Bosch Dishwasher Can’t Change Cycle? (here’s why & how to fix)
A dishwasher saves time and money and is a great appliance for the busy family. Once the dishwasher has been loaded and switched on, you don’t need to worry about the washing up which is one more task off the list.
Bosch makes great dishwashers and have a great reputation within the industry. However, at some point even the best appliances develop faults. If your Bosch dishwasher is stuck on a cycle, keep reading. In this article we explain the most likely reasons that your dishwasher is stuck and the best ways to resolve this issue.
Why Won’t Your Bosch Dishwasher Change Cycle?
There can be several reasons why your Bosch dishwasher doesn’t change cycle including;
- Faulty Door Latch
If the door latch is faulty the dishwasher will stop mid cycle. This is because the sensors detect that the door is not fully closed. The appliance will not continue to operate until the door is closed. As the latch is faulty, the door will never be closed until the door latch is repaired or replaced. - Door Opened Mid Cycle
If you open the door to add extra dishes whilst the dishwasher is working, the machine will pause and often won’t start again until it’s reset. - Child Lock Activated
If the child lock is accidentally activated it can cause the dishwasher to get stuck on a particular cycle. It can be incredibly easy to activate the child lock. All you need to do is accidentally bump into the appliance, click the wrong buttons in the wrong order or accidentally press the wrong button. - Blocked Drain Hose
If the dishwasher is stuck after the wash cycle and won’t progress to the dry cycle, it could be because the drainage system is clogged. Either because the hose has a kink in it or the filter is clogged. Unfortunately to get at the filter, you’ll need to get the water out first.
How To Fix Your Bosch Dishwasher And Get It Working Again
If your Bosch dishwasher gets stuck on a cycle and won’t progress to the next stage in the process, there are a few things you can do which include;
Using The Control Panel To Reset Your Bosch Dishwasher
This type of reset is known as a “soft reset” and involves pressing and holding the reset button for 3 to 5 seconds. If your appliance doesn’t have a reset button, press and hold the start button for 3 to 5 seconds instead.
After a few seconds, you should hear the motor or the pump start to move. This signifies that the unit has moved past the hold up and should run as normal.
On some Bosch models, the control panel is hidden inside and cannot be seen or accessed unless the door is opened. If your dishwasher has stopped before draining, take care when opening the door as the appliance could be full of hot water.
As soon as you have performed a soft reset, close the door securely and wait for the motor or pump to start up.
On some older models there might not be a reset button, they often have a “drain” or “cancel” button instead. Sometimes, to get the appliance running again requires pressing buttons in a particular order which is known as a “key dance”.
You’ll need to consult your user manual for exact instructions for your particular model or try this combination:
- With the door fully closed, press the “hold” and “rinse” buttons and hold for 3 to 5 seconds then press and hold the “rinse” button.
- This should reset an old Bosch dishwasher whilst also activating the drain pump which will drain the water from the appliance. You should then see a “done” or “complete” message on the display once all of the water has been drained.
- The unit should now enter a standby mode which shows that the reset has been successful. You should now be able to start a new wash cycle.
Removing The Plug From The Wall Socket To Reset Your Bosch Dishwasher
Using the control panel to perform a soft reset doesn’t always work on all Bosch dishwashers. You might need to perform what’s known as a “hard reset” which is easy to execute.
All you need to do is;
- Remove the dishwasher’s plug from the wall socket.
- Wait for 10 to 15 minutes then plug it back in.
- Then turn the dishwasher back on.
If your Bosch dishwasher is connected to a circuit breaker and not plugged into a socket, just switch the breaker to the off position and allow 5 to 10 minutes to pass before turning it back on again.
This should clear any faults or perceived faults or a frozen screen etc.
Performing a hard reset is usually enough to fix an E-15 error code which is a problem caused by water reaching sensors at the base of the appliance.
Whilst the appliance is disconnected from the main power supply, check the hoses and pipes for any leaks.
Deactivating The Child Lock To Get Your Bosch Dishwasher Working Again
The child lock is designed to prevent children from interfering with the dishwasher’s programmes. If the child lock is activated, you cannot interrupt the current programme, you can’t start a new cycle, you can’t change the settings and you won’t be able to accidentally flood the floor of the room the dishwasher is in.
Whilst this is a good safety feature, it will also prevent the dishwasher from changing cycles when activated.
To solve this issue, all you need to do is turn off the child lock function, then your dishwasher will be able to continue running its cycle until it finishes.
Ensure You Have Selected The Correct Settings
If you haven’t had your Bosch dishwasher for very long, it’s easy to mess up the settings in some way. This could result in the cycle stopping during the wash.
It’s possible that you haven’t entered the right key combination before starting the dishwasher which could lead to it getting stuck on the wash cycle. You could have inadvertently selected the delay start function which would prevent the dishwasher from starting a new cycle.
Fixing A Faulty Door Latch
In some cases, even after performing a hard reset, the dishwasher will still not progress through the cycles. This could make you think that there was something wrong with the system. However, it could just be that the door latch is faulty.
You need to always ensure that the door is fully shut and the latch is firmly in place. If not, the control panel detects that the door isn’t fully shut and prevents the appliance from running a full cycle or changing from one cycle to another.
Sometimes this can be caused by the door sensors detecting slight movement in the door which can be caused by the vibrations of the machine in operation. This is of course only possible if the door latch is faulty in some way.
This could have been caused by someone accidentally bumping into the door causing the latch to become dislodged. If the door latch is damaged in some small way, the control panel will not allow the cycle to continue.
You will need to repair or replace the door latch assembly to remedy this fault. Replacement door latches are available online and can easily be fitted or, if you’re not feeling confident in replacing the latch yourself, you should contact a qualified electrician.
Clearing A Blocked Drain Hose To Reset Your Bosch Dishwasher
If your Bosch dishwasher won’t progress from the wash cycle to the dry cycle, it could be that the drain hose is blocked. To check this, remove the drain hose from the waste connection under your sink and place the end in a bucket.
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If the dishwasher is full of water and none comes through the hose or there is just a trickle, the hose is most likely blocked. Use a plumber’s snake to remove any blockage before reconnecting the hose to the waste pipe under the sink.
What To Do If All Else Fails
If you’ve tried all of the above solutions and your Bosch dishwasher still can’t change cycles, you have another option which is;
Run The Diagnostic Mode
Running the diagnostic mode makes the dishwasher look for faults and identify them by showing error codes. To start the diagnostic mode, press and hold the start button until the unit complies. This doesn’t work on all models so it’s best to consult your user manual for specific instructions.
Once your dishwasher displays an error code, you can consult your user manual to find out what caused it and how to fix it. In some cases, this might involve contacting a qualified Bosch engineer.
If your appliance is still under warranty, you could find it costs you nothing to get this issue fixed. If your warranty has expired, you might want to contact a few electrical engineers and get a few quotes before committing to any repairs.
SEE ALSO: How Much Salt Do I Put In A Dishwasher?
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t change the cycle on your Bosch dishwasher it could be because; the door was opened mid cycle, the door latch is faulty, the drain hose is clogged or the child lock has been activated.
To reset a stuck cycle on a Bosch dishwasher all you need to do is press and hold the reset button for 3 to 5 seconds. If your appliance doesn’t have a reset button, press and hold the start button for 3 to 5 seconds instead. If this doesn’t work, unplug the appliance from the wall socket and wait at least 10 minutes before plugging it back in.
The average life expectancy of a Bosch dishwasher is around 10 years.
