[peabody]

No water was coming in to d/w.
Local repair came, took a quick look and went back to his truck to get "a part." He comes back holding a box and starts telling me it is probably going to need a water valve...expensive, $300.00. No way was I going for that. He said maybe I will get lucky and it will be a minor thing. Turned out it was a stuck float switch.

He unjammed it and ran machine, everything seemed A-OK.
Paid him by check a total of $159.43...$99.95 standard service + additional labor
+ parts(?) No parts he just released the switch but I was so thrilled to have my d/w working, I happily wrote the check.

Two hours later I started it up...no water! Ran it through the entire cycle
in vain hoping that it would kick-in.

Immediately called service co., they told me I now needed a new water valve, cost $250.00.
When I asked why they couldn't just replace the float switch, the answer was
no...need the water valve.

Fourteen year old d/w, not worth the cost of repair.

I just checked the price of the water valve online...it is approx. $50.00.

How much labor is entailed to replace a water valve?

I am beginning to feel that I was played.

[PS Staff - Sheila]

Did the technician let the dishwasher fill with water after he freed the float switch?

The fill valve should only be around $50.00 like you said.

Unless it is in some obscure locating that the technician would have to remove the dishwasher to replace it the job should only take 1/2 an hour.

[charlie1939]

Peabody, I feel your pain...
I just diagnosed my Bosch SMU 4056US/09 dishwasher with the same or similar problem...NO WATER in the tub everything else seems OK.
Timer/switches sending power to the inlet valve, water available at the valve, but only a dribble of water into the tub when the timer is set to open the valve!
I am puzzled by the valve operation. When looking $43-48 at replacement part, there appears to be a diaphragm valve that is part of the inlet valve assembly.
1. Does it perhaps work in series with the electric solenoid operated inlet valve to control the maximum water level.
2. Is there a way to test whether this diaphragm operated valve is defective?
3. Is there a way to repair it or at least determine if it is defective?

Peabody: It sounded like your "Rip off" technician did something to the inlet valve to make the dishwasher work while he was at your house, what was it that made the dishwasher work OK that one time?
BTW, for what it is worth, to get at the valve assembly, here is th procedure I used.
You need to unscrew a few sheet metal screws to get at the underside of the washer.
0. FIRST, Turn the power off to the dishwasher at the breaker
1. Remove the two decorative panels from the bottom of the washer.
2. Set the Timer switch to OFF and then remove the door face panel and trim by unscrewing the 6 SS sheet metal screws that you can see when the door is fully open parallel with the floor. Be careful that the front panel doesn't fall off. Swing the door up to about 11 o'clock and wiggle and jiggle the door panel to detach it, there are some mysterious tabs to dislodge, I couldn't see exactly where they are, but manged to detach the door panel after some effort. Be careful to not break any plastic tabs!
2a. There is a really annoying sheet matal panel covering the space wher the wiring and valve are located, after working around it, I finally cut the sheet metal with a pair of tin snips to allow me to remove it before I disconnected the water and power. It is probably there to keep you from electrocuting your self if you did not shut the power off at the breaker.
3. Now you can remove the cover for the power connection and the water connection. Do NOT forget to reconnect the power the same way it was originally hooked up, black to black and white to white and bare to bare. Write it down before you disconnect the power cable.
4. To get at the valve, I needed a Torx T-10 driver to remove a threaded screw at the top of the sheet metal bracket that holds the electrical connections and the inlet valve. there is also a sheet metal screw holding the bracket to the frame behind the wire bringing power into the washer. This bracket has to be detached in order to untwist the inlet valve. You may need to disconnect the power cable too.
5. When you get the bracket loose enough to be able to move it a bit, you can twist off the valve, it is about a half turn and there is a plastic tit that you need to push gently out of its hole in order to twist off the valve. To detach the hoses, I had to dribble boiling water over the large hose in order to pull it off the valve, the little hose came off easily.

Replace the valve and reverse the procedure to reassemble.A couple of thoughts to make the reassembly easier, keep the screws form each part disassembled in separate compartments of a muffin tin or egg carton and make a note of where the screws came form in each compartment. The screws are all different and sme may not be secure if a smaller screw is used or you may break a hollow plastic post with too large a screw. I lubricate all the screws with a little vaseline on the threads and rub a little over the heads to make it easier the next time I have to disassemble the machine and to reduce the corrosion of the screws.