dishwasher detergent dispenser

[askolover]

Well....my 17 year old Maytag dishwasher has decided it doesn't want detergent in its cycles. I thought it may be the wax motor so I replaced that today but the dispenser door still doesn't open. I didn't see any broken or burned wires while I had the door panel off. Where to look next? It still functions top notch, I just have to manually open the dispenser manually when it starts the second wash. Gonna have to find a spare dishwasher soon, I don't want any of the modern crap out there.

 

[retro-man]

With the door panel off look at the dispenser module. There are some thermal "tabs" that heat up to release the dispenser door. The one I had would get some sort of corrosion on these and prevent them from working properly. A little cleaning of these with a piece of emery cloth should work. Make sure to throw the breaker before doing this because sometimes these are activated and will give you a jolt.

Jon

 

[askolover]

This one uses a wax motor to push in a plastic slider that activates the release for the detergent door and also the Jet Dry dispenser, that's the only electrical connection two wires at the wax motor which I just replaced. I checked the wires to see if they flex when the door is opened, but they are not in the bending area...they just come from the timer straight over to the wax motor. I'm thinking the timer may be going out and not sending the signal to release the detergent. I haven't noticed JetDry being released either. May have to get a $20 ebay used timer since they no longer make these.

 

[askolover]

I rigged a test light this evening to see if electrical impulses are being sent...at the beginning of the main wash just as the fill valve opens, the detergent cup should open...but it doesn't and the light didn't come on. At the beginning of the final rinse the test light came on for the jet dry so it's a timer issue.