Bosch Dishwasher Won’t Start & Just Beeps? (here’s why & how to fix)

Bosch dishwashers have a good name within the industry because they are, for the most part, reliable and trouble free. However, even the best appliances can get problems at some point. If your Bosch dishwasher won’t start and just makes a beeping sound, keep reading.

In this article, we look at the possible reasons why your Bosch dishwasher keeps beeping and won’t work. As well as identifying the best remedies to try before resorting to calling in an engineer.

Possible Reason	How To Fix
Door not fully closed	Close door, repair or replace latch
Lack of detergent	Add correct amount of detergent
Faulty flow sensor	Replace flow sensor
Anti-flood device activated	Remove water from base of unit, repair any leaks
Faulty reed sensor	Replace reed sensor
Power cut	Remove plug from wall socket and replace after 10 minutes (hard reset)
Water supply issues	Check hoses, inlet valve, mains supply, water pump and repair as necessary
Drainage Issues	Check drainage hose, filter, etc
Cycle Stuck	Select new cycle or perform a hard reset
Faulty timer	Check timer and replace if necessary
Faulty motor	Check motor and replace if necessary
Faulty control board	Check control board and replace if necessary

Why Is My Bosch Dishwasher Beeping & Not Working?

 There are several reasons why your Bosch dishwasher could stop working and just make a beeping noise which include;

The Door Isn’t Fully Closed

If the door to your Bosch dishwasher is not fully closed the machine will not start and you will hear a beeping noise to let you know that something is wrong.

It could be that the door hasn’t been closed properly or the latch is faulty or it might just be that the sensor to the door latch is faulty.

Your first course of action is to push the door closed and see if this resolves the problem. If not, inspect the door latch and see if it looks OK. If it looks damaged or too bent to straighten, you might need to replace it before being able to use the appliance again.

The Cycle Has Finished

Many Bosch dishwashers are fitted with alarms that are activated once the cycle has finished to let you know it has completed its cycle.  If this is why your dishwasher is beeping, all you need to do to stop it is to open the door of the dishwasher.

Lack Of Detergent

Some Bosch dishwashers have a sensor that detects whether or not detergent has been added. If you have forgotten to add detergent, this could trigger the alarm which makes a beeping noise.

The remedy is to add detergent and restart the appliance.

Damaged Flow Sensor

Some Bosch dishwashers have a flow sensor that monitors and measures the amount of water that flows through your dishwasher. If the flow sensor develops a fault it could stop the appliance from working and set off the alarm to indicate that there’s a fault.

You will almost certainly need to call in an engineer to fix this problem.

Anti-Flood Device Activated

In the base of your Bosch dishwasher there is an anti-flood device which detects the presence of water in an area where no water should reach. 

This will prevent the machine from continuing to work and set off the alarm. This could also be accompanied by flashing lights. This is to prevent a flood happening in your kitchen.

You will need to remove any water from the anti-flood device and fix whatever has caused the leak. It could be as simple as using too much or the wrong type of detergent which has produced too many soap suds or it could be a burst water hose.

Damaged Reed Sensor

Reed sensors protect the dishwashers’ spray arms which spray water under pressure onto your dishes. If there is a dish positioned incorrectly, it can prevent the spray arm from rotating which could damage the reed sensor.

This is a job for an engineer and not one to be tackled by an amateur.

Power Failure

If your home experienced a power cut or outage, the dishwasher could start beeping once the power has returned. To fix this you’ll need to perform a hard reset.

This involves removing the plug from the socket and waiting 5 to 10 minutes before plugging it back in again. This will remove any temporary memories from the CPU of your dishwasher and allow you to restart the programme.

Issues With The Water Supply

Your dishwasher might not start and make a beeping noise due to a lack of water. The hose could be twisted, or it might have a small hole which could cause air to enter the system and prevent water from flowing correctly.

It could also be caused by a leaky water valve which could inhibit the rate of flow, or the pump itself could be faulty.

You should check all of the above and if it turns out to be the water inlet valve at fault, it can be replaced by a competent DIYer or an electrical engineer.

Drainage Problems

The beeping could be caused by the dishwasher not draining correctly. To solve this you should start by inspecting the waste hose and making sure it doesn’t have a kink in it.

Then you should remove the hose from the sink waste pipe and use a plumber’s snake to free any obstacles in the hose.

The problem could also be caused by a blocked filter which should be cleaned on a regular basis.

Stuck On One Cycle

Sometimes a glitch in the CPU prevents the dishwasher from processing the cycle you have selected. If this happens it is often possible to select a different cycle to free the problem. If you’ve been successful the beeping will cease and the dishwasher will start to operate as normal.

In some cases, you will need to perform a hard reset to clear this fault. All you need to do is remove the plug from the  wall socket and wait 10 minutes before plugging it back in again. This should have cleared the fault and the beeping will be gone.

Faulty Timer

Dishwashers use a timer to control the length of time power runs to certain components. If this timer develops a fault, the correct component either doesn’t get any power or it is not powered for long enough.

This can be a difficult fault to identify and the first sign you have could very well be the alarm sounding and the appliance refusing to work. You will usually need an engineer to solve this problem.

Or if you feel confident, you can locate the timer and use a multimeter to check that it reads between 2,000 to 3,500 ohms. If the reading is anywhere outside of these figures, you will need to replace the timer.

Faulty Motor

If your Bosch dishwasher has started, filled up with water but then stops before the actual cycle has begun, the alarm will sound but nothing else happens, it could be because the motor has developed a fault.

You might hear a loud humming noise as well as the beeping, this is a sure sign that the motor needs to be replaced.

If this is the case, it’s probably best to contact an engineer unless you are competent with electrical appliances.

Faulty Control Board

The control board is the most important component in your Bosch dishwasher. It supplies power to all of the dishwashers’ components. If it develops a fault, it could fail to supply the correct amount of power to the right part at the right time.

This could cause the dishwasher to stop working and sound the alarm to let you know that there’s a fault.

You will need to use a multimeter to check whether there is sufficient power getting to the control board. You should also check the thermal fuse to make sure there is power running through the system.

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