Siemens dishwasher troubleshooting

Siemens dishwashers are considered to be the most reliable technique. In the majority of cases, the Siemens device breaks down after 10 years of using or more. But sometimes it can fail in a couple of months. In this post, you will find out how to repair Siemens dishwashers. Also, get to know what typical faults occur in such appliances.

Slow water gaining and program’s hanging up

According to the data provided by experts from service centers, Siemens dishwashers break down half as much. Especially in comparison with most budget and middle-class dishwasher brands. But some Siemens weaknesses are still there. The most common is a malfunction, the main symptom of which is an extremely slow water gaining. Also, a periodically failing dishwashing program is a widespread problem, too. However, the selected mode does not matter.

After some time, if the Siemens dishwasher operation continues, it will start issuing the E16 error. At first, the fault occurs occasionally but then it shows more and more often. Finally, the machine hangs up completely, issuing the E16 error. In such situation, the restart will solve the problem. In fact, the reason is a flow filter, located before the filling valve.

Siemens European dishwashers are designed for well-cleaned water. It should contain a minimal amount of impurities and suspensions. Its flow filters have a grid with very small cells, quickly clogged when connected to a poor quality water supply. In order for a regular filter to be less clogged with dirt, install another cleaning flow filter in front of it. A user has to remove both filters and clean them every 6 months.

Please note! Experienced specialists besides an additional filter use another protective measure. They immediately change the regular filter.

How to restore the normal water gaining in the dishwasher? How to prevent the program from regularly hanging without the help of a master?

  1. Shut off water that gets Siemens dishwasher.
  2. Put forward the dishwasher to get access to the inlet hose and its connection points. But do it carefully, otherwise, you risk to tear up and squeeze the hoses and the power cord.
  3. Disconnect the hose along with the additional filter (if it is available) from the tap.
  4. Unscrew the hose on the other dishwasher side. Then, remove the regular filter.
  5. Wipe the place of filter installing with a dry cloth.
  6. Pour some citric acid (100 grams per 2 liters of water) in a small basil. Add warm water and soak both filters in this solution for 2-3 hours. Then, rinse and clean the filters of dirt and install it into the place along with the hose.

Poor washing quality

Quite often Siemens dishwashers start washing dishes worse after 1-1,5 years of operating. However, a user adds the same detergent in the same amount and puts the dishes as usual. They choose the same washing program and do regular things. But for some reason, the washing quality becomes worse.

There are several causes of this symptom:

  • weak water pressure;
  • detergent supply valve works badly;
  • clogging of the rotating rocker nozzles.

A weak water pressure occurs when the inlet filter of the intake valve gets clogged. We have already told about its cleaning. Therefore, we are passing to the second reason – the detergent feed valve.

The essence of the problem is as follows. A user puts a dishwasher powder or tablets in a particular bay. During the washing program, the device gradually takes it. If you don’t clean or rinse this place, the valve will eventually start to open and close badly. Mover, its holes become blocked by dried remains of not completely dissolved powder. As a consequence, during washing, the powder or tablet dissolves worse. Thus, the quality of dishwashing will only get worse because of such thing.

You can easily eliminate the problem. Specialists recommend cleaning the detergent cuvette after each washing cycle. Use a dry cloth to wipe the part. Thus, the problem will never bother you again. Also, it’s a great idea to periodically use the dishwasher detergent. It will prevent the accumulation of dirt and remove all the unpleasant smells.

The same situation happens with the rockers arms of the Siemens dishwasher. Clean it once in 4-6 months, otherwise, there will be no water pressure. Therefore, the quality of the sink will decrease. Clean the nozzles with an ordinary toothpick. Push it alternately into all holes of the rocker arm. Next, run the washing machine with the dishwasher detergent.

Draining water problems

Why does water drain badly in Siemens dishwashers? There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, there is a blockage somewhere in the drainage path. Secondly, the pump has broken down.

In general, the dishwasher, as any technique, requires constant monitoring. If you don’t provide this, you won’t prevent surprising breakdowns. Pump failure is much more unpredictable. You can keep an eye on a Siemens dishwasher and get into a similar situation. But first, you need to check the pump for breakage. If it is in order, electrical or electronics worth checking.

  • Take an ohmmeter and remove the front panel of Siemens dishwasher.
  • Unplug the appliance from the mains and slightly tilt it back.
  • Now you can clearly see the pump, attached to the body of the circulation pump. Set the minimum value on the ohmmeter. Then, set its probes on the pump contacts.
  • Next, measure the value if the figure in the range of 1000-1500 is normal. If less, the pump is out of order.

For your information! A defective pump is not always “silent” during the dishwasher operation. It can make noise but still fulfill its function of water pumping.

Indicators failures, emergency shutdown

Another problem with the modern Siemens models is a spontaneous emergency shutdown, preceded by flashing indicators and sound signals. In this case, a user disconnects the dishwasher from the mains and then turns it off, the problem appears again. Of course, it is completely impossible to wash the dishes.

Unfortunately, a user can’t eliminate this breakdown by his own hands. If your appliance is under warranty, experts advise getting rid of it at all. The fact is that such symptoms indicate the control module breakdown.

It is much harder to repair the Siemens control unit. The reason for that is the board, soldered by the manufacturer in a non-separable module. That’s why only some masters take it to repair. Almost all specialists refuse such work and offer to change the whole block. But this is almost half the cost of a new dishwasher. If the device is old, it is better to not fix such malfunction.

Siemens dishwashers are very reliable, and its failures relate to an improper operation of users. Therefore, if you monitor your device, most of all it will work for many years without any breakage.

Author: David Hoover