Indesit DIF04 dishwasher fault

[sotal]

Well after just splashing out on a new fridge freezer, our washing machine died last week and now today after Christmas Dinner our Dishwasher seems to have died as well

It's an Indesit DIF04 and it'll be 3 years old in January.

We came to use it after xmas dinner and it wouldn't start the program light would select but when you closed the door nothing happened. We did think it used to make a beep when you changed programs but we couldn't be 100% sure. (it didn't beep now)

We also didn't seem to be able to switch it off.

I switched it off at the mains and back on again and it didn't come back on at all. Then suddenly after a few minutes it came on, again the power light was on and it wouldn't turn off and it wouldn't start when you shut the door.

I came to look on the internet and after another few minutes it started beeping when I went back the power light was flashing and so was the soak light and the eco light.

I looked it up in the manual but these lights aren't mentioned. There are other fault lights but not those two.

I've done all the basic checks - I've cleaned all the filters, I've taken off the supply hose and made sure it is working, I checked the supply filter, I check the drain hose for blockages. I popped the bottom off and removed the drainage pump and the impellor rotates freely.

Anyone know what those lights mean? Anyone have any other thoughts on how to fix it?

 

[sotal]

I've found out the errors go on the number of the light rather than it's function.

The soak light is number 3 and the eco light is number 4.

So I have error 3 and 4

From searching error 3 seems to be the thermistor which is integrated with the PCB and error 4 seems to be the heater which is controlled by the PCB.

So I guess the PCB has gone belly up.

A replacement PCB is only £49.99 from indesit but it looks like I need a smart card reader at £100 and a smart card at £13 to program the PCB in. So £163 for a DIY repair that might not work

I might as well put that towards a new one just can't believe they're all breaking at the same time and at Christmas. I'll have spent about £1000 on appliances in December

 

[zipper]

Wow you really have been unlucky
Rocks1 is the forum's Indesit guru but I'll try my best to help in his absence.
If you have the 3rd & 4th led's on it indicates a communication error not two separate faults. Pull all the connections off the pcb, re-seat them, then check if the fault is cleared. If no-go then I suspect your pcb may be history, in which case you would indeed need a pcb + smartcard & card reader.

 

[sotal]

Thanks I'll give that a go, nothing to lose now!


When I plug it in now and turn on the power it seems completley dead for a good few minutes, none of the buttons do anything then after a few minutes it just comes on with a beep or two and the green power light is flashing along with light 3 and 4 of the 4 orange lights.


Atleast it all seems more accessible than the washing machine! Hopefully off to buy a new washing machine in the boxing day sales.

For now we'll have to buy a bottle of fairy liquid to replace the dishwasher

Washing machine was annoying but at 6.5 years old I can live with it, but the dishwasher was more expensive than the washing machine and has only lasted 2 years and 11 months.

The dishwasher has a 5 year parts warranty but I'm guessing the labour makes it not worth using. They advertise a fixed quote repair thing starting from £80 where they will come and guarantee to fix it for the price they quote. I guess if I get nowhere it may be worth looking at?

 

[zipper]

The fixed price promise seems to be what more or less exactly what it says, I haven't heard any serious complaints. As an afterthought if your pcb is history you could always try speaking to these people http://www.emwelec.co.uk/ I am not too sure if they repair all dishwasher pcb faults or just no-heat issues. But it only costs a phone call to ask.

 

[sotal]

Thanks I've emailed them to see if it is something they can sort

 

[sotal]

I've not had chance to look at it again yet, but I was thinking about it and with you saying it sounded like it was a communication fault I was wondering if they ever suffered from the wires breaking in the door hinge? That just seemed an obvious place fro a break to me as it's the only bit that moves. Or would it be a different fault for that?

 

[zipper]

Sorry I may have been a little vaugue...by communication fault I meant a bad connection (or broken wire) on the interface cable between main pcb & LED card. A good point regarding a potential weak spot for harness damage at the door pivot axis as this happens from time to time, but the cable between pcb & LED card shouldn't go via that route. I checked pcb prices & it looks like Indesit is a little cheaper than most other places. It retails at £53 & comes already pre-programmed (which saves buying the card & card reader). However it may be cheaper in the long run to go the fixed price way. Take off the inner door & control panel off & check the interface cable between pcb & LED card...while you're in there check that the door thermistor is firmly in place.

 

[sotal]

Thanks for all the help,


If I have it right the main PCB is in the base of the unit attached on the inner side of the front underneath the door. There is a small rounded rectangle cover held in by 1 screw here which is for the card reader so I presume that is the "main" PCB.

The LED Panel is in the top of the door so I would have thought that the cable between the two would have to be at the pivot point?

Where abouts is the door thermistor located?

WHere did you find the info on the PCB being already pre-programmed? I've found the item but can't see that detail.

Many thanks for all the help

 

[zipper]

Last first; If your s/n is above 90704... then this should be the module http://www.indesit-spares.co.uk/pcb-module-for-dif04ukr-p-52675.html However if you do contact Indesit quote all the nameplate details & they'll help you out (you can find all this information on the door lip or behind the machine). Indesit family dishwashers usually have a thermistor mounted against the inner door near the detergent dispenser (it monitors water temperature & they sometimes become dislodged). If the pcb is in the base then as you say the interface cable will likely follow the main harness. As you may appreciate is difficult to give you the exact location of components without the aid of manufacturers drawings.

 

[sotal]

Thank you so much for all your help zipper!

I think I've sorted it!!

I stripped the front down to check all the wiring and found a broken wire inside the door. As a quick test I twisted it together and it all switched on normally - I didn't test any further as the door was all in bits!

Where the wire had snapped it went behind a metal rod/bar and was embedded into the black insulation stuff (not sure if is supposed to be?) The top part of the wire was still in the black stuff and I had to pull it out, the bottom bit was hanging loose.

I'll do a proper repair in the morning and test fully then but it all looks good so far.


Just to confirm though the main PCB is in the base. Various wires go from the PCB to the other components in the base then the following go to the door:

6 thin orange wires
2 thick brown wires
1 thick earth wire

The 2 brown wires go to the door switch
2 of the orange wires go to the tablet dispenser solonoid
4 of the orange wires go to the LED PCB
The earth wire just goes to a screw

It was one of the thin orange wires leading to the LED PCB that had broken.

I couldn't see any sign of a thermister in the door.

But it looks like you've saved us £250 and made Christmas happier in this household!

 

[zipper]

Great job Happy new year

 

[sotal]

All seems well,

I soldered the wire back together and put heatshrink over it, then I wrapped extra insulation tape round that part of the loom to help protect it.

All back together now and it's been running through the cycle, it's not finished yet but it's been on for about 90 mins with no problems so far.