Maytag DW Smoking!!

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I called my Maytag dealer/serviceman at home last night and explained what was happening. He said this is the third newer Maytag he's serviced for this problem. However, he said a safety cut-off (or something like that) should have kicked in before it overheated enough to start smoking.

The element really hadn't overheated, as it hadn't been on more than a couple of minutes. I still think there's a short somewhere. My serviceman said it was a bad relay on the other two machines....which probably means replacing the motherboard, which means...

DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!!!! Toggles may have been spot-on with his diagnosis. I should know by tonight. He was going to stop by my house to check the machine sometime this afternoon.
 
Andrew---The dishwasher is a model 8951, circa 2005. Having had the night to sleep on it, if it can be fixed and I can believe it won't burn my house down, I'd love to keep the machine. It's a fantastic dishwasher for cleaning and loading flexibility.
 
Tell it not to smoke.

It is such a nasty habit these young machines get into. ;-)

Please let us know the outcome, as I have this same machine in my kitchen. I recently had to have the control pannel replaced because it would just shut off in mid cycle. Just stop. Luckily it was under warranty.
 
Good deal...

I haven't seen this issue in my little corner of the world yet but will watch and see how it goes with you. I'd also check your instruction manual which will have your copy of the wtty. There is a chance that there may be extended wtty coverage on that board...

RCD
 
iheartmaytag---As soon as I posted that thread title, I noticed that it could be taken a different way, LOL!

Andrew---I just arrived home from work and there was a note attached to the front of the machine from my dealer/servicer. It says "DO NOT USE! I have to order a new board for it. Will call later."

Hopefully I'm going to hear that some or all the cost is covered by warranty....and my outstanding record as a customer at his store.

What I've learned from this experience: I use an ASTOUNDING number of dishes and cookware in a day! It wasn't until I had to start hand-washing that this became painfully obvious.
 
The Donner Party should complain as much...

This broken dishwasher is sponsored by the Paper Plate & Disposable Silverware Association... :)

Seriously, The saying is Trust Yet Verify. Never take anything for granted as far as the factory is concerned. Find your warranty papers and MAKE SURE!

RCD
 
This Story Is On Track For A Happy Ending:

My service guy assures me it's the board that's fried. The cost of the part is covered under Maytag's "third-through-fifth year" section of the warranty. (It's a $125 part.)

When I reminded him how disappointed I am that a $1,000 dishwasher should be so unreliable, that I would be greatly incovenienced by having to wait for the new board to arrive (he knows how much cooking I do), and that I've spent the equivalent of a small country's GDP at his store over the years, he kindly offered to waive the labor fee. I'll only have to pay for shipping. And this, people, is why I shop locally, at a mom-and-pop appliance store.

If this is truly the extent of the dishwasher's problem, then I can't complain. A nagging notion: Would a fried computer board really have caused the smoke?
 
I love the smell of burning circuts in the morning...

You'd be surprised how little parts can make a big smell. (Boy, THAT didn't sound right...) One little R-11 resister on a Neptune upper board can stink up the house with that sickly sweetish smell of burned bakelite...

I'm glad the dealer is going to work with you. That's why I work for a locally owned service/sales co. I think there's a level of interaction between the customer and the servicer/seller that's lacking with the box stores that DON'T HAVE A SERVICE DEPARTMENT. Customers like that ability to be able to call a local number and get a voice instead of calling a 800 number and going thru menus... I enjoy a rapport with my customers I might lack otherwise. Being in a small town only enhances this... I think...

RCD
 
Perfect timing, Bob!

My dealer/serviceman installed a new microprocessor on Wednesday morning and all seems well with my beloved Maytag dishwasher.

I don't quite trust it yet, but haven't called an electrician to hook up a power on/off switch, either.

I figured if I would always just open the door open a few inches when I leave the house that the microprocessor wouldn't be able to spontaneously fry, again.

But then I realized that even when the door is open, the board must be getting power, because it's when the door is open that you activate the cycle and option pads, all of which light up.

And being the great dealer he is, he didn't even make me pay for shipping.
 
I just realized I didn't tell you what ELSE happened in connection with this story.

When I removed the fuse to the dishwasher, I didn't realize it also cut power to the outlet on the north wall of my garage, which, of course, is where my chest freezer is plugged in.

I didn't need to open the freezer for 4-1/2 days later, and when I did, everything in the top 12-inches or so was totally defrosted.

I was amazed, however, that much of the food in the center and near the bottom was still frozen enough to salvage.

Apparently what they say is true: Although chest freezers can be a pain in the neck to deal with when trying to find and remove food from it, they hold their cold better than most uprights.

And it's a Frigidaire!
 
Chest freezers are amazing

I read about someone in Australia who modified a chest freezer so it became a highly energy efficient refrigerator. Apparently, it runs only about 2 minutes per hour.

I don't mind digging in chest freezers. It can be refreshing in summer. And even in winter, the better efficiency (and probably less risk of slight surface defrost of frozen food) makes it worth it.

http://mtbest.net/chest_fridge.html
 

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