Though you expect your Frigidaire dishwasher to start running when its start light blinks, sometimes it won’t. Generally, it’s not uncommon to deal with a Frigidaire dishwasher not starting lights blinking as the causes are often things you least suspect.
Your Frigidaire dishwasher blinks but won’t start due to a cycle or power interruption, delayed start time, Child Lock, paused cycle, incompletely latched door, or a defective touchpad, control panel, heating element, drain pump, or main control board.
Some of these 11 issues are not serious, and you can fix them with only a restart of the dishwasher. Others, however, involve replacing the failing component, which calls for a surefire approach because you wouldn’t want to replace the defective part.
On that note, this guide shall help you to identify the faulty component. But first, we’ll go through the issues you can fix with a reset or just a tiny action before diving into those calling for a component replacement.
Let’s jump in!
In a hurry? Consider the 11 issues that could potentially stop your Frigidaire dishwasher from starting despite the start light flashing.
Frigidaire Dishwasher Lights Flashing But Won’t Start – Quick Troubleshooting Guide
| Likely Reason | Fix | |
| 1. | Cycle Interruption | Shut the dishwasher door and restart it |
| 2. | Power Interruption | Reset the dishwasher |
| 3. | Delayed Start | Disable Delay Start |
| 4. | Active Child Lock | Disable Child Lock |
| 5. | Paused Cycle | Wait for the cycle to resume its wash cycle |
| 6. | Incompletely Latched Door | Completely latch the door and if it won’t, examine the micro switch for continuity and replace it if it shows none |
| 7. | Defective Touchpad | Replace the touchpad if some of the buttons are non-responsive |
| 8. | Defective Control Panel | First, clean off the corrosion from the ribbon cables and fix any loose connectors. If the control panel is broken, replace it |
| 9. | Burnt Heating Element | Replace the heating element |
| 10. | Faulty Drain Pump | Replace the drain pump |
| 11. | Dead Main Control Board | Get a new control board or dishwasher |
Why is My Frigidaire Dishwasher Not Starting Lights Blinking?
Your Frigidaire dishwasher flashes the start light but won’t start a cycle due to one of these seven reasons:
1. Cycle Interruption
If you accidentally open the door mid-cycle, the dishwasher will blink its start light. That, however, doesn’t mean something is wrong with the appliance. However, unless you return its door, the dishwasher won’t start.
Fix
Open the dishwasher door, firmly shut it, and start a new cycle.
2. Power Interruption
A power interruption will have the same impact as a cycle interruption. It stops the dishwasher from starting, and what it does, however, is blinking the start button.
Fix
If there was a power interruption, consider resetting your dishwasher. You can do that by pressing Heat-Dry + Hi-Temp on the control panel for a few seconds. Alternatively, plug out the dishwasher for 5 minutes and then plug it back in.
3. Delayed Start Time
Frigidaire dishwashers, like other brands, have the Delay Start function, which stops the dishwasher from starting immediately. Instead, it schedules it to start at a preset time. In most cases, the delay the delayed start time is between 1 hour and 24 hours.
Fix
Disable Start Relay by pressing Start/Cancel on the control panel for a few seconds.
4. Active Child Lock
The Child Lock function is a safety feature by Frigidaire that enables you to stop kids from operating the dishwasher. That means it prevents the dishwasher from starting and shows its activation by flashing.
Fix
You can disable Child Lock as Delay Start – by pressing Start/Cancel until the code LOC disappears from the display.
5. Paused Cycle
If the cycle is paused, the Frigidaire dishwasher may stop running and only flash its start light. That differs from an interrupted process, which is about opening the door mid-cycle.
You can tell the dishwasher’s cycle is paused if the Heat-Dry and Hi-Temp buttons are flashing. But the paused phase is ordinarily short, and the dishwasher usually resumes its wash cycle.
Fix
Wait for the dishwasher to resume its cycle. If it doesn’t, open the door, close it, and start the cycle. Alternatively, reset the dishwasher by plugging it out of its power supply for 5 minutes and then plugging it back in.
6. Incompletely Latched Door
If the dishwasher door is not firmly secured, the dishwasher may interpret it as an error and fail to start. It could be that the door switch is defective and unable to engage completely. But before getting to that, it could be that something is impeding the door.
Fix
Try shutting the dishwasher door. Check if there’s an obstruction and remove it. However, if the door won’t lock, test the micro switch with a multimeter and replace it if it has no continuity.
7. Defective Touchpad
If some of the lights on the touchpad are lighting up while others aren’t, it’s highly likely that the touchpad is defective. In such a case, the display will be working, but some buttons, including the power button, might be non-responsive.
Fix
Replace the touchpad if the display works fine, but some buttons are non-responsive.
8. Defective Control Panel
Several issues could cause the control panel to malfunction, and when it does, the dishwasher may fail to start and will only blink. These issues include:
- The ribbon cables which connect the control panel with the touchpad could be corroded or loose, thus breaking down the touchpad-control panel connection
- The control panel could be broken
Fix
Clean the ribbon cables to remove the corrosion; if they are loose, tighten the connection. Replace the control panel, nonetheless, if it’s broken.
9. Burned Heating Element
The heating element warms/heats the dishwashing water. If it’s burnt, not only will the dishwasher water fail to heat up, but the appliance may fail to start. Instead, the control panel will continue blinking.
Fix
Using a multimeter, you can check if your dishwasher’s heating element works. If it is, then it’ll have continuity. However, if it doesn’t work, there won’t be any continuity; consequently, you should replace it.
10. Faulty Drain Pump
Sometimes the Frigidaire dishwasher fails to start and only blinks due to a defective drain pump. The blinking indicates that you should inspect the drain pump for fault and replace it.
Remember, if the drain pump doesn’t work, it cannot pump out water from the tub, making it impossible for the dishwasher to clean the dishes.
Fix
Test the drain pump motor for continuity using a multimeter. If it lacks continuity, that shows it’s faulty, and instead of replacing the motor alone, replace the entire drain pump.
11. Dead Main Control Board
Lastly, if you can’t find out why your dishwasher only blinks but won’t start, it could be that its main control board is no more. It could be dead, thus unable to control the dishwasher’s operation.
One part of the main control board that could go wrong and shut down the whole board is the printed circuit board (PCB). It could have short-circuited, thus stopping the dishwasher from starting.
Fix
A dishwasher’s control board is irreparable. Thus, replacing the whole thing or getting a new dishwasher is advisable.
Frigidaire Dishwasher Blinking Blue Light
Ordinarily, a properly working Frigidaire dishwasher’s control panel blinks blue light when a cycle is running, and you must wait for it to complete. However, if the blinking doesn’t stop, you should open and close the dishwasher door and restart it.
Frigidaire Dishwasher Blinking Green Light
When the cycle ends, you can expect a working Frigidaire dishwasher to blink the green light. However, if the blinking doesn’t stop and the dishwasher produces three green lights, it could point to an error code or a defective heating element.
So, try resetting the dishwasher; if that doesn’t work, check if the heating element has electrical continuity. If it doesn’t, replace it.
Frigidaire Dishwasher Not Starting Lights On
At times the Frigidaire dishwasher turns the lights on but fails to start. That mostly rules out a power issue, and you should consider resetting the dishwasher instead.
But how do you reset the flashing light on a Frigidaire dishwasher?
Here are some options to consider:
- Option 1 – Unplug the dishwasher, flip off its circuit breaker for at least 5 minutes, and restore its power supply.
- Option 2 – Press Cancel + Hi-Temp for 4 seconds and then Start to advance to another cycle before starting a new cycle.
If the reset doesn’t work, consider inspecting the door switch for continuity and replacing it if it shows none.
People Also Ask
1. Why Is My Frigidaire Dishwasher Start Light Blinking?
If your Frigidaire dishwasher’s start light blinks, it’s likely due to a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) fault. In such a case, the dishwasher won’t start. While its fix often involves replacing the main control board, you should first reset the dishwasher.
2. Why Is My Frigidaire Dishwasher Blinking and Not Starting?
Several issues could cause your Frigidaire dishwasher to blink but not start. They include active Delay Start or Child Lock, a door or power interruption, or a defective component such as the heating element drain pump, touchpad, or control panel.
3. Why Is My Frigidaire Dishwasher Blinking 3 Lights?
Your Frigidaire dishwasher is most likely blinking three lights because the spray arms are obstructed, thus unable to spray the dishes with water. If so, the dishes won’t come out clean. It could also be that the water supply is off.
So, you may need to unobstruct the spray arms and turn on the water supply valve. But before you do, consider resetting the dishwasher.
Closing Thoughts on Frigidaire Dishwasher Not Starting Lights Blinking:
Generally, the above 11 issues are a must-consider when your Frigidaire dishwasher doesn’t start despite the control panel flashing. Start by checking for a power or cycle interruption, which calls for a restart or reset.
Then check if Delay Start or Child Lock is on and disable them, and if the cycle is paused, you can wait. Try to firmly latch the door if it’s not 100% secure.
And if that doesn’t work, consider that the touchpad, control panel, heating element, drain pump, or main control board could be defective and thus need a replacement.
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