How to Fix the Latch on a Dishwasher Door When the Lever Stops Moving

The latch on your dishwasher door serves a very important function. It ensures that the door remains securely closed during the wash cycle. Most dishwashers have a latch sensor that prevents the dishwasher from operating if the latch is not in the locked position. If you accidentally open the door while the dishwasher is running, the latch mechanism will cause the dishwasher to stop running. If your latch stops moving, it could be due to a broken component or misalignment of the latch handle, spring or link. To fix the problem, you must remove the latch from the control panel.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Replacement latch

Instructions

1. Turn off the dishwasher breaker in your service panel.

2. Open the dishwasher door and remove the screws at the top of the inside panel that secure the dishwasher control panel to the dishwasher door.

3. Close the dishwasher door, but do not latch it. Then pull the dishwasher control panel off.

4. Locate the connector on the control panel ribbon connector, located either on the dishwasher door or on the rear of the control panel. Squeeze the tabs and then pull the connector off to free the control panel. Disconnect the rinse-aid sensor wire, if applicable to your model, by squeezing the tabs and pulling the connector off the board.

5. Remove the interface board mounting screws, then remove the interface board from the rear of the control panel if it is covering the latch.

6. Examine the latch for broken parts. The latch is made of heavy plastic, and any breaks in the plastic are easily identifiable. Look at the door latch link and spring and ensure they are securely locked into their channels. If the link and spring have moved, move them back into their pre-routed positions.

7. Pull the door latch handle out of the of control panel if it is broken.

8. Remove the door latch link and spring from the old door latch and install it in the new door latch.

9. Insert the new door latch into the control panel, aligning the edges of the latch with the grooves in the control panel.

10. Reassemble the control panel and door in the reverse order that you took it apart.

11. Restore power to the dishwasher.

References

• Repair Clinic: Dishwasher Door Latch Handle Replacement