Honestly, the Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel not working can be troubling since you can’t select or change the dishwasher’s setting. If so, you must find and fix the reason for the non-responsive control panel.
Often, a Kitchenaid dishwasher’s control panel doesn’t work due to a failed power supply, an electronic glitch, a lock mode, a fault code, a blown thermal fuse, filthy ribbon cables, a defective door latch or control panel, or a damaged touchpad or control board.
So, you ought to go through the ten reasons if you ever want to troubleshoot your non-responsive dishwasher control panel. And remember, it only takes one reason for the control panel not to work.
I will discuss the ten issues and their troubleshooting, and we’ll also look at some related issues that you may also troubleshoot. Ultimately, you wouldn’t have to call Kitchenaid or your local dishwasher expert.
Let’s dive in!
In a hurry? Below is a quick guide to troubleshooting a non-responsive Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel:
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Not Responding – Quick Guide
| – | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Failed Power Supply | Check your dishwasher’s power supply to ensure the dishwasher has power and turns on. |
| 2. | Electronic Hitch | Reset the dishwasher |
| 3. | Lock Mode | Cancel Child Lock, Demo Mode, or Sabbath Mode |
| 4. | Fault Code | Consult the manual to troubleshoot the error code. |
| 5. | Blown Thermal Fuse | Replace the thermal fuse if it won’t pass the multimeter continuity check. |
| 6. | Filthy Ribbon Cables | Clean the ribbon cables if they are filthy. |
| 7. | Defective Door Latch | Replace a damaged door latch or defective door micro switch. |
| 8. | Defective Control Panel | Replace the control panel if the display works, but some of the buttons are non-responsive |
| 9. | Damaged Touchpad | Replace the touchpad if the buttons are still non-responsive after replacing the control panel. |
| 10. | Dead Control Board | Replace the main control board if neither the display nor the buttons work. |
Why Is My Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Not Working?
Now, below are ten reasons most Kitchenaid dishwasher control panels fail:
1. Lack of Power
Your Kitchenaid dishwasher requires power to light up and engage the control panel. The lack of it or a supply failure will result in a non-responsive control panel.
Not only will the control panel fail to light up, but it’ll also fail to make any sound when engaged if there’s a lack of power.
Here are the things to look at when the dishwasher control panel lacks power:
- Loose power cord
- Tripped breaker
- Tripped Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GCFI)
- Burnt or loose wires at the junction box
Fix
Start by checking the power cord to ensure it is firmly plugged into the power. Then, inspect the circuit breaker for tripping and flip it back on. Also, reset the GFCI interrupter if it’s off and call an electrician if there are any loose or burnt wires at the junction box.
2. Software Glitch
All electronics, including dishwashers, sometimes suffer an electronic hitch (or software glitch). Once that happens, the control panel becomes non-responsive. It doesn’t respond to any command until you bypass this freeze state.
Fix
Consider resetting your Kitchenaid dishwasher to bypass its freeze state and fix any software glitches. You can do it by taking it out of the power for at least 60 seconds. That requires you to flip the circuit breaker off or plug the dishwasher out (hard reset).
If the reset doesn’t work, then the issue wasn’t a software glitch in the first place.
3. Lock Mode
Some settings lock the control panel, rendering it non-responsive. That includes Child Lock, Demo Mode, and Sabbath Mode.
Child Lock, for example, inactivates all controls besides the power switch, which means your Kitchenaid dishwasher won’t start running even if you press ‘start.’
Demo Mode is just a ‘demonstration mode’ as the name suggests, which means the dishwasher isn’t meant to run normally, while Sabbath Mode cuts off the power supply to the control panel, making it non-responsive.
Fix
Cancel the Child Lock, Demo Mode, or Sabbath Mode if any such setting is active. If you don’t know how, quickly reset the dishwasher, as shared earlier.
4. Error Code
Sometimes, the control panel becomes non-responsive because of a fault code. Fault codes generally appear to indicate that you should act on them urgently. If you don’t, the result may be a non-working control panel.
Fix
Check your dishwasher troubleshooting manual for the meaning of the error code and troubleshoot it. You can also check out the error code online or quickly do a reset to see if it’ll clear.
5. Blown Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse, which you find close to the control panel or on the control board, protects the dishwasher from possibly overheating during a power surge. It blows up in place of the dishwasher in such a case, and when it does, the dishwasher can’t run, and the control panel will not light up.
Fix
Probe a multimeter into a thermal fuse to determine if it has continuity. Replace it if it doesn’t.
6. Dirty Ribbon Cables
The dishwasher control panel has some internal wires that facilitate inter-device communications that we call ribbon cables. These cables, unfortunately, accumulate dirt over time, and when they do, they won’t allow the control panel to communicate with other parts of the dishwasher, especially the control board. Ultimately, that makes the control panel non-responsive.
Fix
Inspect the ribbon cables for filthiness and clean them with a pencil eraser.
7. Faulty Door Latch
Inside the door latch is a micro switch that engages it to enable the door to latch firmly. Once this switch fails or the door latch breaks, the door won’t lock, and when the control panel detects that, it may become non-responsive.
Fix
Inspect the door latch for physical damage and replace it if it appears so. If it’s okay, test the micro switch with a multimeter and exchange it if it shows no continuity.
8. Faulty Control Panel
The issue could have been the control panel all along, which is beyond its better days. You cannot expect the control panel to work if it’s damaged, and you can tell that if the display works (lights come on), but some buttons aren’t responsive.
Fix
Consider replacing a Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel if the display works and some buttons won’t respond.
Here’s how to replace the control panel of your Kitchenaid dishwasher:
- First, get a compatible Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel replacement
- Then power off and disconnect the dishwasher from the wall outlet
- Unscrew the dishwasher control panel from the door panel, take it out, and set it aside
- Disconnect the wiring on the old control panel
- Attach the wiring to the replacement control panel
- Screw the replacement control panel on the door panel just like the original control panel was
- Restore power to the dishwasher and try the control panel
If the control panel still doesn’t work, the issue could be the touchpad or the control board, which I’ll discuss next
9. Damaged Touchpad
A damaged touchpad behaves similarly to a damaged control panel. In both cases, the display works, but some (not all) buttons don’t. So, it makes sense to consider the touchpad after ruling out the control panel.
Interestingly, some dishwashers have the touchpad and control panel fixed as a pair, which means you can’t replace one and leave the other. So you may solve this issue by fixing the one before it.
Fix
Consider replacing the touchpad if the control panel still won’t work after replacing it.
10. Dead Control Board
Lastly, the whole issue could result from the main control board going kaput! With the main control board regulating nearly all dishwasher functions, you can expect the control panel not to be responsive.
A dead control board causes the control panel not to display anything, and all the buttons fail to respond. That’s unlike a dead control panel where only some buttons are non-responsive.
Fix
Replace the control board if the buttons are not responsive and the display doesn’t work. But first, ensure it’s not a power supply issue as it also presents with the same symptoms.
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Lights Blinking
Your Kitchenaid control panel lights blink as an error code to show a possible fault. The fault could be any of the following:
- Power interruption or failure
- Delayed Start setting
- Drain pump fault
- Burnt heating element
- Failed door latch
- Defective control panel
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Won’t Light Up
Ideally, the Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel won’t light up for three reasons. First, it could be that the dishwasher doesn’t have power, and if so, check for a loose plug, tripped GFCI/circuit breaker, or an outage.
If the dishwasher has power, but the control panel still won’t light up, it could be that the thermal fuse has blown up, and if that’s not it, it could be that the main control board is no longer working.
People Also Ask
1. How Can I Reset a Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel?
Generally, here are two ways you can perform the Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel reset:
- Option 1 – Flip off the circuit breaker for at least 60 seconds and then flip it back on and start the dishwasher
- Option 2 – Plug out the dishwasher for at least 60 seconds and then plug it back and power it on
2. How Can I Test a Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel?
You can test your Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel by observing how the display and the buttons behave. If some buttons are non-responsive and the display doesn’t light up or show anything, it’s likely a defective control panel.
3. Why Does My Dishwasher Have No Lights On the Control Panel?
Your dishwasher has no lights on the control panel because the dishwasher isn’t getting any power. But if it does, it’s likely that the thermal fuse has blown, which usually happens when there’s a power surge, or it could be a case of a dead control board.
Concluding Thoughts On a Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Not Working:
Now you know the ten issues to check when your Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel fails to work and what to do. Start by checking the power supply, resetting the dishwasher in case of an electronic glitch, and canceling any lock mode.
Then, clean filthy ribbon cables and replace a blown-up thermal fuse, a defective door latch or control panel, or a damaged touchpad or control board. But if unsuccessful, talk to a dishwasher pro!
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