LG Dishwasher Touchpad Not Working? Here’s why & what to do

If you own a LG dishwasher then you know just how efficient and reliable they are. However, even LG dishwashers develop problems at times. If your LG dishwasher touchpad fails to respond, keep reading.

In this article we identify the reasons why your touchpad has stopped working and share ways to resolve this annoying issue.

Why Has The Touchpad On My LG Dishwasher Stopped Responding?

Reason Touchpad Isn’t Responding	Probable Cause	Solution
No Power	Loose or faulty power cord	Check the cord and replace if necessary
Control Lock Activated	Accidental activation of the control lock	Deactivate the control lock
Your Hands Are Wet	Moisture on your hands makes the touchpad unresponsive	Dry your hands and the touchpad
Touchpad Is Dirty	Accumulated dirt has prevented the touchpad from responding	Clean the touchpad
No Communication Between Touchpad & Control Board	Wiring Fault	Check wiring and repair/replace as necessary
Faulty Touchpad	Touchpad has become damaged by heavy handed usage	Replace touchpad
Faulty Control Board	Wear & tear or a power surge	Replace control board

Let’s look at each fault more closely;

No Power

This can be caused by a number of faults which include;

• Power Cut/Outage
  If there is no power supply to your home, the touchpad will not respond. Check that your home has power.
• Plug Not Fully Inserted
  The plug needs to be fully inserted into the wall socket to connect to the power supply.
• Wall Socket Defective Or Switched Off
  Check that the wall socket is working by plugging a different electrical item (like a lamp) into the socket. Check that the wall switch is in the on position.
• Defective Power Cord
  Check the power cord for any fraying or disconnected wires.
• Circuit Breaker Tripped
  Ensure that the circuit breaker is switched on.

Control/Child Lock Activated

The control lock or child lock as it’s also known is designed to prevent any accidental interference of the cycles once the appliance is running a cycle. If the control lock has been activated, the touchpad will remain unresponsive until the control lock has been deactivated.

To deactivate the control lock, press and hold the “child lock” button for 3 to 5 seconds.

Trying To Activate The Touchpad With Wet Hands

In the same way that the screen on your smartphone will fail to respond if your hands are wet, so will the touchpad on your LG dishwasher.

This can lead to a more serious issue if you regularly get the touchpad on the dishwasher wet. You should only ever touch the touchpad when you have dry hands. If the touchpad gets wet accidentally, make sure you dry it thoroughly as soon as possible.

Dirty Touchpad

If dirt has built up around the touchpad, it could prevent it from working. You can usually solve this by using a soft brush and a few drops of electronic cleaner.

To prevent this from recurring, ensure your touchpad remains clean and dry at all times.

Lack Of Communication Between Touchpad & Control Board

This will almost certainly be due to a wiring fault and is best left to an expert to solve.

Faulty Touchpad

This is typically caused by heavy handed use of the touchpad. Usually one or two buttons on the touchpad are unresponsive but whether it’s just a few buttons or the whole touchpad, we recommend replacing the entire control panel and not just the touchpad.

Faulty Control Board

If the touchpad buttons work sporadically or are unresponsive and the display doesn’t read correctly accompanied by random beeps, it’s probably the control board that’s faulty.

This can be tackled by a competent DIYer, but as these parts are fairly delicate, we would recommend leaving this job to an expert. In most cases the touchpad and control board are replaced together to prevent further breakdowns in the near future.

How To Reset A LG Dishwasher

When a dishwasher malfunctions the first course of action is often to reset it. In many cases, this resolves the issue and allows you to continue using your appliance trouble free.

The best way to reset a LG dishwasher is to disconnect it from the power supply for a minimum of 10 minutes. This can be achieved by removing the plug from the wall socket or tripping the circuit breaker.

After 10 to 15 minutes, reconnect the power supply and turn the appliance on. This will have reset the appliance from all but the most serious faults which will need further investigation.

How To Identify The Serial & Model Number Of Your LG Dishwasher

The model number is different from the serial number on LG dishwashers.  The model number has 9 characters with the first 3 letters indicating the brand, category and type of dishwasher. The next 4 numbers indicate the series, noise level, system of racking and year, with the last 2 letters indicating the colour of the appliance.

The serial number has 12 characters with the first 3 indicating the year and month the appliance was manufactured. The next 2 letters identify the factory that made the appliance and the following 5 characters reveal technical information pertaining to the assembly and assembly line time.

Part Numbers

When it comes to buying replacement parts for your LG dishwasher, control boards and touchpads for example, you will need to find the barcode sticker on the original part to ensure you get the correct replacement. 

This is because the manufacturer sometimes makes changes to component parts midway through the production. You should always refer to the part number on the white or yellow sticker which is usually located close to the electrical connector plug.

LG circuit board part numbers typically have 11 characters in a letter and number combination. The last 2 or 4 numbers are larger than the rest of the characters.

It’s worth noting that any LG dishwasher parts that go wrong within 12 months of purchase have a full warranty. You should check on the LG website for more information.

SEE ALSO: Best Dishwasher Tablets

Frequently Asked Questions