The short answer
The usual answer on this unit is control lock, child lock or delay start set, with no power reaching the machine next. Both are free to check and neither needs the machine moved. All the early checks are free, and this page stops before any live terminal.
The symptoms, and their near misses
- It beeps when you press start and then stops — A refusal with a reason: the machine is telling you something is not ready.
- The panel lights but pressing start does nothing — The machine has power and is refusing, which is a different fault entirely.
- NEAR MISS: it runs a full cycle but cleans nothing — Read the cleaning page instead.
The ranking: most likely cause first
- Control lock, child lock or delay start set — A key symbol on the panel, or a delay set by a child pressing buttons, leaves a machine that lights up, accepts nothing and looks broken. Ranked first on this unit: it is free to rule out and it is the answer far more often than anyone expects on a machine with a touch panel, which counts for more here because this is a nameplate whose units are sourced rather than designed in-house, so the platform underneath varies between production runs and the order has to follow what the appliance class fails at rather than one wiring diagram.
- No power reaching the machine — A tripped breaker, a switched spur behind a cupboard, or a plug in a socket under the sink that has been knocked. Next, and for a closely related reason: a dishwasher is usually fed from a switch nobody can see, which is why this is checked early and not assumed.
- A door latch that is not fully engaging — The machine will not run unless the latch tells it the door is shut. Third, once the two above are clean: it is a mechanical part operated several times a day and it is the single most common reason a dishwasher refuses to start.
- A failed door switch or thermal fuse — The switch behind the latch and the thermal fuse on the board are both safety interruptions in the circuit. Last, and that is the point of this order: it needs the door panel off and a meter, which is where owner work stops.
The order to check in
- Look for a lock symbol or a delay indicator on the display — Both are easy to set by accident and easy to clear.
- Check the breaker, and find the switch or socket that feeds the machine — A dark panel means power. A lit panel means it is not power.
- Close the door firmly and listen for the latch to click home — If it starts only when pushed hard, you have found it.
What an owner can safely check
- Hold the lock button for a few seconds to clear a control lock, then cancel any delay start — Then try a cycle from a fresh start.
About 5 min
- Check the breaker, then find the switched spur or socket that feeds the machine and confirm it is on — Many are behind a cupboard door or inside the sink base.
Tools: a torchAbout 15 min
- STOP AT THIS POINT if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Safety first, and it is not boilerplate
Safety
Kill the power at the breaker, or unplug the machine, before a panel comes off, and close the supply valve under the sink before you touch a hose. The element in the sump holds heat long after a cycle ends, so give it time before you reach in. Never run the machine with its kick plate off, and never wedge a door latch to make a cycle start.
The line between a fix and a service call
Call once the latch clicks home, the power is confirmed at the switch, the controls are unlocked and the supply is open, because what is left is behind the door panel or on the board. Call immediately if the machine trips its breaker or smells hot.
Nearest pages of this class
Scope of this page, and where to go for more
This page covers the Westbend dishwasher as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it is linked here. Deliberately not here: switch part numbers, fuse ratings, board pinouts and any door panel removal sequence, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Links: - [Water under a Westbend freezer, and what it means](/blog/westbend-freezer-water-leak) - [Westbend dishwasher left full of water: what to check first](/blog/westbend-dishwasher-drainage-failure) - [Why a Whynter dishwasher will not start](/blog/whynter-dishwasher-wont-start)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
