Indesit Dishwasher Pump Motor Needs Push To Get Started!

Ampimpaired · 13 Apr 2008

Hi all,

I have an Indesit D63 dishwasher.

Its been a couple of years since it last gave me problems, last time I spent days getting bits of info from all over the place but eventually figured it out and posted the story incase it would help anybody else (and i found a few in same boat during my adventures!!)

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=259237#259237

Anyway!

It stopped again!

It had been used alot last few days and there was water in the sump which I cleared up but it wont wash!

It fills, it will empty (when moved to that position in the program)

It wont spray! There is no water pumping to the arms at all! The first time i noticed it the element was on and hot as no water being moved in the machine!

When the spray pump should runs the motor hums and the outer metal ring (is it the outside of the stator??) gets hot, but it wont pump/turn! First i thought the shaft may be jammed but no it turns ok and there is no gunge etc anywhere.

I have read on here and elsewhere that a hum but no movement could be a faulty capacitor, this setup is new to me as I am used to brushes on motors (cars mainly!) I have read its the cheapest option to change the capacitor for a few pounds rather than the motor £70 ish!
I have had a quick look on the Maplin website for Motor Run Capacitors as I cant find the genuine one separate from the motor and I read elsewhere of someone suggesting this!

But! Maplin dont list a 4uF Capacitor only a 2 a 3 and an 8! - So which would cover it and does it matter how I mount it, can i just tape etc against the old one as that is a bolt on jobby! And if I need too can I use 2 x 2uF in parralell? - Update - just found a replacement 4uF Capacitor but its more than double price of Maplin's 8uF and I can get to Maplin in the morning instead of waiting a few days. Is it worth hanging on and paying more for the correct swap and am I really on the right lines to change it anyway!!!

Any help would be great thanks!

Ampimpaired · 19 Apr 2008

- update! fitted a new capacitor and... no luck! motor body still getting hot but does not seem to be turning so arms not spinning, element is heating but no spray water to warm up! Anybody any ideas at all

? If its definitely the motor I will need to weigh up whether its worth it for the £70 or so it will cost to change.

Ampimpaired · 20 Apr 2008

New update!

Motor was heating, huming and smelling as if it was jammed, but when off i could turn the pump blades ok.

I have isolated the pump and connected directly to the power, it still would not turn, i gave the blades a helping push and away it went! If i turn off but on again before it stops spinning it will start but if all stop, then it needs another push to get going, some times a nudge somtimes a few revs.

I am only used to motors with brushes that may have been saved if the commutator was still in decent condition.

This brushless one with a capacitor is new to me! - its hard to see into the unit even if i knew what i was looking at!

Any help please?! is it dead!

Ampimpaired · 20 Apr 2008

Update update.... stripped the pump assembly away so no load on motor at all, still needed a push start, used light oil on bearings etc, now quiet and will spin for upto 10 seconds after power off but still needs a push to start!!!
I have changed the capacitor already but could the new one be a duff too or is the motor worn to the point of needing a bigger kickstart? what about a higher capacity capacitor to give it a better kick start?? I still have the old one too, can i add that in parralell to give an 8uF (2x4) reserve? - or would it need to be in series??

Ampimpaired · 20 Apr 2008

Sorry to update my steps like this but it may help someone reading this in future!
Anyway, using two capacitor in either configuration did not help.

Leaving the capacitor off all together and the circuit open has exactly the same effect, except once it actually start turning by its self when there was no capacitor attached!!!
I have had a look as best i can at the wiring from the capacitor into the motor itself and it seems ok, I cant easily get deeper into the motor as its rivited together!

So....

Motor just sits and gets hot until I help it start turning and away it happily goes!

jeff91266 · 25 Apr 2008

Hi,

You had a previous post about the Indesit D63 dishwashwer and the location of the pressure switch. I can't seem to find this inside the dishwasher. Am I looking in the right place or is it underneath somewheeere ? Any help would be appreciated ?

Thanks

Ampimpaired said:
Hi all,

I have an Indesit D63 dishwasher.

Its been a couple of years since it last gave me problems, last time I spent days getting bits of info from all over the place but eventually figured it out and posted the story incase it would help anybody else (and i found a few in same boat during my adventures!!)

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=259237#259237

Anyway!

It stopped again!

It had been used alot last few days and there was water in the sump which I cleared up but it wont wash!

It fills, it will empty (when moved to that position in the program)

It wont spray! There is no water pumping to the arms at all! The first time i noticed it the element was on and hot as no water being moved in the machine!

When the spray pump should runs the motor hums and the outer metal ring (is it the outside of the stator??) gets hot, but it wont pump/turn! First i thought the shaft may be jammed but no it turns ok and there is no gunge etc anywhere.

I have read on here and elsewhere that a hum but no movement could be a faulty capacitor, this setup is new to me as I am used to brushes on motors (cars mainly!) I have read its the cheapest option to change the capacitor for a few pounds rather than the motor £70 ish!
I have had a quick look on the Maplin website for Motor Run Capacitors as I cant find the genuine one separate from the motor and I read elsewhere of someone suggesting this!

But! Maplin dont list a 4uF Capacitor only a 2 a 3 and an 8! - So which would cover it and does it matter how I mount it, can i just tape etc against the old one as that is a bolt on jobby! And if I need too can I use 2 x 2uF in parralell? - Update - just found a replacement 4uF Capacitor but its more than double price of Maplin's 8uF and I can get to Maplin in the morning instead of waiting a few days. Is it worth hanging on and paying more for the correct swap and am I really on the right lines to change it anyway!!!

Any help would be great thanks!

Ampimpaired · 25 Apr 2008

Hi,
The pressure switch is a small (about 3inch diameter) plastic white circular bit, if you take the right hand (as you look at washer) side panel off, the switch is attached to the inside edge of the bottom side crossbeam, halfway between front and rear, you can remove it by uncliping it from the crossmember where it just slides into place, you should see the tube running from it, up, round and down into the central trap where the water rises creating pressure in the tube/switch.

Hope this helps

jeff91266 · 26 Apr 2008

Ampimpaired said:
Hi,
The pressure switch is a small (about 3inch diameter) plastic white circular bit, if you take the right hand (as you look at washer) side panel off, the switch is attached to the inside edge of the bottom side crossbeam, halfway between front and rear, you can remove it by uncliping it from the crossmember where it just slides into place, you should see the tube running from it, up, round and down into the central trap where the water rises creating pressure in the tube/switch.

Hope this helps

Hi,

Thanks very much for the info. I'll have a look. I'm having a similar problem to the one you had previously. The machine does fill but it stops filling below the levelof the element so it does not get heated. The element getshot so I guess it works fine.

Best Wishes

Jeff

Ampimpaired · 26 Apr 2008

Hi,

I don't think the element is submerged at any time, try filling the base with a jug of water and you may see that the level will reach the overflow (guntower) before it gets as high as the element, i think its the movement of water circulated by the arms/jets that keeps the element wet and the water hot - that is my current problem, the pump to the spray arms is not working so the water comes in, the element gets hot but there is no warming of the water or washing of dishes!

I am about to give up on mine, for its age i can't justify spending £70 on a new pump motor, I have been looking at a new one, originally a Kenwood but maybe now a Dixons own brand Matsui, which is cheap but more importantly the parts are a fraction too e.g the pump for it is just £34!

Hope this helps.

Sleepyhead · 27 Apr 2008

The Kenwood is made in China and is of deplorable quality. If the Matsui is cheap then it too is likely to be Chinese. Parts may be cheaper but you'll probably need them more often.
Your Indesit appliance is a bit of a puzzler. If it runs with help then it should run if a good capacitor is fitted, unless the motor has been sitting in water, in which case you need a motor. Don't bother with Maplins and the like, go to your local repairer and take the old capacitor with you, he should be able to test the capacitor.

Ampimpaired · 27 Apr 2008

Thanks for the comments Sleepyhead!

The motor does have surface rust on the bottom side but has not to my knowledge been laying in water, I got a new equvelent 4uF capacitor from espares but it made no difference, I added it to the original in parralell and then in series but still nothing. I have just put the whole thing back together now and it will be heading for the local tip maybe this afternoon, its a real shame that a whole unit will be scrapped because the price of the replacement motor is so high, it does nothing to promote eco friendly ness but i suppose it keeps the factories open!

I may strip the inlet value, pressure switch, waste water pump, element etc if anybody wants them.

I am interested in what you say about the Kenwood and the Dixons own brand Matsui - the other units in the similar price range £180-£250 include another Indesit but the price of the parts and the borderline lifespan I have had out of the current one make me hesitate. - is there a brand that stands out in that price range as better value??

Sleepyhead · 27 Apr 2008

Your price range is a bit on the low side to be honest. You're keeping yourself in the low to lower quality range.
Whirlpool would come in around £250 for a freestanding machine but spares are really expensive.
For a bit more, £299, you could have a John Lewis own brand machine with 3 year warranty. Their own brand machines are normally big brand machines such as Electrolux.
Do some Maths. Chinese job at say £170 1 year warranty = £170 a year. Any extra time is a bonus.
John Lewis at £299 3 year warranty = £100 a year. Any extra time is a bonus.
John Lewis at £359 5 year warranty = £72 a year. Any extra time is a bonus.

Ampimpaired · 21 May 2008

- Follow up

I took sleepyheads advice - thanks! and bought a better quality (i hope!) new Seimens SE24M851GB dishwasher, I had read elsewhere on here that they are difficult to work on but Seimens are doing the warrenty upgrade to 5 years as mentioned so I dont plan on getting my hands dirty on it for at least 5 more years! It cost £400 with the free upgrade on warrenty from John Lewis, I went into Curry's they had one in at £349, I asked about the Siemens backed warrenty upgrade and they said they were not one of the suppliers included in that scheme. The model was discontinued there and I tried to get them to deal by knocking the price down to £300 and selling me their own 5 year warrenty for £100 and letting me take the display model away there and then to match JL, the best they would do was £424 all in so I left it - they pushed the fact that their warrenty covered accidental damage too but my household insurance would cover that anyway. I would prefer the Siemens backed offer anyway i think!

Well pleased with it so far, you can instantly tell the jump in quality and build and it only took a few day to get through John Lewis online.

So... I now have a bag full of Indesit spares! The spray pump motor is no good but I have most of the valves, pumps and sensors left if anyone is in desparete need!

Then within a week I came home to learn that the Indesit clothes washing machine that had sat side by side with the Indesit dishwasher has now decided to act up too, in disgust at losing its friend no doubt!

Ampimpaired · 7 Dec 2013

Quick update - The Seimens dishwasher is still going great 5 and a half years on, quality seems to have paid off - unless this note jinxes it of course.
Hope the story helped somebody in a similar situation.

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Indesit Dishwasher Pump Motor Needs Push To Get Started!

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