Kenmore Ultra Wash 665.12723k310 wax motor

[RcrX]

Dishes wet and very hot after completed normal wash and dry cycle. 

Tonight I checked the active vent during the dry cycle and found it closed.  After waiting about 2-3 minutes, the rubber seal retreated and I continued the dry cycle.  After the dry cycle was completed, the seal was closed.

Is it possible the heat from the dry cycle is too warm for the wax motor in the vent?

How important is sealing the vent during the wash/rinse cycles?

[johntech]

The wax motor works on the principle that as wax heats it expands. There is a heater inside the motor and when the heater gets hot the wax expands and pushes a plunger that opens the vent. If you were looking for the vent to be open at the very beginning of the dry cycle most likely it would not be open because it did not have enough time to heat up and actuate. When the dry time runs out power is no longer supplied to the wax motor and it slowly cools off. As it cools a spring pushes the plunger back to the starting position. Wax motors are not fast. They can take a few minutes to open and close. I have seen control boards have failed relays and cause the dishwasher to over heat. They have a safety thermostat on the bottom that will stop power to the heater if an over heat condition exists. Now that part can fail also. When the safety thermostat fails and the relay sticks in heat mode the door normaly will be pushed open from the heat, (non locking models) the wax motor may leak wax, the mastic on the inside of the door can melt off, and you can see signs of heat damage inside the door.  

If your vent is not closing during the wash cycle it will leak water.

You can inspect the wax motor for damage but it sounds like your is fine. If it stops opening or closing or not opening or closing all the way then you know you have a problem. 

First thing to check when you get poor dry results is rinse aid. No rinse aid will cause poor dry results. Also the dishes will retain some of the heat from the drying part of the cycle. If you open the door right away even though the dishwasher is done the heat retained in the dishes will continue drying. 

[RcrX]

Thanks for the reply.

I paused the dry cycle and waited for the vent to open.  Then resumed the dry cycle.  Upon completion, the vent was closed again.  No steam could escape.

Didn't observe heat damage inside the door.  Recently the dishes seem wetter and hotter upon completion of the dry cycle.  Perhaps the heat build up is relatively new and the damage is yet to come?

Is there a test for the relay?