Bosch Dishwasher Doesn’t Work? Try a Reset

Get to know this often-overlooked Bosch Dishwasher Feature to Avoid this Costly Professional Quick Fix.

By: Flate Wright/Appliance Technician

For over the five years I’ve repaired appliances professionally, there have been occasions–through no fault of my own!–where I’ve had to charge my customer a full diagnostic fee, just to perform a simple Reset for a Bosch dishwasher. Avoid this costly Customer Instruction service call by getting familiar with these dishwashers’ Reset Feature.

Most modern dishwashers pause the selected wash cycle when the dishwasher door is opened, say to add a dish to the wash load before the dishwasher releases the soap. For many brands and models, the paused wash cycle will automatically start back up where it left off once the door is latched closed. Sometimes machines get old and must be replaced with new ones, other times you move into a new home supplied with Bosch appliances. Some new Bosch owners discover, rather costly so, that many Bosch dishwashers’ models do not automatically start back up or un-pause when the door is shut.

The common complaint concerning this Bosch dishwasher problem is: “the power button is red, but the dishwasher doesn’t do anything. I turned the machine off and on, but that didn’t fix it. I think the pump is broken.” Before going for a replacement pump or motor, find out if a wash cycle was simply interrupted or paused.

If your Bosch dishwasher’s Control Panel is front-facing try, with the door closed, pressing firmly then releasing the Start Button. Wait five seconds for the dishwasher to respond. If the dishwasher sounds like it has a motor/pump movement, then the dishwasher was likely just stuck in a paused cycle state. If the control panel is upward facing, concealing the unit controls beneath the countertop when the door is closed (often referred to as Incognito Design), try opening the door, press firmly then release the start button and return the door to the closed position, ensuring the door latches firmly. Wait for five seconds; if you hear motor movement the unit was likely in a paused cycle state. Wait for the dishwasher to complete the selected wash cycle and indicate through noise or control panel lighting that the wash cycle has completed. If you want to start a fresh, clean, cycle from the beginning without waiting for the selected wash cycle to complete, perform a reset of the dishwasher.

Often overlooked on all brands of dishwashers is the Reset Feature. Depending on your make and model, the reset feature will be marked with an asterisk and the word reset located below the applicable button. On many modern Bosch dishwashers, the Reset button is the Start button, this can confuse some customers. To reset the modern Bosch dishwasher, press and hold the start button for about 3 to 5 seconds. On some older Bosch models, the reset feature may be called “cancel” or “drain”. These older models require a specific Button Press Sequence or what we in the biz call a Key Dance to complete.

The key dance is usually indicated by symbols on the machine control panel as in this example here:

In this example you will press the Regular Wash button and the Rinse and Hold button together for about 3 to five seconds with the door is closed.

When a dishwasher resets, the drain pump is activated and the dishwasher is drained of all water. Once drainage is complete the dishwasher control panel will indicate a Complete or Done cycle and then automatically enter its standby mode.

Toggling the Power Button Might not do the Trick

Pressing the on/off button does not reset the dishwasher’s Electronic Controller for most Bosch dishwashers. Totally removing power from an appliance is what we in the Appliance Technician Industry refer to as a Hard Reset. Hard resetting a household electronic appliance should always be done from the Household Circuit Breaker Box. Find the breaker box and switch the dishwasher circuit breaker to the off position.

Remember to always use safe workplace practices when dealing with household electricity. Now check out the (hopefully) labeled dishwasher circuit breaker. It should be labeled dishwasher or DW for short, and it’s usually a 15 to 20 Amp breaker. Leave the dishwasher circuit breaker in the off position for 5 – 7 minutes, then return the circuit breaker to the on position. All of the machines stored energies should dissipate and all of the electronically stored memories should clear within the 5 – 7-minute time frame. The dishwasher is now ready to begin a wash cycle from the beginning.

If this solved your problem, awesome! You’re welcome! If it didn’t, and if you feel like you need professional help but you want to save some money, you can call on Neli. Our certified technicians can walk you through troubleshooting and solving your appliance problems through our advanced camera sharing software and chat. You can request any technician you like, including myself!

I hope this article has been helpful to you. You can always ask us anything if you pay a visit to NeliHome.com and start a chat. It costs only $35, and compared to the cost of an in-home service technician averaging around $100, you’ll see why it’s worth it. Whether it’s a leaky refrigerator or your dryer that seems to take forever, Do-It-Yourself doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Neli’s got your back!