Kitchenaid KUDA22 Superba Selectra Upper Arm Doesn't Spin

[funkmaster]

I have had a nice KUDA22 for about 12 years now, using it about everyday. I bought it used off a guy after it came out if his dad's house after they used it regularly for about 15 years themselves. It has worked great (albeit a bit loud compared to my friends' newer machines that are almost silent, but take 2 or 3 hours to complete a cycle!), but in the past week, the upper rack arm has stopped spinning, so anything on the upper rack doesn't get clean. The arm has water spurting out the tips and holes in the arm, but it won't spin around. It isn't obstructed or caught on anything. I swapped out the original upper tray with another identical one I had out of a parts unit I got a few years back just in case things started breaking down, and it doesn't spin either. So it has some issue not directly related to the arm (like a bad bearing or something), but I don't know enough about these to fix it myself. Has anyone had this same experience, and know what might fix it?

Thanks, Brian

 

[cam2s]

Does the arm spin freely by hand all the way around? If yes then perhaps the feed pipe has broke or isn’t mating up properly. It may be getting some water but not enough to spin or clean properly.

 

[rp2813]

It's possible that the flat tubes that feed water to the upper arm are cracked on both racks, but that seems unlikely to me.

 

The check valve may be stuck open, which would reduce the amount of water flowing to the upper arm.

 

[dustin92]

What about a clogged fill valve not allowing in the proper amount of water? Try adding a gallon once the machine has stopped filling and see if the arm spins then. Should be filling almost to the bottom of the door.

 

[funkmaster]

I will try adding water after filling to see if that helps.

Can food residue in the washer cause issues? I know that my kids washed something with eggshells in it once, and there are little particles of this all over the screen at the bottom of the washer below the lower arms.

Since the upper arm is getting some water, just not enough to spin it around, could the pump that moves the water around be failing or having issues? Is there even a pump that does this? Is there a way to clean out the pipes that direct the water around without taking them all apart and using a flexible brush on them, or is that the way? I haven't ever cleaned the inside or plumbing of the washer, so I don't know.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Those darn KIDS !

1. if the filter is clogged with gunk you'll need to remove that and clean it.
The pump being deprived of water won't be able to pump it. That makes sense right?

2. the wash arm its self may have gunk in the sprayer holes which will prevent it from turning.

3. The pump impeller may need replacing but I would give attention to the other two first.

How to Clean Dishwasher Spray Arms - Today's Homeowner

Watch this video to find out how to clean the holes in the spray arms on your dishwasher to allow the dishwasher to work better and get dishes cleaner.

todayshomeowner.com