We all know how important the control panel is to a Kitchenaid dishwasher when selecting wash cycles, adjusting the temperature, and monitoring the cycle progress. But as long as you continue using the dishwasher, you’ll realize that Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel problems are almost unavoidable, and you’ve got to fix them when they arise.
Common Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel problems include the control panel not lighting up or responding to touch commands. If that’s not it, the control panel light may be blinking or staying solidly on – which points to a malfunction.
When you notice any of those four issues, you must act first, as they are issues you can troubleshoot yourself. So, you don’t have to wait ages for Kitchenaid to come to your rescue or pay a bunch to have your local dishwasher expert check the dishwasher.
I’ll discuss the most likely causes of each of the four problems and what to do to fix them. Hence, grab your notebook and possibly your toolbox as I take you through this troubleshooting crash program.
In a hurry? Below are quick fixes to the four most everyday Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel issues!
Quick Fixes to Common Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Problems
| – | Problem | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Control Panel Won’t Light Up | Sleep Mode, failed power supply, or dead electronic control board (ECB | Cancel Sleep Mode and check the power supply. And if it’s not a power issue, replace the ECB. |
| 2. | Nonresponsive Control Panel | Control Lock, system glitch, opened door, stuck button, or defective control panel | Cancel an active Control Lock, reset the dishwasher to offset any glitch, unstick any stuck button, and replace a defective control panel. |
| 3. | Control Panel Lights Blinking | Error code, cycle interruption, Delayed Start, Control Lock, stuck button, unlatched door, or burnt heating element | Reset any error code, restart an interrupted cycle, cancel any Delay Start or Control Lock, unstick any stuck button, properly latch the door, and replace a burnt heating element. |
| 4. | Control Panel Light Stays On | Control Lock, damaged door latch, or control board malfunction | Disable the Control Lock, replace a damaged door latch, reset the control board, and replace it if it doesn’t reset. |
Most Common Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Problems
Below are six common control panel issues among Kitchenaid dishwashers and their troubleshooting:
1. Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Won’t Light Up
A Kitchenaid dishwasher’s control panel won’t light up because something is amiss. Often, that’s a result of one of these three issues:
- Sleep Mode – Normally, the Sleep Mode function turns off the power supply to the dishwasher to save on energy. In the process, the control panel doesn’t light up.
- Failed power supply – It could be that your dishwasher doesn’t have power; if so, you cannot expect it to turn on. You may have to check for issues like loose plugging, tripped circuit breaker or GFCI, or blown-up thermal fuse.
- Dead electronic control board – If the issue is not the lack of power, the electronic control board (ECB) is likely dead. The ECB is the dishwasher’s brain, and nothing runs when it fails, and in most cases, the dishwasher’s control panel fails to light up.
Fix
Start by checking if the Sleep Mode is active. If it is, cancel it. Then, check if your dishwasher has power. If it doesn’t, check for a loose power cord and fix it firmly onto the socket.
Check if the circuit breaker or the GFCI is tripped, reset it, and test the thermal fuse with the multimeter to see if it has continuity. If it doesn’t, which is a sign that it’s faulty, replace it.
2. Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Not Responding
Sometimes, a Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel won’t respond to any command. No matter what you do, the dishwasher control panel won’t work, and if so, it’s likely due to one of these issues:
- Control Lock – Could you have activated Control Lock? If yes, then that’s the reason the control panel is nonresponsive. Usually, the Control Lock locks the control panel, rendering it nonresponsive.
- System glitch – A dishwasher occasionally suffers a program hitch like every other electric appliance. When that happens, it’s unable to run, and the control panel may become nonresponsive.
- Opened door – If the dishwasher door is not firmly latched, its sensors will notice it and render the control panel nonresponsive. Overall, this could be a case of a damaged door latch.
- Stuck button – You cannot expect the dishwasher’s control panel to work fine with a stuck button. You’ve to unstick it before the control panel can act normally.
- Defective control panel – Lastly, if the dishwasher display is working, but some of the buttons are nonresponsive, it’s highly likely the control panel has seen better days and needs replacing.
Fix
Deactivate the Control Lock if it’s on. You can do that by holding the Control Lock switch down for about 3 seconds. If the issue is not the Control Lock, consider resetting the dishwasher to fix a possible glitch.
Here’s how to perform the Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel reset:
- Plug out the dishwasher from the power outlet
- Wait for at least 60 seconds to plug it back
- Power the dishwasher back on to see if the control panel is responsive
- Consider the other fixes if it’s not
Try to latch the door if it’s open, and if there’s a stuck button, try to clean around it and underneath it to get rid of potential debris or dirt. However, if the display works and some of the buttons are nonresponsive, you have a defective control panel that you should replace.
Here are the quick steps for a Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Replacement:
- Get a matching control panel replacement (consider the part number when shopping for a replacement control panel)
- Disconnect your Kitchenaid dishwasher from the power and water supply
- Unscrew and detach the dishwasher’s front panel
- Remove the wiring harness on the control panel before removing the control panel
- Now carefully remove the control panel – which should be easy after removing the wiring harness
- Install the new dishwasher control panel
- Connect the wiring harness to the new control panel
- Reinstall the door panel
- Reconnect the power and water supplies and turn on the dishwasher
3. Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Lights Blinking
A Kitchenaid dishwasher’s control panel lights start blinking when there’s a fault, which is a way to communicate it. Generally, here are the likely triggers for the blinking lights:
- Error Code – It could be that the dishwasher is blinking the control panel lights because of an identified error code. If so, note it, check its meaning, and act on it.
- Cycle Interruption – You can expect the dishwasher to flash the control panel light if you unintentionally or intentionally open the dishwasher door, cut off its water supply, or disrupt its power supply.
- Delayed Start – The Delayed Start function delays your dishwasher from starting to run immediately, and at times, the control panel lights start flashing when this setting is active.
- Control Lock – If the Control Lock light on the control panel starts to blink, then that confirms that the Control Lock function is active.
- Stuck Button – The dishwasher will also blink the control panel light when there’s a stuck control panel button.
- Unlatched Door – An unlatched door is perceived as an anomaly. If so, the dishwasher may blink the control panel lights. And if that’s not the case, your Kitchenaid dishwasher beeps loudly.
- Burnt Heating Element –You can also expect the control panel to continue blinking if there’s an issue with the heating element. If the heating element is burnt, it won’t heat the dishwasher’s water, and the flashing light is a way for the dishwasher to communicate.
Fix
If there’s an error code, check out its meaning and troubleshoot it. You can also try to clear it by resetting the dishwasher. If the cycle was somehow interrupted, restart it, and if Delayed Start or Control Lock is active, cancel it and restart the dishwasher.
Try to unstick any stuck button by clearing any dirt or debris obstruction around it and from beneath. While at it, ensure you firmly latch the dishwasher door. Lastly, check the condition of the heating element with a multimeter, and if it doesn’t show any continuity, replace it.
4. Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel Lights Stay On
The control panel light occasionally stays on instead of blinking, which could mean something different. It could be a result of any of these three issues:
- Control Lock – The Control Lock function can either blink or stay on, and in any case, it renders the control panel nonresponsive.
- Damaged door latch – If the door latch is damaged, the dishwasher door won’t latch, and the result may be the control panel light staying solid.
- Control board malfunction – If the issue is not the Control Lock or a damaged door latch, it’s likely to be a control board fault.
Fix
Disable the Control Lock if the setting is on and replace the door latch if damaged. But if that’s not the case, try to reset the control board; if that doesn’t work, replace the control board.
People Also Ask
1. How Do I Reset My Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel?
The easiest way to reset a Kitchenaid dishwasher’s control panel is to disconnect it from the power supply for at least 60 seconds. You can do that by flipping off its circuit breaker or plugging it out.
2. How Do I Test My Kitchenaid Dishwasher Control Panel?
You can quickly test a Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel by observing the behavior of the display and the control panel buttons. Press all the control buttons and monitor the display. The control panel is defective if the display lights up, but some buttons are nonresponsive. And if so, replace it.
3. What Is the Most Common Problem with A Kitchenaid Dishwasher?
Kitchenaid dishwashers, like most dishwashers, suffer different issues you can troubleshoot. Common Kitchenaid dishwasher troubleshooting problems include the dishwasher not starting, not washing, not draining, and not drying.
Concluding Thought:
Discussed are the most typical Kitchenaid dishwasher control panel problems and their troubleshooting. You can try any corrective measures depending on the control panel issue you are dealing with. Do that before calling Kitchenaid or the nearest dishwasher expert around you.