[lkearl2]

Recently I have had to clean the pump housing filter as frequently as monthly because it gets so clogged with food that water pressure is reduced so much that the detergent won't be fully released to clean the dishes properly.

Other than getting my kids to rinse their dishes better, I don't know why this is happening after the dishwasher having worked with no problems for several years. I have replaced the pump housing filter and the 2 spray arms but I don't see in the parts list (Maytag MDB7100AWW) that there is a food chopper or something similar. My pump cover and secondary filter assembly has two small holes (1/8" diameter or so) so I'm going to replace it, hoping the excess food is getting to the pump housing filter through these two small holes. Any suggestions on what else I should try?

Thanks,

Larry

[PS Staff - Sheila]

In your dishwasher there is a turbidity sensor.

This sensor is suppose to senses the dirt level in the water.

The sensor uses a beam of infrared light directed from one probe and read by the other.

The sensor is designed to disable the drain operation by interrupting the circuit of the main motor winding with a relay.

The relay is in series with the winding.

The sensor will activate the relay if the water is sufficiently clean to warrant skipping the next drain and reusing the wash water.

The sensor may not be sensing the dirt level.

Here is a link to your dishwasher model MDB7100aww.

[lkearl2]

Thanks for the suggestion. I see that part on the Pump & Motor parts list but can't tell where it is because it is separate from the "exploded" diagram of most of the assembly that starts with the lower spray arm and ends with the motor/pump housing assembly. Is that a difficult part to get to, where I might be better off having a repair person do it rather than me trying myself?

[lkearl2]

I have read on other forums (http://www.applianceguru.com/forum1/13621.html) about an Automatic Function Test that perhaps could tell me if the turbidity sensor failing to detect dirty water is the problem, but I can't find out how to run the Automatic Function Test. Can someone help me with this? Thanks.

[PS Staff - Sheila]

The turbidity sensor is located at the front of pump assembly.

You gain access to the sensor by removing the bottom front panel.

You do not have to remove the pump to change it.

You can run a test by pressing the following keys in sequence:

Rinse & Hold

China/crystal

light cycle

normal cycle

Pots & pans

Delay/Resume

Intelliclean

sani temp

Heated dry

Drain/off

pots & pan

"10" will appear in the display and the following sequence of events will occur.

Time

(sec) Function

10 pause

120 fill and detergent/rinse agent dispense

160 wash/rinse

200 wash/rinse & heat

7 sensor check

100 drain

The function test sequence will not repeat.

Lights will cycle on and off throughout the test in a repeating pattern.

To cancel test, press the drain/off key.

[lkearl2]

Thanks for your reply, Sheila, but my dishwasher doesn't have some of the buttons you listed. It has (from left to right):

Autoclean
Drain/Off
Pause/Resume
Rinse Only
Light Wash
Normal Wash
Heavy Wash
Tough Scrub
Sanitize
Heated Dry