FIXED Whirlpool dishwasher WDT970SAHV0 won’t fill

[jlkeegan]

Model Number

WDT970SAHV0

Brand

Whirlpool

Age

1-5 years

My dishwasher stopped filling with water. I’m trying really hard to repair it. I think I have overlapping problems. I need suggestions on what to try next.

Whirlpool Model # WDT970SAHV0

What I did and what happened:

1. Previously working 2-year-old dishwasher would now complete run, but with no water. Logic still opened door for detergent dispensing mid-run.
2. Checked the float and the float switch. Float is unobstructed. Tested float switch with multimeter - the button works.
3. Went to replace the water injector valve. In the process accidentally cut the two brown wires going to it (so I had a clip with two brown wires on it that went to a cut, then two brown cut wires connected to the rest of the washing machine). Soldered about 4-5” of new wires in between both ends to repair it.
4. Replaced the water injector valve. Still no water when I run dishwasher.
5. (By the way, the resistance on the initial water injector valve and the replacement were both the same. I don’t think it was the water injector valve).
6. Disconnected water source hose from water injector valve to test if water was flowing thorough it. Water stopped. Called plumber. A washer had broken in the T. Plumber replaced T beneath sink. Flushed our hose backwards. Proved a steady solid flow of water was coming through hose.
7. Disconnected repaired power clip from water injector valve and connected multitester prongs to either side of clip, with multimeter set to detect voltage (AC). Started dishwasher run. Voltage never went above 7 volts. Later made sure multitester was working by connecting to an unrelated wall outlet and seeing 120v. My understanding of the water injector valve is that it needs 120v to function.
8. Tested my soldering job by removing electrical tape and connecting alligator clips to the original wire before the solder joint, then connecting those clips to my multimeter. Same deal - never above around 7v.
9. Double checked the float switch. Then disconnected the cable going to the switch and deliberately shorted both leads with an alligator clip to ensure current was able to go through. Reran dishwasher. Same - not more than 7v.

Out of ideas. Part of me wants to connect 120v to the water injector valve directly to see if it fills the dishwasher with water.

Help!

..Jeff

 

[rickgburton]

Check for 120 VAC across P6-7 and P6-9 on the control board

Whirlpool W11305296 Cntrl-Elec (AP6832572) - AppliancePartsPros.com

Cntrl-elec W11305296 / AP6832572 made by Whirlpool

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[jlkeegan]

I’m having trouble accessing the control board itself.. I have the front panel off, and I see the control panel in it’s plastic case, but I don’t know how to A) open it to access the board, B) Disconnect the control panel from the door for easier access (I found two screws, but something in the middle still seems attached, perhaps beneath the latch assembly and I can’t figure out how to remove that).

Searched everywhere but I can’t find video of anyone removing that (or even the front panel). I have access to the parts list document and user manual, but can’t find a service manual.

Sorry to ask such basic questions. Eager to check P6-7 and P6-9 once I can access them.

 

[Jake]

Hi Jeff,

Watch this video below, it gives the general idea of how to access the control board.

Jake

 

[rickgburton]

Unplug dishwasher or disconnect power. Remove 4 screws (long) across top of door and 10 screws (short) on the sides. Remove the outer door panel,

 

[jlkeegan]

Making progress.. got the clip off the back for the power cables.. trying to figure out which clips let me remove the long connector protector thing for the rest.

 

[jlkeegan]

Got it.. (the long connector protector)

 

[jlkeegan]

I have the board out and can examine the connections. I see six pins associated with “P6” (“brown” on the case). One marked with a carrot/“V”, a gap, two together, a gap, another two together, a gap, and another single one.

The full board:

Which do you consider to be P6-7 and P6-9? Maybe I’ve got a different rev board? Or maybe there’s a numbering convention I’m unfamiliar with, such as odd-number pins starting with the “V”?

If I hook up everything except the brown connector (all 6 brown pins), then put alligator clips on what I think are 7 and 9 (the 4th and 5th going left to right is my guess), will everything else still function well enough to do the test? (That is, will the remaining unconnected brown wires screw something up that interferes with the cycle?)

 

[jlkeegan]

(Are the top and bottom of those pins connected? If not, an alligator clip would be bad as it would short them)

 

[Wx4usa]

Pins on p-6 are 1, 3-4, 6-7,9

 

[rickgburton]

 

[jlkeegan]

Excellent data, thanks guys. I checked the resistance between the top and bottom pins to make sure they’re the same lines, and they are, so alligator clips will work.

Here is the crude diagnostic setup I have:

When I turned back on the power (after connecting the console to the control board), I could indeed try to start a cycle. Unfortunately I don’t know how to trick the controller board into thinking the door is closed (and can’t easily access the board if I actually close the door). Does anyone know what lines correspond to the sensor? Are they the two purple cables going to the latch assembly? I don’t know how to safely remove that assembly (I see a latch on the left but nothing else). I’m fine jumping two pins to make it work.

Still worried about what missing pins like the brown wires might do - if they’re all output and don’t affect any sensors, I’m not as worried.

Ready to do a test once I can convince the dishwasher that the door is closed.

 

[rickgburton]

You're going about this the hard way. If the two wires (P6-7 & P6-9) have continuity to the fill valve, reassemble the machine and measure the voltage at the fill valve. Since you have the connector off see if you can measure the resistance of the fill valve coil (890Ω - 1,090Ω) P6-7 - P6-9. If you can read the fill valve both wires are good. This way all the connectors are on and the door switch is closed.

 

[jlkeegan]

You're going about this the hard way. If the two wires (P6-7 & P6-9) have continuity to the fill valve, reassemble the machine and measure the voltage at the fill valve. Since you have the connector off see if you can measure the resistance of the fill valve coil (890Ω - 1,090Ω) P6-7 - P6-9. If you can read the fill valve both wires are good. This way all the connectors are on and the door switch is closed.

I just checked the continuity of the brown wires, from the P6-7 and P6-9 pins on the contol-board-side brown plug, to the plug going to the water injector valve plug. Two lines, they’re not shorted to each other, and both have conductivity. So my soldering job seems ok.

Then I tested the resistance of one water injector valve (the one not currently installed - I believe it’s the original). 1.366kΩ. Then I tested the resistance of the water injector valves being accessed through the brown wires (plugged the clip into each water injector valve one at a time and measured resistance at the P6-7 and P6-9 pins on the control-board-side connector of the brown wire: 1.378kΩ for the uninstalled one and 1.356kΩ for the installed one.

But i’ve run dishwasher cycles with the clip not connected to the water injector valve (but instead connected to the multimeter on AC setting) and it never goes above 7 volts.

Is my controller board bad? This is why i’d really like to test the output of the actual P6-7 and P6-9 pins on the board itself, and fake out the door sensor.

 

[jlkeegan]

 

[jlkeegan]

I managed to figure out how to disconnect the door latch assembly/sensor from the door. I clicked something and it sprung shut. Turned on the power but it still read as open. Then I pushed down on a white piece of plastic and held it down, and it read as closed. I measured the AC voltage coming directly off of the board, P6-7 and P6-9. It never goes above 7.x volts. (It varies slightly).

I held down the switch for at least 3 minutes (probably more like 6). The dishwasher made noise.. I opened the inner part of the door to look in (no power to the water injector valve, so no water). I heard a rumbling from the bottom of the dishwasher. Maybe it was trying to drain?

Just realized a problem with that test. I’d jumped the pins going to the float switch before, but i’d erroneously thought the float switch and the power to the water injector valve were just in serial. They’re not. I just checked conductivity - it seems P6-6 and P6-4 go to the float switch. So In this most recent test it was trying to drain what it thought was existing water, since I didn’t have the brown connector connected.

Ok i’m going to short P6-6 and P6-4 on the board and try again.

Does anyone know what P6-3 and P6-1 are for?

 

[jlkeegan]

(Also, how long into a 1-hour cycle does the water turn on?)

 

[jlkeegan]

Away from home for a bit, but i’ll post what I did before leaving. Shorted P6-6 and P6-4 on the board. Connected P6-7 and P6-9 on the board straight to multimeter. Canceled existing run and started a new 1-hour cycle, holding down white plastic but inside door latch sensor assembly.

It DID show 120V. I was floored and excited.

Here’s my current guess: maybe when I checked the float switch I didn’t insert it correctly.. then when I replaced the water injector valve and tried a run, it kept trying to drain rather than doing a run, so no 120v at the water injector valve. Maybe the original problem was because of clogged water hose from the broken T that was repaired.

I’ll post results of next experiment.

 

[jlkeegan]

Thank you for all of your help everyone!

The problem I was having after replacing the water injector valve (which might not even need to have been replaced) was that after checking the float switch, I didn’t connect it well when plugging it back in. As a result, when I ran a cycle and was waiting torn 120v on the water injector valve line, I wasn’t getting it because the dishwasher thought it was full of water, and started the cycle trying to drain liquid it thought was in the dishwasher already.

I recorded a summary of everything that happened:

Again, THANK YOU ALL. I went 20 days without a dishwasher; while having several other stressful things going on. Being able to fix this (in time for Thanksgiving) helped in ways I can’t describe.

..Jeff

 

[rickgburton]

Good Job! Happy Holidays!