Dishwasher repair(s): advice appreciated

Hern

We may -- or may not -- have been foolish in our approach to dealing with a fault in our AEG-Electrolux FAV 35080 integrated dishwasher. If we have been foolish, then we'd rather not become even bigger fools -- hence this post.

We piurchased our home as a new-build in February, 2006. The dishwasher was in the fitted kitchen. It worked perfectly until mid-December, when it began to function erratically. Sometimes it was OK, other times it didn't heat up, didn't dry, and the dishwasher tablet wasn't properly ejected from the in-door holder or was still lying there on the unit's internal floor at the end of the cycle.

We contacted our local authorised, official, AEG-Electrolux repair agents. They advised us that the failure to heat, and the "tell-tale sign" of the tablet failing to eject, was consistent with the failure of the appliance's washing motor pump. A new pump would cure the problem. We paid £197.57 for the replacement pump on January 18th last.

The dishwasher seemed to work OK for a couple of weeks and then went back to its former erratic ways. The engineer came out again, diagnosed "a loose connector", fixed it, and that was that. But the appliance only operated properly for a further two to three weeks before the same heating failure occurred yet again.

We've now had the engineers back again. This time, they say it's "the board" that is faulty. The repair / replacement cost will be £75. So-oo. . . that'll be almost £275 we will have spent on repairing a 6-year-old dishwasher.

What is now worrying us is if the original diagnosis was wrong, and that the £197 bill for the pump replacement weas unnecessary, seeing as how £75 is now required to change "the board". Then again, at six years of age, perhaps two components can fail around the same time -- in this instance, both the pump, and the board.

Either way, we're uncertain what to do next. We were told the £197 repair would solve the problem, but it hasn't. Now we're told a £75 repair will solve the problem. But what if it doesn't? What if we're next told that ah, something else has gone wrong, that'll be another £50 / £100 / £200 bill?

I really wish we'd checked dishwasher prices before authorising that original £197 repair, we'd have then realised the cost wasn't worth it as we could have got a new integrated dishwasher (a Beko) for only £100 more. Our stupidity, and unusual because we're usually very, very careful in spending money.

Now we're left with the uncomfortable feeling that if we agree to this next repair, we've no guarantee there won't be yet further repairs to come. But if we say enough's enough, then we've just chucked away nearly £200 on a machine that'll now be scrapped.

Any thoughts?? Would you continue on the repairs route, trusting to the authorised AEG-Electrolux repair service? Or buy a new dishwasher and write off the £200 as an expensive and stupid mistake?.

Ms_Chocaholic

I would get an independent dishwasher repairer to have a look at it before you go any further.

Ours (a Siemens I think) developed a fault, independent repairman came out and it cost us £50 I think.

Where are you in the UK-ish?

ryder72

Seeing that you have spent £200 on this, it might be worth getting an independent to look at it. Its possible at the board is gone. To be honest Electrolux service isnt great and its also possible the first items was a mis-diagnosis.

If there is a lot more required to spend on it, bin the dishwasher and get something from Bosch/Neff/Siemens or if your budget permits it, a Miele. These can go wrong too - its far less likely to happen and their service backup is better. AEG-Electrolux arent well knows for their quality.

kaya

Put your tablet in the door and turn your dishwasher on, the first thing you should hear is the drain pump operating to remove and smelly water from the bottom before the new wash cycle begins, if you hear this then your drain pump is working
Next thing you should hear is water entering the machine as it fills up then it will stop, this means your inlet solenoid and level/pressure solenoid are working ok , then you will hear a clunk which is your detergent door opening and dropping tha tablet in , this means your detergent dispenser is working ok , next your machine will heat the water and you will hear it " swooshing around" , the swooshing noise proves the main pump or motor is working ok and circulating the water as it should and opening the door during the cycle should get you a face full of steam which will prove your heater element is working( some cycles do a cold rinse first though which will obviously not heat ) , so it's
Drain
Fill
Heat
Add detergent and wash( pump the water around)
If its intermittent and you often end up with a dry ish tablet in the bottom of the machine and dirty plates I would guess at the inlet solenoid not opening to allow it to fill , a diagnosis of a pcb is usually an indication that the engineer is grasping at straws , if the machine hasn't filled properly then it shouldn't heat or pump the wash water around would exhibit the symptoms you describe

Hern

Sincere thanks to everyone for constructive advice and insights: very much appreciated at this time when we're floundering a bit!

@ Ms Chocaholic: Saw your post last night just before going to bed and have immediately taken your advice -- we got up early and drove into the town centre for 9 a.m. and were on the doorstep, just as it opened, of an independent (i.e., non-affiliated) domestic hardware specialist that's been in business for 65 years and is still family owned.

We explained the situation to them and they said that although they would never wish it to be thought that they were criticising any other business, nevertheless they would never have recommended going ahead with a £200 repair on a 6-year-old AEG/Electrolux dishwasher without first advising the customer to weigh up that kind of expenditure compared to the cost of a replacement machine. We weren't given that advice but, in all fairness, it's our failure to exercise commonsense and protect our own interests, rather than blaming anyone else.

The independent operates its own repairs and servicing business and charges a flat rate £45 call-out. We've therefore booked an engineer to come and inspect the dishwasher next week (and at the same time, inspect our similarly aged AEG/Electrolux washing machine, which seems to have developed a fault, too: normally quiet even during its final spin, it is now absolutely deafening, as if one is standing next to a jet engine on take-off.) Sincere thanks, then, for the advice to contact an independent before doing anything else: advice taken!

@ ryder72: Ditto thanks for the advice! We're just back from town, having fixed up for the independent engineer to call next week and check out both machines. Interesting about Miele: we had thought about it but the price is a bit beyond our budget, and especially if we now have to replace the washing machine, too. Had the budget stretched to a Miele then we'd have plumped immediately for it, largely on the basis that we bought a Miele Cat 'n Dog vacuum in June 2000 and, nearly 13 years later, it's never had a fault and works today exactly as it did brand new. Clearly, there's real, proven quality about Miele engineering; marketing hype it isn't.

@ kaya: Fascinating info, and thank you so very much for being kind enough to provide those insights. Until I read your walk-through explanation, I hadn't a clue how a dishwasher actually worked. Or didn't work.

Ironically, before leaving earlier this morning to go into town to visit the independent specialist, we shoved our breakfast pots into our pending-£75-repair dishwasher to complete a full loading, popped in a tablet, hit the 'normal' button and went. We had no real hope of it working but have reached the point where we're tired of wondering if it will / if it won't.

We've just come home and found that it has worked. . . Perfectly. The interior is currently still so hot that the sparkling clean and dry glassware and crockery can't yet be easily handled. So how a "board" can have failed and need a £75 replacement, yet the machine has just worked exactly as it should, defeats me. Heigh-ho!

Once again, sincere thanks from us both for the kindness shown by our fellow MSErs. :T

CM66

Can i asked what the outcome was after the independent inspection? My 4 year old Electrolux dishwasher isnt heating / drying at all and am debating whether to try and repair or bite the bullet and replace it....

Many Thanks

Clare

Susan1942

My dishwasher the top arm has come off there is a small white plastic nut which has a thread on it. The part where the arm fits on to it has a screw but when i put the arm on the little white nut does not hold. Is there another part that has disintegrated? Maybe a washer. My daughter had a look on a spares web site but we can see the nut part but not sure if it somes with a washer eg.
Any advice would be appreciated. Have had a vir of bad luck with vacumm cleaner then my printer and this week freezer. A lot of expense as I opted to replace all 3 items

Sue

Susan1942

It is a Whirlpool narrow integrated dishwasher

Thank you Sue