# Is this dishwasher motor bad?



## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

Our dishwasher does not drain. There is a small motor that must be the pump, it buzzes a lot during the end of the wash cycle but no water gets pumped through the drain hose.

This motor must be bad, right? I've removed it from the dishwasher. Is there any way to test it with a multitestor? And how much do you guys think it will cost to replace?

It's a frigidaire dishwasher, we bought it about 5 years ago.

Thanks


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## Jacques (Jul 9, 2008)

it's probably the pump, if it's buzzing don't bother checking with meter.. pull it out and see if somethings caught in it. make sure rest of drain is clear. if everything ok-replace pump.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Pulling up logic which should be stored in my old noggin, from dishwasher trouble-shooting education; The motor can be checked off of the unit, but it's not really a DIY situation. Calling on my memory again: most dishwasher motors run both ways, like a lot of clothes washer motors. One direction will run the pump for the dishwashing cycle, the other direction will run the pump to discharge the water from the unit, so you have a motor that runs in both CW and CCW directions. The wiring on the motor has to be figured out as to which is ground, which is neutral, which one is CW, and which one is CCW, *before *testing. Did the motor come off the unit with the pump attached? Can you turn the motor/pump assembly by hand to check for pump blockage? If this seems to be in working order, the check the discharge hose, eliminate all possibilities before replacing the motor. Now I have to ask: does the dishwasher/unit fill with water-as it should? Does the unit sound as if it is performing normally during a washing cycle? Have you interrupted the cycle during the wash cycle to see if anything has been going on? The unit should go through one wash cycle and then one drain cycle before doing the rinse cycle. Immediately after the wash, the rinse cycle is when I would check to see if there is any water left in the bottom of the unit. IF you have checked everything you can check at this point, except the motor, then it's either time to check the motor or get a replacement. The two places around here I do business with will check the motors for me, at reasonable cost, before selling me a new motor. Bum time to have a dishwasher go out. Merry Christmas, David


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## darsunt (Dec 29, 2006)

The drain pipe seem clear. I am able to drain the machine through the drain pipe.

The machine seems to go through a bunch of cycles, but nothing ever gets pumped out of the drain pipe.

The drain line is connected to the pump, which is attached to a short hose which is attached to the bottom of the washer. So the pump obviously is solely for the drain pipe. The pump has a kind of impeller on it that spins.

Like I mentioned before, the pump buzzes twice during the end of the dishwasher cycle but nothing comes out of the drain pipe. So I'm guessing the pump is at least one of the problems, unless there is some kind of valve in the pump assembly.

The dishwasher is not too expensive. So if the pump motor is too expensive, we might just replace the dishwasher. A pity though, the thing is just 5 years old.


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