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Anyone know wtf is wrong with my dishwasher?

purbeast0

No Lifer
We left for vacation a week ago and I let a load go while we were on vacation.

Then I came home and the dishwasher was making some noise and we noticed a little water on the floor, so I just cut it off.

Then today I went to look at it and thought it was just a bad seal that caused something weird to happen, but it's still doing this even when the door is open.

It's a 14 year old Bosch dishwasher.

Anyone have any clue wtf is wrong and how I can fix it?

 
Sounds like the pump is running and maybe some debris in it. Really hard to tell much from a short clip. Pull it out and take it apart till you find a broken piece.
 
After some googling I found out that some water can pool up in the basin and for some reason the trip the sensor that makes it think it has to drain so the drain pump keeps going.

I pulled out the washer to look under it and when I tilted the machine, more water started coming out, and I'm assuming that was sitting in the basin it was talking about. And the placement and amount of water seemed to be exactly where it was before when we got back from vacation, so I believe it came from the machine this same way and not through the seal/gasket. After doing this and all the extra water coming out, the pump was no longer running.

I then ran a load while I was awake and it did it's thing like normal with no water coming out. However I did notice that sometimes it seemed a little louder than before, and I could have sworn I noticed a smell that reminded me of the smell of my washing machine when one of the rubber belts was burning up.

I also noticed that my machine did not dry very well, however I've had issues with my dishes drying properly for a long time and haven't found much in regards to what I should fix and they recommend some kind of drying agent which I have still never tried.

That said, the dishes washed though so I'm not really sure. I think the water pooling up in the basin means something else is definitely wrong but I'm not sure what to do and try to figure out now, because I am assuming that this will eventually happen again.
 
14 years old?! Bro…

Just drop $6 or $7 hundred on a new one. You already got your money’s worth on that unit.
 
I got a new drain pump that I'm going to install today and see if that resolves it. Everything seems to be pointing to that being the issue.

If that doesn't fix it, then yeah I'm gonna get a new one.

I'd rather spend $30 than $700.
 
Installed new drain pump and door seal as well since it was grimey as hell.

Doing test run now and crossing fingers that all is good.
 
14 years old?! Bro…

Just drop $6 or $7 hundred on a new one. You already got your money’s worth on that unit.

Today's dishwashers aren't built as good as the one @purbeast0 has. If he is happy with the current one and can fix it, more power to him.

And, it also turns out that Bosch has now moved to force end users to use phone apps and cloud accounts for some of their dishwashers. The dishwashers will function at a basic level without them, but certain features of the dishwashers now require the app to be able to access and use.


Imagine, not being able to run a basic rinse cycle without a damned phone app and cloud account. Ridiculous.
 
So the drain pump did not fix the leaking issue unfortunately. I also installed a new door seal.

It's weird though, it's not leaking any water while running really. Like it finished last night and I thought that it was fine. And then I walked into the kitchen like an hour later and saw some water coming out from under the dishwasher. I wiped it up and then again when I woke up this morning, there was more. So it's like the water is just sitting somewhere and slowly leaking out after the fact.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to try and diagnose what exactly is causing this? Or anyone have anything else to look out for?
 
So the drain pump did not fix the leaking issue unfortunately. I also installed a new door seal.

It's weird though, it's not leaking any water while running really. Like it finished last night and I thought that it was fine. And then I walked into the kitchen like an hour later and saw some water coming out from under the dishwasher. I wiped it up and then again when I woke up this morning, there was more. So it's like the water is just sitting somewhere and slowly leaking out after the fact.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to try and diagnose what exactly is causing this? Or anyone have anything else to look out for?

I wonder if the water inlet valve could be malfunctioning (or is physically cracked) and is leaking water down somewhere it shouldn't be outside the tub of the dishwasher? Do the pump housing seals still look good? And, is the water drain line intact and not cracked somewhere?

What year and model of Bosch dishwasher do you have?
 
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I wonder if the water inlet valve could be malfunctioning (or is physically cracked) and is leaking water down somewhere it shouldn't be outside the tub of the dishwasher?

What year and model of Bosch dishwasher do you have?
I'm not sure what year it is but we moved into the house in 2012 and I'm pretty sure the kitchen was renovated before we bought the house, so at least that old.

The model number is SHX33RF5UC/64

You mention a crack - when I had the old drain pump installed, and had the issue where it was running when the door was open, down inside the dishwasher at the bottom, where I took off the little metal grate and there is a little pool down there, I noticed that when the pump was on I could see a little bit of water like spraying from this hole on the side of the plastic inside there. I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

Just some more information - and I also have on clue what or where the inlet valve is lol.
 
I'm not sure what year it is but we moved into the house in 2012 and I'm pretty sure the kitchen was renovated before we bought the house, so at least that old.

The model number is SHX33RF5UC/64

You mention a crack - when I had the old drain pump installed, and had the issue where it was running when the door was open, down inside the dishwasher at the bottom, where I took off the little metal grate and there is a little pool down there, I noticed that when the pump was on I could see a little bit of water like spraying from this hole on the side of the plastic inside there. I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

Just some more information - and I also have on clue what or where the inlet valve is lol.

The water inlet valve is what the water supply line connects to under the dishwasher. It turns the water on and off to the dishwasher while it is running cycles, and turns off the water when the dishwasher is not being used. It consists of a physical valve with an electronic switch/controller that opens/closes the valve as needed.

The inlet valve should be located behind the front kick plate at the bottom below the door, either at the front left side (most often) or the back left side. The following videos show examples of the front and back located inlet valves (you'll locate it by looking for the water supply line from the wall being hooked to it).



A leaking drain hose could also cause water to pool under the dishwasher even if the water supply is turned off at the wall (i.e. the drain hose always has water in it if it is installed properly to block sewer gas from entering the dishwasher). If you run a cycle, turn the water supply off at the wall, and water still pools under the dishwasher, the drain hose might be leaking somewhere along its length or at the bottom connector where it attaches to the pump housing

Typically, if the inlet valve fails it would most likely either not let the dishwasher fill, or would cause it to overfill/overflow. If the inlet valve housing is cracked, it might have a slow leak that continues even when the dishwasher is turned off. The inlet valve hose could also leak where it attaches at the pump housing if the hose is cracked.

If you can pull the unit out far enough to see under it with everything still hooked up, were it me I'd pull out the dishwasher, fold up (or remove) the insulation pad, and try to see where it is actually leaking from. Lay some paper towels under it on the dry floor and check frequently to try to find the actual location of the leak while the dishwasher is turned off but still hooked up. If the inlet valve housing or inlet hose is cracked or externally dripping, the leak should be visible on the paper towels.
 
Today's dishwashers aren't built as good as the one @purbeast0 has. If he is happy with the current one and can fix it, more power to him.

And, it also turns out that Bosch has now moved to force end users to use phone apps and cloud accounts for some of their dishwashers. The dishwashers will function at a basic level without them, but certain features of the dishwashers now require the app to be able to access and use.


Imagine, not being able to run a basic rinse cycle without a damned phone app and cloud account. Ridiculous.
Valid observations but I'm not spending much time or money to repair a 14 year old appliance. Rock on if that's your thing.
 
The water inlet valve is what the water supply line connects to under the dishwasher. It turns the water on and off to the dishwasher while it is running cycles, and turns off the water when the dishwasher is not being used. It consists of a physical valve with an electronic switch/controller that opens/closes the valve as needed.

The inlet valve should be located behind the front kick plate at the bottom below the door, either at the front left side (most often) or the back left side. The following videos show examples of the front and back located inlet valves (you'll locate it by looking for the water supply line from the wall being hooked to it).



A leaking drain hose could also cause water to pool under the dishwasher even if the water supply is turned off at the wall (i.e. the drain hose always has water in it if it is installed properly to block sewer gas from entering the dishwasher). If you run a cycle, turn the water supply off at the wall, and water still pools under the dishwasher, the drain hose might be leaking somewhere along its length or at the bottom connector where it attaches to the pump housing

Typically, if the inlet valve fails it would most likely either not let the dishwasher fill, or would cause it to overfill/overflow. If the inlet valve housing is cracked, it might have a slow leak that continues even when the dishwasher is turned off. The inlet valve hose could also leak where it attaches at the pump housing if the hose is cracked.

If you can pull the unit out far enough to see under it with everything still hooked up, were it me I'd pull out the dishwasher, fold up (or remove) the insulation pad, and try to see where it is actually leaking from. Lay some paper towels under it on the dry floor and check frequently to try to find the actual location of the leak while the dishwasher is turned off but still hooked up. If the inlet valve housing or inlet hose is cracked or externally dripping, the leak should be visible on the paper towels.
Okay so I did see water inlet valve when I took off the bottom plate and it was on the front left side. The water seems to be coming out on the right side of the dishwasher so I don't think it is that.

I like your suggestion though about turning the water off after a run and see what happens.

It doesn't seem like it is actually leaking anything while it's running, so maybe that's because water is actually moving through the drain hose and not just sitting there, so it's not able to do it's slow leak thing?
 
Okay so I did see water inlet valve when I took off the bottom plate and it was on the front left side. The water seems to be coming out on the right side of the dishwasher so I don't think it is that.

I like your suggestion though about turning the water off after a run and see what happens.

It doesn't seem like it is actually leaking anything while it's running, so maybe that's because water is actually moving through the drain hose and not just sitting there, so it's not able to do it's slow leak thing?

The relative amount of time the dishwasher is running is small versus the time that you aren't using it. However, when you are using it, the water being pumped is heated water, which in turn heats and expands everything and could be stopping the leak. After the cycle ends, everything then contracts again as the dishwasher (and any remaining water) cools and the leak (wherever it is) could likely resume when it is cold.

You said you replaced the door seal. Did you replace BOTH of them? Bosch (and most other dishwashers) actually have two seals -- a main three-sided door seal (it runs up the side of the door, across the top, and down the other side) and a lower door seal (which runs along the bottom of the tub at the door opening).

If the leak is further back on the right side, you'd have to look at the pump seal, the pump housing (where the pump is installed), and drain hose to see if any of them are leaking. The drain hose always has water in it whether the dishwasher is running or not, so it is possible it might only leak when the water cools down after a cycle. I'd consider the possibility that you have a leak or fracture in the wash tub itself less likely as that type of leak would tend to leak when running (when it has water in the bottom) and not so much between uses (when it has been drained, unless water has a place to collect and drip to the floor). Similarly, the flow-through heating element on most Bosch dishwashers is located on the left mid or left back side, so I wouldn't think it would cause a leak on the right side.

And, I had two other thoughts.

Firstly, if you open your dishwasher door up and look at the inside of the tub, there will be a vent (usually round, with a gray plastic cover) in there probably 8-12 inches above the floor of the tub on either the left or right sidewall towards the back. The next time you run a cycle, make absolutely sure nothing is covering or laying against that vent. If the vent is covered, you can get a condensation leak under the dishwasher due to the design of this vent system. Covering it up can also adversely affect the drying system as well.

Next, do you use dishwasher pods, or other detergent? Some Bosh dishwashers have issues with detergents (mainly pods) that create too many suds. Over time, the suds can actually build up and displace the door and/or pump seals and cause leaks. Sometimes, simply literally changing the dishwasher detergent you use is sufficient to stop the leaking in this instance.

Finally, is this a small leak, or is it a substantial one? There shouldn't be enough water in the dishwasher between cycles (other than in the drain hose) to cause a substantial leak. The only exception would be the drain hose, which does hold extra water.

EDIT: I sent you a PM regarding a Bosch technical platform document I have in PDF format. It may or may not help you with your dishwasher, but I can email it to you if you want it.
 
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I am using pods but have always used that.

I've also had issues with this not drying properly either too.

It's kind of been slow leaking all day so now after work I just pulled it out and I actually got it up on 2 bricks. I'm going to see if it continues to leak or not now and see if I can see where it's coming from.

If that tube that is supposed to always have water, "runs out of water" like if it leaks it all out, will it fill up by itself or do I have to do another load? I don't know if I'd do a full load while on the bricks or i may just have to put more under it. Right now it's just 1 on each side.

Thanks for the PM I saw it, if I can't see where this leak is ocming from I'll let you know and check it out.
 
I am using pods but have always used that.

I've also had issues with this not drying properly either too.

It's kind of been slow leaking all day so now after work I just pulled it out and I actually got it up on 2 bricks. I'm going to see if it continues to leak or not now and see if I can see where it's coming from.

If that tube that is supposed to always have water, "runs out of water" like if it leaks it all out, will it fill up by itself or do I have to do another load? I don't know if I'd do a full load while on the bricks or i may just have to put more under it. Right now it's just 1 on each side.

Thanks for the PM I saw it, if I can't see where this leak is ocming from I'll let you know and check it out.

The drain line only has some water in it because it doesn't completely drain after you run a cycle - the pump is a water pump (not an air pump) and thus can't push the last of the water up and out of the drain line. If the drain line is installed right, it should be in an anti-siphon configuration which means it should still be at least partially filled with water in the bottom section. You can check it after running a rinse and drain cycle, and it should still have some water in it. If it is then subsequently empty later, that would be an indication that the drain line itself MIGHT be the source of the leak.

You could also disconnect it at the sink drain end and use a shop vac to carefully vacuum it out. If the dishwasher still shows a slow leak after that, I'd be looking more at the water inlet valve (to see if it is totally closing or not) and the rubber pump housing seals. You can take the hose off the inlet valve on the dishwasher side after removing the clamp that holds it in place with pliers to see if it is allowing water to pass through when off -- when the dishwasher is off, the valve should be totally shut off and absolutely no water should flow through the valve to the inner hose.

Since you have it up, I'd put a dry towel or a paper towel under it while waiting for it to leak to try to see exactly where it is dripping down from to give you a starting place to investigate.

I don't know if the manuals i have will help or not. The source I used to get them from is gone now (appliancejunk.com, the site owner died unexpectedly and the manuals they had collected were lost). There is a good chance they may not match your model, but worst case it won't hurt to look at them as many models share at least some similarities.
 
Okay I found the culprit. Here are a few videos...

You can see the drip here in the middle. It's dripping into the bottom plastic panel and I'm guessing it just overflows and that is why it's slowly leaking eventually.


I first noticed a ripple here but I couldn't get a good angle, but this gives you a better picture of what all is going on there.


Here are a few pics


IMG-1001.jpg


And here is from the front

IMG-0999.jpg


The water line is coming in and connects there, and then right behind that is where the first pic is taken from, on the side.

Any ideas what piece I should be looking for to replace?
 
Oh and I can confirm it is only dripping when the water valve under my sink is turned on.

The timing of it leaking when it did for me was just a coincidence I guess. I remember when I took it out the first time and ran it again and it all worked with out a leak, then like 24 hours I did another one and it leaked, but it makes sense that it filled up the tub under there after 24 hours of dripping and it didn't happen right away.
 
@Steltek looks like you were 100% right about the water inlet valve. I did not realize it's all one bit part but that is the right one.


Going to try and find it on amazon for cheaper and order one.

Now that I know it doesn't leak when the water is off under the sink, I just emptied that base out and am doing an express load now, and then I'll turn the valve off.

Glad that you were able to figure it out. Since the valve has an electrical component, I'd suggest turning off/disconnecting the power to the dishwasher while you swap out the valve to ensure it doesn't short out (or short you out). Looks like you'll need a star bit to replace it?

I'd suggest holding on to the pump you replaced since it wasn't bad as that is also a common failure point on those older Bosch dishwashers - you might get more use out of it in the future. Replacing the door seals was not a waste as they absolutely would have leaked at some point in the not-so-distant future (and likely would have rusted out the door panel in the process).

You can get a cheap Chinese clone inlet valve for $16-$20 on Amazon and an alleged OEM Bosch replacement part for about $40 there. Personally, I'd just get the OEM part so you probably wouldn't have to worry about it for the remaining life of the dishwasher.
 
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Yeah I ended up getting a valve for like $18 on amazon and installed it last night, and looks like all is well.

I read the reviews that the stock clamp didn't fit over the knock offs, so I got a screw down clamp from HD for like $2 and it worked perfectly fine.

I did end up keeping the new drain pump in there. It was only $30 and now I have a new one so hopefully it works for a long time.
 
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