Bosch SHX68E15UC E15 water leak

[Hildebrau]

Model Number

SHX68E15UC

Brand

Bosch

Age

More than 10 years

Good morning. I hit my first E15 error code yesterday on my Bosch SHX68E15UC dish washer from 2011.

This was 10ish months after replacing the circulating pump based on an E24 thread and that E24 disappeared.
I hit the forums and youtubes late last night and ripped open the dishwasher. I sponged out the water I found around the styrofoam float and ran a (very LONG) 30-minute cycle and watched it closely. Well, I guess I got bored near the end and looked at my phone instead. That's when I missed it leaking again. The leak did NOT come from the door seals, or the drain hose connection. I do see a thin water ring between the stainless main tub (sorry if that's the wrong term) and the whole plastic parts that start below the tub... so I imagine it's leaking there; but I never saw it "running" out. I also see water pooled directly under the circulating pump that I replaced late last year. But there's no telling if the water came from a connection on that or if it just came from above and happened to pool there.

I took a video and a few pictures from last night after my 30 minute test cycle. Can anyone tell guide me on next steps? Click the album link to see the photos.

I'm thinking I will dump a gallon of water in to the washer and watch below to see if it just leaks w/o running. If it's the gasket between the tub and whatever you call the thing directly under it, then I guess I'm in for a LONG repair job based on some videos I saw last night. TMI: I've had washing machine spider arm fail two weeks ago and fridge water filter leak last week. I'm tired of being appliance repair guy.. I need a break!

If you can suggest parts and any videos that closely represent my model, that will help me big time. I never could figure out how to remove the plastic bottom basin when I did the circulating pump replacement last year. Looks like I'll have to figure that one out this time around. No getting around it!

Thank you so much!

-Hildebrau

 

[Hildebrau]

While I'd like to know if anyone else sees anything in the video that I missed or has any other ideas.. I think I stumbled upon an older answer from Jake that may be helpful for me. I hope!

 

[edee_em]

Have you tried tightening the screws holding the sump? They tend to come loose. The water under the water pump may have come from anywhere but with the water showing up on the sump, that would be my guess. Water doesn't go "up", if that makes any sense! The guys at Appliance parts pros make some great repair videos. Helped me a lot!

 

[Hildebrau]

@edee_em, that's a great idea. No, I haven't tried that yet, but I will. I'm assuming those are accessible from inside the basin? I'll review a video. Thanks again!

However, what I did try last night was run the auto wash at 2h36m (ish) and I had two timelapse cameras (Pixel phones) aimed at both sides of the sump. Sure enough, there was NO LEAK. Today, I plan to do the same thing, but I'll run the Quick-30m wash cycle which leaked twice in a row before. I can't imagine what the 30 minute cycle does that the 2h36m one doesn't; but my lack of knowledge doesn't mean they should fail the same way.


Looks like they are accessible from the top. I'll give those a little snugging before running the 30M cycle today.

 

[edee_em]

Get them all. I believe there are 5 all together. Funny you should mention "lack of knowledge": we're all just really guessing with this stuff, aren't we!!

 

[Hildebrau]

Well, I only found 4 screws in there to tighten. It didn't seem to help. I haven't tested more than once, but the Auto Wash 2h36m cycle didn't leak last night when I took videos. Today, I ran the 30 min cycle again and it leaked. That's 3 times in a row for that cycle. It leaks at the very end. I got some good video of it. The video is at 10x speed. I'm planning to get a new BOSCH 00668102 Dishwasher Sump. Any thoughts on any other possibilities? The video makes it look like there's a lot of water; but it's only about 4 small sponge fulls before the E15 float switch is triggered and it seems to fire up the pump and abort. It gets stuck in a loop at that point. Pumping out the drain line over and over, presumably because E15 float switch is still triggered.

 

[edee_em]

Well, I only found 4 screws in there to tighten. It didn't seem to help. I haven't tested more than once, but the Auto Wash 2h36m cycle didn't leak last night when I took videos. Today, I ran the 30 min cycle again and it leaked. That's 3 times in a row for that cycle. It leaks at the very end. I got some good video of it. The video is at 10x speed. I'm planning to get a new BOSCH 00668102 Dishwasher Sump. Any thoughts on any other possibilities? The video makes it look like there's a lot of water; but it's only about 4 small sponge fulls before the E15 float switch is triggered and it seems to fire up the pump and abort. It gets stuck in a loop at that point. Pumping out the drain line over and over, presumably because E15 float switch is still triggered.

The video doesn't lie. You have a sump replacement in your future. Jake had a post https://www.applianceblog.com/mainf...to-fix-e15-error-code-on-she7er55uc-50.95187/ about replacing the seal but said he replaces the whole thing because you have to remove the sump anyway, to replace the seal. Appliancepartspros.com has a good video on sump replacement. I have no experience in replacing a sump, but, being an owner of a Bosch means that it's only a matter of time

The machine cycling after the E15 error is thrown is it doing what it's supposed to be doing. I've found that unplugging it/tripping breaking resets it so you can get the machine going again. Interesting that it doesn't happen during a long cycle but does on a short cycle. Off to the interwebs to find out what's up with that! Might be worth another post here asking that very question.

 

[Hildebrau]

The video doesn't lie. You have a sump replacement in your future.

I finally had time to do the sump replacement this weekend. My Bosch had a few differences compared to the one in the sump replacement video on Appliancepartspros.com that you referenced. But, it was easy enough to figure out on the fly. For example, this side wall was totally different on my unit:

It has some nasty looking thing inside of it in this zoomed in shot:

Here was the half way point.