Maytag dishwasher won't start after water fills in (MDB4949SDM)

[KevinTag]

Hi guys,

After 2 years and 1 month, my Maytag dishwasher just died (by the way, is Maytag a good and reliable brand anyway?).

Here is the story:

1) After starting the dishwasher, the water comes in. But after that, nothing will happen. No sound, nothing.

2) If I open the door, then close it, and press resume. I can hear a few "click" sounds, each separated by a second or two. But still nothing happens after that.

3) If I press the cancel button, water drains out correctly.

4) If I run the self diagnosis, it shows code such as (in this order): F6, E4, F-, E-

5) Via some google, some people says the code may indicate water intake issue - but it does get water in when I start the machine, so I am not sure if that is the true issue.

PS, not always, but a few times, I think I smell a light rubber burn smell. But not always and the smell is light.

Most of my DIY friends say maybe the motor is dead (the "click" sounds means it can't start the motor). But before I jump on that, just want to see if there is any other possibility.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[AccApp]

Maytag was a great brand but yours is actually a Whirlpool, another great brand. There should be a tech sheet hidden behind the kick panel. It will have a series of tests to perform and they will tell you how to proceed.

[KevinTag]

Make sure I captured it right, the error code is a sequence like:

F6, E4, F6, E4, F6, E1, F6, E1, F6, E1, F-, E-, (then repeat the F- and E- for a few more times)

[KevinTag]

13 minutes ago, AccApp said:

Maytag was a great brand but yours is actually a Whirlpool, another great brand. There should be a tech sheet hidden behind the kick panel. It will have a series of tests to perform and they will tell you how to proceed.

Thanks AccApp. The self test says F6 E4 (also has E1). So let me take a look of the inlet water and float switch issue first.

(Strange, somehow I don't see a way to attach a photo in this post, I was thinking to attached the service error code chart in case if it helps others)

 

[KevinTag]

Updated, I checked water inlet and common things such as float, all look good to me. Also checked the fuse (it is called F9 fuse in my model), and it looks good.

Now I guess I need to check the pump / motor.

Before I pull it out, does anyone know how to tell if my dishwater has one motor or two (one for pump, or it use the same motor)? (note it drains good)

(and any tips for testing pump/motor is appreciated)

Thanks!

[Lighthouse]

After it fills with water and should be washing, check voltage at the wash motor. Should be 120V

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Two separate motors, Main wash pump motor and a Drain motor.

My bet would be a bad main wash pump motor - seeming to be an all to common of a problem on these new GWS Whirlpool built dishwasher.   I just had one that was barely 2 years old and the main wash pump motor was bad.

[KevinTag]

16 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

After it fills with water and should be washing, check voltage at the wash motor. Should be 120V

Never done this before: where is a good spot to check the motor voltage? (do I need to pull the whole unit out and find the spot under it, or there is a place to check it from the panel somewhere?)

Thanks

[AccApp]

Best to check voltage at the pump, you’ll want to pull it out to check that.

[KevinTag]

Update: I unplugged the plug from the motor, and tested (on the plug side) and it is 120V. So I guess the problem is really on the motor.

Strange thing is, unlike most videos on youtube, I can't find the screw that allows me to take the motor out.

For example, this video on youtube, at time 2:58', there is no cardboard thing on my unit, and there is no screw as mentioned in the video. I guess I will need to figure out how to take the motor out.

 

[AccApp]

This is a new style, no cardboard or screw to remove. Probably a little plastic locking tab to move so you can twist the motor out.

[Rhubarb Tau]

There's a plastic tab on the top of the motor that sits in a rubber bushing in the sump that supports the weight of the pump. The discharge is held on with CV crimp-style hose clamps, and the suction connection just presses into a bushing in the sump. Be sure to also order and replace the bushing W10538166 , and if you have to supply your own hose clamp for the discharge connection (sometimes the motor comes with clamps, sometimes not) , be sure to use the narrow (~5/16" wide) screw clamps ; the wider ones don't seem to snug up enough.

[KevinTag]

Thanks AccApp & Rhubarb Tau!

I was able to take the motor off, and right away, I can see chopper assembly and impeller assembly are all bad. I just ordered the whole motor unit (W10591569 Motor Assembly) instead of fixing individual parts in it (I ordered it on sears parts direct by the way).

The bushing W10538166 on my unit looks pretty good so far (the dishwasher is only 2 years old), so maybe I will skip it for the moment (ps, it is odd that this small part most places have it near $15 - $20)

Thanks for the reminding of the clamp! Yes, I will need one and I will see if my motor comes with it or not.

[Rhubarb Tau]

I've tried reusing the bushing in the past; sometimes it's fine, but as often as not it leaks or drips. Not sure if the size of the suction tube has changed, or if the seal opens up when removing/reinstalling the pump, but I wouldn't risk it. Even if it looks visually fine and isn't deteriorated, it's a potential leak.

[LaRayParateur]

On 01/01/2018 at 9:03 PM, AccApp said:

Best to check voltage at the pump, you’ll want to pull it out to check that.

Tension from the PCB to the pump can also be checked directly from the wires inside the dishwasher door. Although slightly less reliable than directly at the pump, this allows to make sure the PCB is good in cases where the electrical wire to the dishwasher is too short to pull it enough.

You can also make a test cable to supply tension directly to the wash motor to test if it's good. Please note these models usually have a small PCB inside the motor, so it's not as simple as testing windings resistance to know if the motor is good or not.

If you need to replace the motor, it's a good idea to compare prices of wash motor, and sump assembly for your model.

In some cases, the whole sump (including the wash motor) is cheaper, and allows to replace all seals by new ones at once.

Motor can sometimes be twisted out of the impeller volute and simply replaced without touching the bushing and screw clamp. However, the impeller is sometimes different between the old and new motor, causing it to not fit properly, so it's best to really make sure both motors are identical.