Thank for this video !!!!! SUPER APPRECIATED. My metal filter thing was ripped apart. A couple things to mention that I dont think are mentioned here - first, that clamp you mention that you have to break - its HARD to take off. Take your time with it so that you dont damage the hose. I replaced it with a screw type hose clamp and it worked fine. Second, getting the motor out - It is actually anchored in with a metal hook in the back - its a little tricky to get it out if you dont see it. You have to pull the motor a little towards you and back at the same time to get it loose. Thanks again man!
Unfortunately that’s the case. I DONT think they anticipated this filter causing problems at all but unfortunately it’s a real weak point for this washer. Had I known when I purchased I would have gone with another model but that’s how people learn I suppose.
thats something I have not run in to with this unit so far. BUT with that said I have had problems with the unit loosing its mind and doing nothing. in order to fix this I have had to reboot it. for most units simply removing power for 30 seconds and starting it back up will reboot it but not for this one. This one I have to turn the circuit breaker off for at least 1 hour and then power back up and that has fixed its issues so far. Thats the next thing I would try before doing anything else. if i see any other posts out there with that as an issue I will post it up hear.
Thank You so much for this instructional tutorial. I have a KDTM354DSS4 KitchenAid dishwasher. The water isn't draining, from the base of the unit. Your instructions for taking the unit apart are direct and to the point. I am in the process of disassembling the unit. My unit is 5 years old. There is an ample amount of sludge build up. Paper, food, glass etc. I will be doing a complete break down and cleaning, of internal parts. Again thank you.
Mine isn't draining right now. Firstly, hope you got your issue fixed. Quick question.. do you need to put the plate (part below the filter) and the filter back in place to test the drain?
@@12Daze if you are referring to the plate bellow the water spray arm in the bottom that the initial filter snaps In to, I think you could test it temporarily like that without issue. But when you go to use it you’ll want that in place to filter large food pieces.
@@12Daze I got interior of unit taken apart and cleaned. I now need to remove unit from enclosed area. Do you know how to access codes on unit. My next move is to access pump, motor, filter.
Thank you for this, just what I needed. First, to see that there are no user-serviceable parts from the inside beyond what you showed (including taking the semicircular piece out from below the lower rotating arm and cleaning out the gunk there). I've cleaned out the insides and will see if that solves my sub-par cleaning issue. (Also added some Jet-Dry). If not, I'll check the filter like you show.
I highly suggest using affresh cleaning tablets, you will not believe how it cleans the interior. No over statement here. It will also clean the lime build up in the mesh filter by the pump and protect it against tears. For this specific case, your filter is good, you could cycle with affresh, and save all the labor you had to go through. It would literally resurrect the filter mesh to brand new. Try and see...
HA! I'm finally learning to day what the "Affresh" that lights up occasionally means! I always thought it was just a notice that the batch of dishes came out super clean!
I’ve started using sanitizer in it. I do it once a month and it seems to do a good job of cleaning the entire thing. I’m going to keep doing that just to keep buildup off the screen filter
Great video. My wife and I have the exact same KitchenAid #KDTM543DSS4 model, and in fact, we just had a repairman over to the house to check out why it wasn't agitating/spraying at all...and only made an ominous low frequency hum (moaning sound.) 😵 The tech found the "pump" to be fully clogged up with detergent residue! Yup. So after cleaning that gunk out he got it back together and voila'! It's now working like a charm. Apparently we had been violating three principles of dishwasher use: 1.) We used too much detergent (duh!) as we had been using Finish Powerball Max-in-1 tabs in the dispenser cup but then adding a shake or two of powered d/w detergent directly into the unit just before closing the door and starting the cycle, 2.) now that we use a water softener here at home we had the built-in rinse aid setting too high (it's now set down to "1"...the lowest setting,) and 3.) we were pre-rinsing the dishes TOO MUCH before we put them into the dishwasher! Who knew! I also did a white vinegar wash on the unit yesterday too (two cups of vinegar in a container in the lower basket w/o any dishes and let that run on an empty dishwasher.) Even the racks slide in and out easier now! Oh, and yes...we've been using the Affresh tabs monthly since Day 1 when the "Affresh" light appears on the outside panel! Thanks again for the video!
Glad it’s working for you. About 6 months After I made that video my filter ripped and ended up blowing the thermal fuse in the main motor so I have another video for that little adventure. I’m not sure what caused it to rip as everything was clean this time. I suspect some glass got in it as a glass bowl had broken in it a few weeks prior to the issue.
Huge thanks for the video! My problem was slightly different (huge fat deposit in the filter impeding the rotation of the pump/motor) but you gave me some confidence to attempt the repair. Cheers-
So far so good. It’s stayed at the same cleaning level ever since but I’ve educated all in the family on what happens when paper of any kind gets in the system 😉
Dan, thanks for this guide. I have a question about a consistent problem I'm having with this model and is increasingly getting worse. I'm getting a consistent buildup of black mildew on the bottom and interior door. I've removed the drain cover multiple times and have had to clean this black smudge from inside the drain area. The dishwasher drains but I don't know how to address this sludge buildup. Could the main filter inside the pump be the issue?
Hi Dave. it could be the filter especially if the water flow is not good in the machine. With that said I've recently found that lots of the newer machines should have a disinfectant run through them ever so often. This can also free up any gunk and sludge that might have built up in the pump filter. I think thats the first thing I would do to diagnose the problem. I purchased mine at Walmart in a liquid bottle form but I know you can get it other places and in tablet form. recently I had another issue with the pump filter and this time it completely destroyed itself causing multiple issues including causing the primary motor's thermal fuse to blow. I am going to make a video on that issue soon. after I fixed the motor and replaced the filter it was poorly cleaning dishes and I did notice there was gunk build up after that. at any rate after using the disinfectant cleaner all that ick was gone. the stuff I used is called dishwasher cleaner and its by Glisten.
Thanks for very useful video...just pulled the pump and filter is totally destroyed with bits of metal filter and all kinds of gunk ...dishes were coming out more dirty than before wash so hopefully I can find a new filter assembly ...
Damn. This video is so well done, I'm going to go take apart my dishwasher just because I can.
Thank you and I hope it helped :)
I fixed mine using this video.
Awesome!! and thanks for the feedback👍👍
Thank for this video !!!!! SUPER APPRECIATED. My metal filter thing was ripped apart. A couple things to mention that I dont think are mentioned here - first, that clamp you mention that you have to break - its HARD to take off. Take your time with it so that you dont damage the hose. I replaced it with a screw type hose clamp and it worked fine. Second, getting the motor out - It is actually anchored in with a metal hook in the back - its a little tricky to get it out if you dont see it. You have to pull the motor a little towards you and back at the same time to get it loose. Thanks again man!
You saved my a$$. Thx man!
Love to hear it!! 👍👍
Thank you *very* much Dan for sharing this invaluable information. Great presentation too.
Thanks for this sir! very helpful and generous of you.
So you have to pull out the whole washer to get to the filter? There’s no other way to get to it?
Unfortunately that’s the case. I DONT think they anticipated this filter causing problems at all but unfortunately it’s a real weak point for this washer. Had I known when I purchased I would have gone with another model but that’s how people learn I suppose.
No mention of drying-sanitize issues - I replaced element but no heat still - control board next or sensors?
thats something I have not run in to with this unit so far. BUT with that said I have had problems with the unit loosing its mind and doing nothing. in order to fix this I have had to reboot it. for most units simply removing power for 30 seconds and starting it back up will reboot it but not for this one. This one I have to turn the circuit breaker off for at least 1 hour and then power back up and that has fixed its issues so far. Thats the next thing I would try before doing anything else. if i see any other posts out there with that as an issue I will post it up hear.
Thank You so much for this instructional tutorial. I have a KDTM354DSS4 KitchenAid dishwasher. The water isn't draining, from the base of the unit. Your instructions for taking the unit apart are direct and to the point. I am in the process of disassembling the unit. My unit is 5 years old. There is an ample amount of sludge build up. Paper, food, glass etc. I will be doing a complete break down and cleaning, of internal parts. Again thank you.
I'm glad this helped you and thanks for letting me know.
Mine isn't draining right now. Firstly, hope you got your issue fixed. Quick question.. do you need to put the plate (part below the filter) and the filter back in place to test the drain?
@@12Daze if you are referring to the plate bellow the water spray arm in the bottom that the initial filter snaps In to, I think you could test it temporarily like that without issue. But when you go to use it you’ll want that in place to filter large food pieces.
@@12Daze I got interior of unit taken apart and cleaned. I now need to remove unit from enclosed area. Do you know how to access codes on unit. My next move is to access pump, motor, filter.
@@onefivetwo4473 I don't. If the clog isn't happening inside the unit, that's as far as I'm willing to go. I plan on calling a plumber soon.
Thank you for this, just what I needed. First, to see that there are no user-serviceable parts from the inside beyond what you showed (including taking the semicircular piece out from below the lower rotating arm and cleaning out the gunk there). I've cleaned out the insides and will see if that solves my sub-par cleaning issue. (Also added some Jet-Dry). If not, I'll check the filter like you show.
Let us know how it turns out. 👍
I highly suggest using affresh cleaning tablets, you will not believe how it cleans the interior. No over statement here. It will also clean the lime build up in the mesh filter by the pump and protect it against tears. For this specific case, your filter is good, you could cycle with affresh, and save all the labor you had to go through. It would literally resurrect the filter mesh to brand new. Try and see...
HA! I'm finally learning to day what the "Affresh" that lights up occasionally means! I always thought it was just a notice that the batch of dishes came out super clean!
Thanks for the video, i cleaned all the gunk out from under the drain cover, hopefully that makes the stink go away
I’ve started using sanitizer in it. I do it once a month and it seems to do a good job of cleaning the entire thing. I’m going to keep doing that just to keep buildup off the screen filter
Great video. My wife and I have the exact same KitchenAid #KDTM543DSS4 model, and in fact, we just had a repairman over to the house to check out why it wasn't agitating/spraying at all...and only made an ominous low frequency hum (moaning sound.) 😵 The tech found the "pump" to be fully clogged up with detergent residue! Yup. So after cleaning that gunk out he got it back together and voila'! It's now working like a charm.
Apparently we had been violating three principles of dishwasher use: 1.) We used too much detergent (duh!) as we had been using Finish Powerball Max-in-1 tabs in the dispenser cup but then adding a shake or two of powered d/w detergent directly into the unit just before closing the door and starting the cycle, 2.) now that we use a water softener here at home we had the built-in rinse aid setting too high (it's now set down to "1"...the lowest setting,) and 3.) we were pre-rinsing the dishes TOO MUCH before we put them into the dishwasher! Who knew!
I also did a white vinegar wash on the unit yesterday too (two cups of vinegar in a container in the lower basket w/o any dishes and let that run on an empty dishwasher.) Even the racks slide in and out easier now!
Oh, and yes...we've been using the Affresh tabs monthly since Day 1 when the "Affresh" light appears on the outside panel!
Thanks again for the video!
Glad it’s working for you. About 6 months After I made that video my filter ripped and ended up blowing the thermal fuse in the main motor so I have another video for that little adventure. I’m not sure what caused it to rip as everything was clean this time. I suspect some glass got in it as a glass bowl had broken in it a few weeks prior to the issue.
Saved me a ton of money. Thank you for your detailed video.
Thank you.
Huge thanks for the video! My problem was slightly different (huge fat deposit in the filter impeding the rotation of the pump/motor) but you gave me some confidence to attempt the repair. Cheers-
good to hear it and glad you replied with the actual problem. will help others.
Try affresh tablets prior to the repair.
Dan. Did this fix the issue long term or did it reoccur? Great video.
So far so good. It’s stayed at the same cleaning level ever since but I’ve educated all in the family on what happens when paper of any kind gets in the system 😉
You just saved me from buying a new dishwasher. Thank you.
Love to heart that!!
This was a very well done video. The drawing lines to identify items being discussed was very effective.
Nope. "Simply rotate that spcket there" starting at same picture with no indication
Thanks Dan! You saved me a lot of time & money!
That fantastic to hear! Thanks for the feedback.
Dan, thanks for this guide. I have a question about a consistent problem I'm having with this model and is increasingly getting worse. I'm getting a consistent buildup of black mildew on the bottom and interior door. I've removed the drain cover multiple times and have had to clean this black smudge from inside the drain area. The dishwasher drains but I don't know how to address this sludge buildup. Could the main filter inside the pump be the issue?
Hi Dave. it could be the filter especially if the water flow is not good in the machine. With that said I've recently found that lots of the newer machines should have a disinfectant run through them ever so often. This can also free up any gunk and sludge that might have built up in the pump filter. I think thats the first thing I would do to diagnose the problem.
I purchased mine at Walmart in a liquid bottle form but I know you can get it other places and in tablet form.
recently I had another issue with the pump filter and this time it completely destroyed itself causing multiple issues including causing the primary motor's thermal fuse to blow. I am going to make a video on that issue soon. after I fixed the motor and replaced the filter it was poorly cleaning dishes and I did notice there was gunk build up after that. at any rate after using the disinfectant cleaner all that ick was gone. the stuff I used is called dishwasher cleaner and its by Glisten.
Thanks for very useful video...just pulled the pump and filter is totally destroyed with bits of metal filter and all kinds of gunk ...dishes were coming out more dirty than before wash so hopefully I can find a new filter assembly ...
I had the same problem and just did a video on fixing it. ua-cam.com/video/oRSRw3qnxjo/v-deo.html