8 replies to this topic

[GrahamW]

So my Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher (model #GLDB957AB2) has been acting up lately. It's has started clicking and the LEDs dim in time which means there's a current draw or power issue. I had an awful time reproducing it as the machine will run through its test cycles forever without any trouble. However, about 1/2 way into a normal washing routine, it starts clicking. Open the door for 5 minutes and the problem goes away for a bit. Leave the machine alone, and it starts clicking more frequently and eventually shuts itself off for a few minutes (power interuption mode) and restarts 90s later.

I disassembled it and it appears to be a 120v/20A relay on the electronics board behind behind the front cover. Below is a video:



Warming the relay with a hot-air gun made it click much more frequently; blowing cool air across it stopped the clicking completely. So, assuming I can order/pickup a single $1 relay locally, it looks like this will be a quick 5 minute fix with the soldering iron. The other possibility is a major power draw downstream, i.e. the pump or heating element but I hope not. I'd be interested in hearing everyone else's opinion.

Inopportune timing on this as I have guests arriving for a week on Sunday. I have a used, commercial dishwasher waiting in the shed but wanted to wait until I reno the kitchen done before I install it as it requires some plumbing revisions and 240v/30A wiring.

Edited by GrahamW, 26 October 2012 - 08:59 PM.

[Scottthewolf]

OR you can do what professional appliance technicians do and replace the whole control board.

[RegUS_PatOff]

are you sure they are 120v Relays ?
They may be 24v DC Relays,
hence the Transformer and Diodes ..
It may be a bad Electrolytic Capacitor on the Board.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Main Control Board

[Cactus Bob]

it's not the relay , it's the board . the clicking is to regular to be random ,

electronics in a dishwasher , who would have thought ..........oh , that's right ......no thought was involved

[GrahamW]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm going to try a $3 relay, test a few bits of the board and reflow some solder before I consider replacing the board. It's actually a pretty trivial and spacious board as far as electronics go. The above price isn't bad for replacing, but I'd suck it up and swap in the Miele before I spend that kind of money on this one.

it's not the relay , it's the board . the clicking is to regular to be random

As I mentioned, the frequency of the clicking changes depending on the temperature of the relay. I didn't catch that on the video as I had too many things in my hands. The load isn't random (motor+heater) so I wouldn't expect completely random clicking. I'm not ruling out the possibility that it isn't something else on the board, but the caps aren't leaking and there are no other obvious failures. Output from the 12v transformer on the board looked fine.

are you sure they are 120v Relays ?
They may be 24v DC Relays,
hence the Transformer and Diodes ..
It may be a bad Electrolytic Capacitor on the Board.

It's a OEG 0Z-SS-112d. So, 12v control, 120v/20A rated contact (8pin SPDT).

Edited by GrahamW, 27 October 2012 - 12:42 PM.

[Cactus Bob]

so you look like you have already made up your mind , you think it's the relay

I can tell you after 38 years working on this stuff i can't think of one relay in my life that has gone bad in this way

the most it might be would be a cold/cracked solder from the relay coil to the board

i used to save relays from bad boards , all good and i have boxes of them , i will never need (i go through so many boards anymore i just trash them whole)

you think all electronic problems are visual ?

[GrahamW]

I'm not here to get into any arguments. I understand that it is cost effective for pros to replace a board rather than take a look at what has failed. Personally, I prefer to try and repair before going that route. Have a good day everyone.

Edited by GrahamW, 27 October 2012 - 01:40 PM.

[kdog]

We would be interested to know if changing the relay solves your issue - if not, it's a blessing in diguise if it means swapping it out with a Miele