Bosch Dishwasher Buttons Not Responding? (here’s why & what to do)

We all tend to rely on our dishwashers so it can be quite annoying and worrying if it stops working for any reason. If your Bosch dishwasher’s buttons have suddenly become unresponsive don’t panic. This problem is very often easy to solve.

If your bosch dishwasher’s buttons have stopped working, keep reading. In this article we list the reasons why and the best ways to solve these problems.

Possible Causes For Your Bosch Dishwasher’s Buttons Not Working

There are several reasons why the buttons on your Bosch dishwasher might not work which include;

• No Power Supply
• Child Lock Activated
• Door Not Fully Closed
• Dirt Behind Buttons
• Blocked Filter
• Faulty Wiring
• Broken Button
• Faulty Control Panel

We have listed these in the order that you should check them (easiest solutions first). Now let’s take a look into each and what to do!

No Power Supply

The dishwasher won’t start if it doesn’t have any power so the first place to start is with the power supply. There are a few reasons why your Bosch dishwasher has no power which are;

• A Power Cut/Outage
  If there is a power cut or outage, nothing electrical will work including your dishwasher. However, if the rest of your home has power you will need to check the following.
• Plug Not Pushed Fully Into The Socket
  Sometimes, the plug gets pulled slightly out of the wall socket just enough to prevent electricity from flowing. To solve this all you need to do is push the plug firmly back into the socket.
• Faulty Wall Socket
  The easiest way to check if the wall socket is working is to plug something else into it, like a lamp. If the lamp works, you’ll know that the socket is fine.
• Faulty Power Cable
  In some cases, the power cable could have become damaged in some way. Inspect the cable and see if there is any fraying, if there’s nothing obvious, use a multimeter to check for continuity.

Dishwasher Needs Resetting

Sometimes the cycle can get stuck at a certain point and nothing will work. You can often clear this by doing a reset and there are 2 ways to go about this.

1. Soft Reset
   To perform a soft reset all you need to do is;
   1. Press and hold the “start/reset” button until the screen displays 0.01
   2. Shut the dishwasher door and run it for 1 minute
   3. Open the dishwasher door and turn the dishwasher off
   4. Allow a few seconds to elapse and then try to use the dishwasher as normal.
2. Hard Reset
   If the soft reset fails to solve the issue you’ll need to perform a hard reset. This involves;
   1. Removing the plug from the wall socket
   2. After 10 minutes, plug it back in
   3. Turn the dishwasher on

If this solves the problem with the unresponsive buttons you can relax and use your Bosch dishwasher as normal. If it hasn’t worked you’ll need to continue with the next steps on our list.

Deactivate The Child Lock

The child lock is a safety feature that is designed to prevent any buttons being operated by children (which could be dangerous). Once activated, the child lock stops the buttons from working until the child lock is deactivated.

To deactivate the child lock all you need to do is press and hold the “child lock” button (on some models it might just have “CL”) for around 3 to 5 seconds or until the “CL” sign is gone from the display screen.

Door Not Fully Closed

You need to check that the dishwasher door is fully closed by giving it a firm push. Then check to see if the buttons are now responsive, if they are, that was the problem. 

If not, open the door and see if there are any obstructions like a large plate sticking out or a pot handle etc. If not it could be that the door latch is faulty.

If you feel confident, you can check this yourself using a multimeter but if your appliance is still under warranty or you’re not too confident with electrical appliances, this is a job for an engineer.

Dirt Behind The Button(s)

In some cases, dirt can become lodged behind the buttons and could be preventing the button from working when you press it. If this is the problem, try wiping the dirt away from the button using a cloth.

Blocked Filter

If the filter is blocked it can cause the appliance to stop the buttons from working. You will need to remove the bottom rack to gain access to the filter.

Twist the filter and lift it from the base of the dishwasher then wash it using warm water and a brush. Be sure to remove all trapped food debris, grease, etc before replacing the filter.

Faulty Wiring

If the wiring that runs to and from the control panel has developed a fault, there’s a strong possibility that the buttons would become unresponsive.

You can check for any loose, damaged or defective wires but this job is best left to a professional. We would recommend contacting Bosch if your appliance is still under warranty or an independent dishwasher technician if not.

Faulty Control Panel

If the control panel has developed a fault, it won’t work properly which could make the buttons unresponsive. If this is the case, you’ll need to replace the control panel and this often means replacing the touchpad too as they are usually sold as one unit.

Before attempting this, we recommend calling in an expert who will be able to check and advise you on what’s needed. 

Faulty Buttons

While the technician is there they will inspect the actual buttons to see if they are the cause of the issue. This often means replacing the control board which is definitely a job for an expert.

Faulty Control Board

The very last possible thing that could cause the buttons on your dishwasher to become unresponsive is a faulty control board. As checking and replacing this is a very technical task, it’s best left to an expert.

Performing A Reset

After carrying out any of the above tasks, you will need to perform a reset to get the appliance running correctly again. We recommend performing a hard reset as this clears the dishwasher of any unperformed tasks.

This allows you to select any programme and get the dishes clean (see “Dishwasher Needs Resetting” section above).

Bosch Dishwasher Power Button Not Working

If the power button on your Bosch dishwasher doesn’t work there are 4 possible causes which are;

1. A Power Cut
   You’ll need to wait for the power to be restored to your property before the power button will work again.
2. Child Lock Activated
   Try deactivating the child lock and then press the power button.
3. Door Not Latched Fully
   This could be caused by an obstruction, the door hasn’t been closed correctly or the latch is faulty.
4. Faulty Power Button
   If it is the power button that’s faulty, you’ll need to get it replaced.

Reset Button Not Working On Bosch Dishwasher

If the reset button doesn’t work, it could be due to the child lock being activated, the dishwasher being in sleep mode or the delay start timer running. You will need to check all of these and then the reset button should function as normal.

Why Is The Active Button Flashing On My Bosch Dishwasher?

If the active button is flashing on your Bosch dishwasher, it’s most likely due to a blocked filter. If this is not the case, it could be because the door is not shut correctly too.

If the door is not shut properly, it could just be a large plate or a pan handle obstructing the door slightly. Or it could be the door latch is faulty.

SEE ALSO: Bosch Dishwasher Can’t Change Cycle? (here’s why & how to fix)

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