The majority of the dishwashers are connected only to the cold water supply system. That’s why a good operation of a heating element is so important. Otherwise, you’ll get dirty dishes at the end of washing. If the dishwasher doesn’t heat up water, you will notice this immediately after the washing cycle is completed. It means that the problem must be solved as fast as possible. There is the list of the main reasons why water in the dishwasher remains cold:
- The heating element is out of order;
- The thermostat is broken;
- Control unit element is malfunctioned.
In our case, the 02 error code of the Electrolux dishwasher informs that there is a problem with a thermistor (also known as a water temperature sensor).
Testing and fixing of the temperature sensor
For some reason, this element has become the peculiar weakness of dishwashers released under any brand, especially Electrolux. Therefore, it is vital to know how to decipher the temperature sensor malfunction because you may be wrong and the element doesn’t need replacement at all. There is an instruction:
- Take a screwdriver, pliers and a multimeter.
- Disconnect the dishwasher from the water supply system, sewerage, and electricity (do not forget to cut off the water at the pipe outlet).
- Take out baskets for dishes from the dishwasher’s tank.
- Take out the lower sprinkler, garbage-filter, mesh and unscrew two fastening elements under it.
- Turn over the dishwasher upside down and unscrew the plastic (or metal) side fasteners.
- Disconnect the drain pipe from the plastic block with the heating element and lift the bottom of the dishwasher to the top.
- The sensor is located in the case of the heating block. This is necessary to ensure that the water temperature is accurately monitored by the control module. Disconnect the wires from the thermosensor contacts.
- Smooth out the contacts and measure the resistance of the thermistor.
- Pull out the burnt thermal sensor, change it to a new one, and then collect the dishwasher.
Please note! In this case, the error is not always caused by the malfunction of the temperature sensor. Sometimes, the wiring is out of order. In rare cases, even an element of the control module can be the reason of the problem.
We strongly do not recommend to fix the control modules independently without having the necessary skills for working with electronics. You risk damaging the system. By the way, new parts cost money. So, it’s better to contact a master.
How to identify that the broken thermistor is the reason for the 02 error code appearance
If you have already reached the temperature sensor and have the skills of working with a multimeter, then you are able to easily check the thermistor’s serviceability. Set the multimeter to check resistance (Ohm).
The thermistor at the room temperature should have some resistance, for example, 6000 Ohm, 1000 Ohm, etc. In each dishwasher model, the thermistor shows a different resistance. It should be noted that the index is compulsory. If there is no resistance on the thermistor at all, then the probability of its burning out is high.
When the thermistor is immersed in warm water (500-600), the resistance on the multimeter should decrease as the sensor warms up. If this happens and you see a drop in resistance, then the sensor is working well. If you remove the thermistor from the water and it starts to cool, then the resistance on the multimeter should increase to the initial value again. Perhaps, there is a problem with the temperature sensor connection wires that causes the 02 error code on the Electrolux dishwasher screen. Also, a short circuit in the heating element can be the reason, too.
How to test a thermistor