Think your Bosch dishwasher is broken? Try this first

It’s no secret that we love Bosch dishwashers here at Reviewed. They consistently wow us with their reliability, innovative technology, smooth operation, and smart solutions.

We even believe — and our testing confirms it — that Bosch dishwashers are the best on the market. See the model that earned our top pick as the best dishwasher.

While dishwashers, with their convenience and technology, can simplify our lives, when they break down, it is often less than simple to straighten out the problem. And, when it’s your trusty Bosch dishwasher that’s got an issue, you might find yourself panicking.

Not to worry. Dishwasher repair might not be as simple as the old ‘turn it off and turn it back on’ (do give that a try though), yet you might be surprised how much fixing you can do yourself with the right tools, especially when it comes to Bosch dishwasher troubleshooting.

We know from first-hand experience that many Bosch dishwasher problems can be fixed by you. Here’s what we recommend you try before you despair and book an unnecessary appointment with an expensive handyman.

The tools you’ll need for your Bosch dishwasher reset

• An adjustable wrench set
• A set of pliers
• A screwdriver

Bosch dishwasher troubleshooting — solutions for many potential problems

There’s a lot that goes into a modern dishwasher. With so many components and systems that have to work together, there are a number of things that could go wrong with a Bosch dishwasher. Here are a few things that could crop up, and what you should do about it.

1. Check for debris in the dishwasher door’s seal

If your dishwasher isn’t starting, one of the first things to do is to make sure that there’s no food, dirt, or debris stuck onto the lip of the washer’s door.

A bit of broken glass, a food packaging tie, or a chunk of carrot can all keep the door from sealing closed, which also prevents the dishwasher from starting.

Use a finger or brush and trace around the exterior of the door where it seals closed. If there’s anything there, dislodge it.

2. Check the drain pump

Dirty water and food bits everywhere when the dishwasher fills up with water? Check to see if something is blocking the drain of your Bosch.

This can cause dirty water and gross bits to build up inside your dishwasher.

3. Check for error codes

Sometimes a well-used Bosch dishwasher may need a filter cleaned or replacement parts.

Thankfully replacement Bosch dishwasher parts are relatively easy to come by.

Look to see if your dishwasher is displaying error codes. If so, then check the manual or website and address the issue as instructed.

4. Clean out the soap dispenser

If your Bosch is having problems dispensing soap correctly there may be just a buildup of gunk in the dispenser.

My parents’ Bosch dishwasher had gotten so bad that my mom had to set a timer to stop each load and manually open the dispenser. Thankfully there’s a fix, and it’s not difficult.

The soap dispenser mechanism is a sliding door that covers the compartment where you load detergent. Four tabs hold this door in place along its sliding rails. When the door is slid up, each tab can be moved through a notch to release the door.

Use your flathead screwdriver to pop this door off its rails. You’ll see a spring that connects the hatch door to its placement. Make sure to note how this spring connects to the dishwasher’s door.

Using a knife or toothpick, go through and work any gunk out of the notches of the soap dispenser door. Pay special attention to the spring release at the top of the detergent door.

Get all the gunk off that you can. If there’s more, try soaking the door in diluted white vinegar for a few minutes.

When the mechanism is clear, reinstall the door, paying careful attention to the positioning of the spring. When properly reinstalled, the door should release as intended, midway through the load.

I did the above steps, and it took me less than five minutes.

5. Check your dishwasher’s installation

Most dishwashers installed into counters are held in place with fasteners that screw into the top of the dishwasher and affix it to the underside of your countertop. This fastener keeps the dishwasher from rocking about and coming loose.

If you find that you close your Bosch dishwasher and the door simply won’t latch shut, then check to ensure that these fasteners haven’t come loose. This can cause the door of the dishwasher to jam against the counter edge, or it could block the door from closing itself. These might need to be bent slightly to allow the door to close properly.

Your Bosch dishwasher should also have small feet at its front that adjust where it sits under the counter. Look here and you’ll see screw braces that keep it from rocking side to side.

These can be adjusted to raise and lower the front of the dishwasher incrementally or position it left to right. If the door is catching on the counter or a cabinet, it’s worth adjusting these feet to see if this can free up the door to close properly.

To do so, use a wrench to ratchet the feet left or right to adjust the dishwasher’s height.

6. Check the water supply valve

If your Bosch dishwasher was recently installed, then it’s a good idea to check the water valve underneath the sink.

In rare cases an installer might have forgotten to open this valve, which could keep water from entering the unit and keep it from beginning operation.

An easy way to rule this out is to start a cycle and see if water fills the unit.

This valve should be all the way open. If there’s no water in the machine, or only a little water, then locate the water valve and turn it counterclockwise to open it.

Also take this time to check the area under the sink to make sure your unit doesn’t have a leak.

If your home has a basement or crawlspace beneath the area where the dishwasher is installed and you suspect a leak, then it’s a good idea to investigate here.

7. Check the dishwasher’s water inlet valve

If you’ve established that the water valve is allowing water into the system, but there’s no water entering your dishwasher, then check the dishwasher’s intake valve. There could be a seal in the valve that needs to be opened and was missed in installation.

You could try probing the interior of the valve with a screwdriver to look for blockage. However, be careful. You don’t want to damage any components that are meant to be permanent.

8. Reset your Bosch

New Bosch dishwashers have a little more computer in them than older generations of dishwashers. Just as with your laptop, resetting the dishwasher can sometimes resolve common problems.

If your dishwasher is displaying error codes that don’t check out, then you should firstly try the old reboot.

A simple Bosch dishwasher reset is easy. The majority of Bosch units feature a start button that can be held for a few seconds to initiate a start reset.

If your load is having trouble and you need to cancel it, hold the start button and you’ll see the screen flash, signifying that it’s resetting.

For bigger issues or if this fails, it’s worth it to try a more total reset. Unplug your dishwasher and plug it back in. If that’s impossible because of the way it’s installed, then consider flipping the breaker switch to reboot it.

9. Check dish placement

Bosch dishwashers are designed to be smarter than the average dishwasher. But sometimes that means you have to use some brains to keep up.

If everything seems right yet your dishwasher still insists on quitting mid-load or failing at drying dishes, then check to see if you’ve been overpacking the dishwasher with large items in the wrong rack of the machine.

There’s a lot going on inside a dishwasher, and a load with the wrong assortment of dishes could cause problems. For example, a load of 100% bundt cake pans might cause some flow issues.

Helpfully, Bosch has a guide on just how to load your dishwasher so that the dish placements don’t block the flow of water and cause your dishwasher to refuse to start for you.

10. Call in a professional

Before you consider doing DIY surgery on the mechanical or digital workings of your Bosch, it’s a good idea to consult with a professional.

Likely, [hiring a Bosch technician will cost less than the price of a new dishwasher, and that’s what you may risk having to buy if you fiddle too far and damage an internal component or void warranty.

The Bosch technician database will direct you to technicians in many parts of the country. In more populous areas the database will often provide both Bosch warehouse technicians and certified third-party servicers.

If you’re looking for replacement parts, the Bosch website keeps most of the Bosch dishwasher parts that you could possibly need in inventory.

If you choose to purchase third party Bosch dishwasher parts you might worry about your dishwasher’s warranty. Bosch’s policy is relatively forgiving here: “using third-party parts will not void” your warranty.

Even though it won’t immediately void your warranty to install third party parts, the Bosch warranty does state that, “Bosch highly recommends that you do not attempt to repair the Product yourself or use a non-authorized service provider; Bosch will have no responsibility or liability for damage resulting from repairs or work performed by a non-authorized service provider.” The warranty goes on to warn that damages caused by “self-performed "fixing" or exploration of the appliance’s internal workings,” as well as damages from “parts installed by any non-authorized service provider,” will be cause for a warranty exclusion.

With this in mind, we say take your dishwasher’s warranty into consideration before you try to fix it. If the unit is still under warranty, it’s a good idea to search Bosch’s database of technicians before you try to do any DIY fixes of your own.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.