Maytag Quiet Series 200 dishwasher - door latch switch failure question

[Mumford67]

I replaced the door latch on my Maytag Quiet Series 200 dishwasher last December.

A few mornings ago, I woke up to find the lights on the front of the dishwasher blinking and water still in the bottom.  After doing some research and opening the front door panel, I discovered that that one of the door latch switches (on the left hand side) had melted.  Before I go about buying another door latch, does this kind of problem usually point to a flaw in the aftermarket replacement latch switch, or would it more likely be resultant of a problem with another component in the dishwasher (for example, the main control board)?

Replacement door latches are relatively cheap, so if it was likely just a bad part, I can pick up another one from Amazon.   On the other hand, I'm not looking to cause a fire so if this is likely due to a bigger problem, its probably a good time to replace the dishwasher.  A number of parts are hard to come by for that model anyway these days, and I'm not looking to sink another $150+ on it.  As it is, the lower tray has been slowly deteriorating from rust so its on borrowed time anyway.

Any guidance here is appreciated.

Best regards,

Stuart

[citizenX]

I would suggest getting a factory OEM part instead of the Amazon special. Even if the amazon/ebay listing says it is a factory part, there's a 99.9% chance it is not and who knows what kind of cheap and/or underrated switches they are using. 

Let me ask you this though: was the original switch replaced for the same thing (melting) or was it just a broken latch? If the first one was melted as well then there may be other issues with the dishwasher and I'd recommend scrapping it. There have been issues in the past with random dishwashers melting down people's houses due to various electrical issues. 

[Mumford67]

Original latch broke apart, so this is the first case of something melting in the machine.

[Mumford67]

Went ahead an ordered the OEM part so fingers crossed.

BTW, since the original lower rack is no longer available, is there a new universal equivalent that would also work in this 24" machine?  I'm trying to avoid buying a used OEM part since they may also be suffering from rust.

[citizenX]

I am not aware of any universal type racks. They are are pretty specific to each unit. Dang racks can cost as much as a new dishwasher though, if even available. Someone might be selling used ones on eBay but who knows the condition.

As for the switch, make sure the terminal ends on the wires are tight when you push them on to the new switch. Loose connections can cause arcing and heat.  If they are loose, you can gently squeeze the connector end with some pliers to make it tighter before you connect it to the switch. 

Edited September 4 by citizenX