GE Profile Dishwasher not cleaning dishes

[mshedden]

This is a 10 year old GE Profile. Initially it was not cleaning dishes well (if at all), detergent was left in the cup.

I figured a lack of water was the cause, so replaced the inlet valve/solenoid. Perhaps by coincidence it then worked ok for a week or two, but then it went back to the same problem. Running the dishwasher with the door interlock defeated, I could see that the wash tower was not extending, and water was just flowing slowly out of the middle of the wash tower (I checked that the washtower is not blocked). Looking under the machine I could see that the motor was spinning fine (by seeing the back of the motor).

So...today I replaced the impeller/grater/seal per the GE kit, thinking it must be the impeller that was not moving the water. (The old impeller did look at bit worn, but not broken.

Regardless, with the new impeller, the dishwasher still does not clean the dishes, and the open soap cup is still full of (wet) detergent at the end of the cycle.

So what could it be?

Thanks!

Malcolm.

Model GSD4920Z00BB

[JWWebster]

This is a fairly simple machine, do you suppose something is partially holding the dump flap open?

[mshedden]

JW,

Precisely right!

Water leaks had corroded the solenoid/actuator so the point where it was very stiff/stuck in the halfway position - too stiff for the solenoid to move it. I just lubricated it and worked it by hand so it now moves freely. It was probably water leaking from the pump seal that caused the problem, so it wasn't a total waste of time replacing it today and rebuilding the pump.

I guess a new solenoid will be needed at some point, I'll see how it goes.

Thanks for the help!!

Malcolm

[JWWebster]

Glad you could get er goin!