Bosch Dishwasher Problem

[Chris O]

My Bosch dishwasher (model SPS 5122) has started leaving a cloudy film on everything. It looks as though it has stopped using any salt - would that have that effect and if so how is the salt flow controlled ? Or any other suggestions for a cause

Thanks - Chris O

[Andrew Gabriel]

There's more than one reason for cloudy glass. If it wipes off with a cloth damped with vinegar, then it is hard water deposit due to the water softener in the machine having stopped working. (The other type leaves the glass itself cloudy, and cannot be wiped off -- that's a chemical attack on the glass.)

I don't know that machine, but normally at some point in the wash cycle, the ion exchange resin in the water softener is recharged by washing brine from the salt container through it. Often this is done at the end, and the cold waste water is trickled through the wash compartment late in the drying stage to help condense out the excess water vapour. Usually, there is a dedicated water solenoid valve to feed water into the salt container for this purpose, which is operated by the programmer for something like

20 seconds.

If this part of the machine is broken, there are wash tablets which claim to do the water softening themselves. I'm rather skeptical as this is required in the final rinse and it is hoped all residue from the wash tablet is gone by then, but I haven't tried them. Might be worth a try if the machine isn't worth repairing.

[Adrian Brentnall]

I'm a long way from being an expert - but I had the same problem on my Bosh (different model to yours) and seem to have solved it a couple of weeks ago - following advice on this thread. (Try google groups)

Same as your problem - suddenly started getting the cloudy film - particularly noticeable on glassware. Tried many things - but getting good results now with the 'salt' setting correctly adjusted for the fairly hard water that we have, and the rinse aid setting backed right down to 1 or 2.

If your machine is similar to mine, setting the salt amount is done by holding down one of the front-panel switches while turning the machine 'on' - one of the switches will give a '1 / 0' readout on the led indicator - the other one gives about '0 -- 7' - where higher numbers indicate more salt.

Doesn't explain why it suddenly stopped working properly, though......

Hope this helps Adrian Suffolk UK

======return email munged================= take out the papers and the trash to reply

[Chris O]

Thanks for the suggestion - I did notice the thread you mentioned, but mine is a fairly ancient model with no facility for adjusting things the way you suggest. Also it has been working fine up until the last few days and using a top up of salt every couple of weeks but now the salt is not going down at all so I suspect that is related.

[Chris O]

Thanks for the explanation - it is a film that can be wiped off - and it is getting deposited on the inside of the machine as well, so I suspect your diagnosis of a faulty solenoid is the most likely. Will investigate replacing it or trying the wash tablets you mention though I share your scepticism!

[wiradjuri]

Greetings

I have already repaired the control panel on my Bosch Dishwasher - sgs5302GB/07. It's a few years old now and looks like the water heater has gone. Symptoms are it stays in the rinse mode constantly and the water stays cold :-)

I have located the offending article, and, if my guess is correct, a simple ohmeter test should confirm that it is faulty.

This being the case i will need to replace this part. It appears that to replace this you need to remove the bottom of the machine and get to it from that angle - i can't see any other way.

I was hoping someone out there may have tried this before and can either confirm or correct my approach.

Many thanks

[Dan delaMare-Lyon]

Have you looked at the Bosch site and seen the exploded diagrams - that would tell you not only the price of the part, but probably how best to get at it??

Cheers dan.

[wiradjuri]

Yes - thanks - i have seen the exploded diagrams, but unless i am missing something in the way it is presented i can't tell how to remove / install it - thanks

[meow2222]

Ah well it all makes sense if you arrange the dishwasher just like the diagram... :)

NT