Wirlpool WDTA50SAHZ0 blinking lights, no start

[lewist57]

Model Number: WDTA50SAHZ0
Brand: Whirlpool
Age: 1-5 years

Select cleaning cycle, press start button, close door. The LED on the door blinks blue continuously, as well as the start button. Removing power and waiting 1 minute+ does not change operation.

Pressing the 1-2-3 buttons gets all LEDs to light up, but then you close the door and it does nothing, no apparent diagnostic cycle, no flashing LEDs to read as error codes.

Thoughts?

[Doc Ryan]

Have you gone through the troubleshooting steps listed in the tech sheet?

[lewist57]

Well, it started acting up late yesterday and I plan to tear into it today.

The thing that I did not expect is the apparent problem of not running the diagnostic mode. Doing the 1-2-3 button sequence and then closing the door results in all of the LEDs lighting up, including the one on the front panel, but it does not cycle through anything, and the front LED does not blink at all.

And unfortunately, the tech sheet is not located behind the kick plate.

[Doc Ryan]

Sometimes when they act like this, it is caused by a failure of the touchpad on the control panel. The buttons can short and the lights and switches can act erratically.

Control Panel (Black) - W11157079 (PD00049399)

[lewist57]

Thanks for your responses and input. Unfortunately the wife was more anxious to get a new dishwasher than allow me time to trouble shoot. I was able to determine that the problem was not the heating elemenet or door latch switch. And in many cases the time to get the replacement parts exceeded two weeks (plus the unit was over 10 years old), so a new one was the path of least resistance.

[Doc Ryan]

No problem, I understand!