5 Reasons Your Bosch Dishwasher Starts Then Stops (Fixed!)

Wondering why your Bosch dishwasher starts then stops? Does it do it frequently, and you now suspect a malfunction or a component failure? Well, there are obvious explanations for such an issue.

Your Bosch dishwasher starts and stops due to a power or water interruption, an incorrectly latched door, a control panel malfunction, or a failed component. And concerning the last part, the failed component could be the fan assembly, pump, motor, or electronic control board.

So, there are ideally five essential checks when your Bosch dishwasher doesn’t complete a cycle. Even though some of these issues will require a dishwasher expert’s input, most of them are DIY. So, once you know what to check, you can tell when to call an expert and when to fold your sleeves and get handy.

This Bosch dishwasher troubleshooting guide will help you identify those issues that won’t let your dishwasher run and address them. So, let’s jump in!

Bosch dishwasher starts then stops

In a hurry? Then consider the five issues highlighted earlier and their quick fixes in the table below.

Quick Troubleshooting Guide for Bosch Dishwasher That Starts Then Stops Mid-Cycle

Likely CauseFix
1.Interrupted Power SupplyRestore power, and if unsuccessful, call an electrician.
2.Interrupted Water SupplyRestore the water supply, and if unsuccessful, call a plumber.
3.Incorrectly Latched DoorRemove any obstruction on the dishwasher door and replace a damaged door latch, lock, or hinge.
4.Control Panel MalfunctionReset the dishwasher, and if the control panel is defective, replace it.
5.Failed ComponentReplace the fan assembly, pump, motor, or electronic control board.

Why Your Bosch Dishwasher Starts and Stops Repeatedly

Different issues could stop your Bosch dishwasher from completing a cycle once it starts running, and here are the obvious considerations:

1. Interrupted Power Supply

Your dishwasher won’t continue running without an adequate power supply. So, it’s essential to check for any potential power supply disruption.

In most cases, the disruption happens as a power surge, where the circuit breaker may trip or the thermal fuse may blow up. So, you must check which of the two applies to your case if your dishwasher won’t turn on.

Fix

First, check if your Bosch dishwasher has power. If it doesn’t, check if the cause is a tripped circuit breaker or blown-up fuse. If the circuit breaker is tripped up, reset it.

However, if that’s not the case, test the fuse with a multimeter to see if it has continuity and replace it if it doesn’t.

2. Interrupted Water Supply

Another interruption could be with the water supply, and just like in the case of power, the dishwasher may stop running if its water supply is interrupted.

That could result from someone turning off the power supply or perhaps the supply tube kinking, pinching, or disconnecting. Thus, check all these possibilities.

Fix

If the water supply is off, turn it off, and if the water supply tube is kinked or pinched, straighten it out. If the supply tube is disconnected, reconnect it, and if you can’t do it, find someone who can, preferably an expert plumber.

3. Incorrectly Latched Door

Your Bosch dishwasher will stop mid-cycle if it detects the door is not well latched. That could be due to an obstruction on its path or a damaged part such as the door latch, door lock, or door hinge.

If the door latch, for example, is defective, the door cannot latch securely, and if the door lock is broken, it interferes with the door micro switch’s ability to engage and lock the door.

But if it’s a case of a damaged hinge, it’ll leave a slight gap which the dishwasher sensor will interpret as an unlatched door.

Fix

Inspect the door latch, door lock, and door hinge. If any of the two is damaged, replace it.

Bosch dishwasher starts and stops repeatedly

4. Control Panel Malfunction

A malfunctioning control panel can also stop a dishwasher from completing a wash cycle. You can tell if some of the buttons on the control panel are non-responsive or if the control panel itself won’t light up when you press a button.  

Fix

Touch all the buttons to see if they are all responsive. If they are not, consider first resetting the dishwasher to see if all the control panel controls will become responsive and here’s how to do it:

  • Hold ‘Start’ on the control panel and wait for the dishwasher to go off
  • Press ‘Start’ again and wait for it to power on
  • If it doesn’t, unplug the dishwasher for at least 3 minutes and try to restart it

5. Failed Component

Lastly, your Bosch dishwasher might stop mid-cycle because one critical component is malfunctioning. The component, in this case, could be any of these:

  • Fan assembly – If the fan assembly fails, the dishwasher won’t transition to the dry cycle and will abort mid-cycle. As a result, the dishes will come out either wet or stained.
  • Pump – Your Bosch dishwasher will fail to circulate water inside if the pump won’t work. It could be that the pump is excessively clogged or just faulty.
  • Motor – Like in the case of the pump, the motor won’t circulate water if it’s either clogged or defective.
  • Electronic control board – If none of the components above is defective, your dishwasher might be aborting mid-cycle because the electronic control board (ECB) is faulty.

Fix

First, check if the fan assembly is damaged and replace it. Then check the pump and motor for clogging and unclog them. But if they are damaged, replace them. Lastly, replace the ECB if you cannot find any other defective component.

Bosch Dishwasher Starts Then Stops and Beeps

There are different reasons why a Bosch dishwasher stops mid-cycle or won’t start and beeps. Often, the beep is an indication that you should check something.

Generally, consider these issues if your Bosch dishwasher stops mid cycle and beeps:

  • Open door – Check if the dishwasher door is slightly open or not firmly latched and secure it. If the latch, lock, or hinge is damaged, replace it.
  • Blown-up fuse – Inspect the thermal fuse (with a multimeter) for continuity. If it doesn’t have any continuity, replace it.
  • Control board failure – You can try to reset the dishwasher to fix any control board malfunction. If that doesn’t work, have an expert check the control board for short-circuiting and replace it.

Bosch Dishwasher Stops 3 Minutes into Cycle

While you don’t expect your Bosch dishwasher to stop 3 minutes into the wash cycle, it can happen sometimes. When it does, you may want to try resetting the washer. Just plug it out for three minutes and restart it to see if it works.

If it doesn’t start, check if you have a blown-up fuse and replace it. But if the fuse is okay, it could be a timer malfunction or a short-circuited electronic control board; in both cases, you must replace the malfunctioning component.  

Bosch dishwasher stops mid cycle and beeps

Bosch Dishwasher Starts to Drain Then Stops

Your Bosch dishwasher needs to drain so freshwater can come in and the dishes can come out clean. Sadly, however, sometimes it won’t, and it could be due to a clogged filter, pump, or air gap. 

In that case, check all these parts for clogging and clean them to encourage proper drainage. And if the issue has nothing to do with dishwasher clogging, check the drain hose for kinks and straighten them out to promote drainage.   

But still, the drain pump could be defective, thus unable to pump out the wastewater.

Bosch Dishwasher Starts to Fill Then Stops

You want your dishwasher to fill up with water so that you can start a cycle. So, the chances are that the Bosch dishwasher won’t start if it doesn’t fill up correctly.

If so, it could be due to a stuck or damaged float. So, check if the float is stuck and unstick it; if it’s damaged, replace it.

It could also be due to a defective circulator motor or pump. If the motor is faulty, it won’t run, and that stops the dishwasher from filling up completely. 

And if the pump is defective, it won’t pump the water into the dishwasher or fill up. In both cases, replace the faulty dishwasher part.

People Also Ask

1. How Do You Reset a Bosch Dishwasher?

You can quickly reset your malfunctioning Bosch dishwasher by unplugging it for 3 minutes or more. But first, press down the start switch to shut it down forcefully; and then plug it out.

2. Why Does My Bosch Dishwasher Shut Off After a Few Minutes?

Your Bosch dishwasher shuts off after a few minutes because of a power interruption. It could be that the circuit breaker is tripping off, the power cord is loose, or the thermal fuse is blown up.

But if the issue is not a power interruption, it’s likely a water interruption. In that case, something is stopping your dishwasher from getting enough water, and it could be a turned-off supply tap or a kinked supply tube.

3. Why Is My Bosch Dishwasher Blinking and Not Starting?

Your Bosch dishwasher may blink and fail to start for different reasons, but this is often a fault code. It could be that the dishwasher door is not well latched, and the dishwasher sees it as open.

It could also be that the door switch is defective and therefore doesn’t allow the door to latch completely. In such a case, you should replace the door switch.

4. Why Does My Bosch Dishwasher Stop at 1 Minute?

Your Bosch dishwasher stops after a minute of running because of clogging, mainly affecting the drain pump or hose. In such a case, the dishwasher is unable to pump out water.

If the issue is not clogging-related, it could be that the heating element is not working. Since the dishwasher depends on it to heat the water, it may stop after a minute or so of starting.

Closing Thoughts

Above are the five critical probable explanations for why your Bosch dishwasher starts then stops. Thus, it’s essential first to check if there’s a power or water interruption, and if it’s none of the two issues, check the door to ensure it’s well latched.

If it’s none of those three issues, check the control panel for fault and replace it if it’s non-responsive. But if that’s not the case, consider replacing the fan assembly, pump, motor, or ECB, depending on what’s not working.