GE GSD4930Z02WW DW not cleaning/draining (with video)

[glatt1]

I got some outstanding help on this form when our oven acted up and we needed a new igniter.  I'm hoping I can get some good help again.

Our GE dishwasher isn't cleaning as well as it used to.  It's about 15 years old or so.  I removed the plastic grate off the sump and cleaned a little gunk off it, but it didn't seem too terrible.  I felt around in the sump and felt the blades next to the screen in there, and the screen felt clear.  I couldn't feel any obstructions or gunk in there.  We rinse the dishes off a lot more than we used to, but still there are bits of food stuck to random plates.  Also there is an inch or two of standing water after a cycle.  Cleaning the gunk did nothing.

We tried running in potscrubber mode instead of the regular mode, and the dishes might be a little cleaner. Hard to quantify, and there is a little less water in the bottom. We'll use potscrubbing going forward, but want to get this DW in top shape again.

I tried to figure out what was going on, so I put my GoPro video camera in its watertight housing in the top rack..  I double bagged a couple small LED trouble lights in ziplock bags and put them in there too.  I had no idea was to expect, but the stream of water coming out of the holes  didn't look very powerful to me.  Very weak looking.  Please check out the video link below and let me know if it seems like it's working properly.  The card filled up before the cycle was finished, so I couldn't see the discharge pumping going on.

If anything else, at least it's a little neat to see the dishes' view of a dishwasher cycle.

https://youtu.be/ZycMo-hupRM

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

I think you have a water fill problem.

The spray coming out the lower arm looks really airy and especially the weak stream out the pop-up tower and the arm turning quite a bit slower then I think it should all points to the pump sucking air because not enough water to keep constant water with no air being sucked into pump.

Can't tell the water level but it doesn't appear from the the best I can tell that the sump cover ever has water covering it.  Your unit has a timed water fill, (I believe 90 to 120 seconds, the float is only a safety to keep from over filling), when it has completed filling, open the door and make sure  the water level is just above the center bump-up that the spray arm attaches to and only about 1/8" to 1/4" below heating element.   Rear sump cover should be covered with water - if after filling it looks lower then what I describe then pour enough water into dishwasher from a pan to just cover the sump cover and at most a 1/4" below heating element.  Take another video with the added water and see if it looks like a stronger stream and faster spray arm rotation.

If that seems to make it better you will need to replace the the water inlet valve - screen is probably clogged.  You maybe able to clean the screen but I would suggest you replace it, (the flow washer could be worn out not letting the correct flow of water thru valve and you won't be able to correct that by cleaning the screen).

[glatt1]

I really like this idea.

I didn't mention, because it didn't occur to me, that I've had to clean the screen and aerator in our kitchen faucet about once a year because there is so much sand/grit in our municipal water supply.  It dramatically impacts the performance of our kitchen faucet, and will pretty much cover the filter screen for that.  It never occurred to me that the DW would have a screen that would also get clogged.  It must have a tremendous amount of grit coating it, because in all those years, I've probably had to clean the faucet screen a dozen times and never cleaned the DW.

Thanks!

 

 

[glatt1]

I fixed it!

 

The screen in the inlet valve was caked with sand and grit from the municipal water supply.

 

The youtube video shows the improved performance.

 

[glatt1]

Oops, posted too fast.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

There was another issue though.  I was checking my work for leaks as I ran it for the first time.  And while there were no leaks in my work, there was another leak where a solenoid pulls down on a white plastic triangular piece that opens some valve or something inside the sump.  It's a cup or so of water that leaks with every load.

Is there a simple washer or gasket or something I can replace, or do I need to replace a much bigger part of the sump?  The water is leaking from behind this pivot point where the arrow is pointing.

[glatt1]

I'm talking to myself here, but it looks like I need to just bite the bullet and buy the $135 pump and motor assembly and replace the whole assembly.  There's probably a 5 cent washer that wore out in the guts of the thing but I see no way to replace just the washer.  Not in the parts lists I can find.

[Captain Dunsel]

Here you can use this part to fix that and there is a video how to do itPart number: WD8X181
Part number: WR2X7054 and this part to.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

The cheapest method is to just replace the seal and retainer that Captain Dunsel shows above.

Easier to do with pump motor removed from dishwasher but doable installed.  Be careful removing the old retainer, that is the hardest part.  If you try to pry it off there is a good chance you will pull the drain flapper shaft out of the flapper and may not be able to get it back in correctly.  The way I use to remove the retainer is with a very small blade screwdriver pry the inner tabs away from the shaft to make them big enough to slide over the shaft before trying to pull the retainer off.

Depending on the age of the dishwasher it might be better to just replace the complete pump/motor assembly - then you have all new impeller and seals that could go out next.

This dishwasher is actually a pretty good unit as far as dishwashers go and is worth putting the money into - it will last a lot longer then a lot of the new ones that are being made now days.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Budget Appliance Repair

[glatt1]

Thank you both for the tips.  I ordered the rubber grommet seal and the metal retainer clip.  The video makes it look a little tricky getting this off, but I think I can do it.  Especially if I bend those inner tabs on the retainer clip first.

 

Last night I ran the first full load of dirty dishes since my repair, and I made a point of only rinsing off the big food chunks off the dirty dishes.  They came out spotless.  It's wonderful to have a dishwasher that cleans again!

I put a pie plate under the leaking valve. It caught about half a cup of water during the whole load, so I'll leave it set up like that and just use the dishwasher until the parts come and I can fix the leak this weekend.

 

Thanks again.  I love this forum.  You guys are so helpful.