tall item on the door shelf, holds the door a few millimetres open.
Check in this order, and why
- Look for a lock or delay indicator and try a long press on the lock key — Cancelling and reselecting the programme clears a delay.
- Ask whether the last cycle was interrupted — A full minute off the breaker is needed, not a quick flick.
- Check the breaker, the isolation switch under the sink and any GFCI on the circuit — The isolation switch is often inside the sink cabinet and easy to catch by accident.
What an owner can safely check
- Hold the lock key for several seconds, then cancel and reselect the programme — That clears both a control lock and a delayed start, which between them explain most refusals.
About 10 min
- Switch the machine off at the breaker or isolation switch for a full minute, then back on and start a short cycle — A full minute clears a latched control state; a quick flick often does not.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a panel off or a meter on live terminals — That is where the owner checks end and a service call begins, whatever the ranking says.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate the machine at its breaker or switch before opening the sump; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and sump water hides broken glass. Use a glove and a torch. Shut the supply valve before touching a hose connection. Never put weight on an open door — the hinges carry the door and the rack, and the cabinet is anchored to resist exactly that.
When to call a technician
Owner work here is the breaker, the isolation switch, the door, the control lock and the supply valve. The door switch behind the latch, the wiring and the control board are a technician's job. Book the authorised service channel for anything behind a panel; on this line the diagnostic mode is the fastest route to the cause and it is not a customer-facing tool.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This is the generalised Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) dishwasher page. A family- or model-specific page, where one exists, is linked above and is the more precise answer for your unit. Left out on purpose: part numbers, connector colours, the order panels come off in, and every torque figure — a generalised page cannot be right about any of them.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
