Wiring Causes Constant ProblemsWiring Causes Constant Problems

DN Staff

August 20, 2014

2 Min Read
Wiring Causes Constant Problems

We have a Bosch Dishwasher model SMU2042UC/14 that we've stubbornly managed to keep running for the last 19 years. We were lucky enough to buy a service manual for it shortly after we bought it. The first time it broke, it appeared to be a thermostat, which we ordered and replaced, but that didn't solve the problem. It turned out to be a break in the wire going from the controller to the thermostat at the door's hinge point.

After a while, every time something malfunctioned, we would immediately trace the wiring to the suspicious component and inevitably that led to a wire break at the door's hinge point.

The problem is caused by the stress on the wires as the door is opened and closed. The hard plastic flat conduit broke completely at the flex point after a couple of years, making it act like a guillotine on the wire harness. While the wires are stranded, finer strands would certainly be called for. We use fine-stranded heater cord as a replacement. Bosch does not supply a replacement flat plastic conduit or a wiring harness. So we wrap the conduit break with duct tape, which leaves a lot to be desired.

Our standard replacement procedure now consists of splicing in some fine stranded heater cord through the hinge area so as to keep the color code for the wiring at both ends, for easier troubleshooting. We splice by soldering and double heat-shrink tubing.

The thing quit altogether yesterday and it turned out to be the black power line, which I had doubled up with fine stranded heater cord early on. Both wires were broken. This means that we have now replaced every single wire once and are now starting the second go around.

It's a shame that something as basic as wires passing through a hinge point have caused all the problems with this dishwasher. The only other parts needing replacing after all these years have been the drawer rollers. Even though the repairs are a pain and take hours, the overall parts costs are minimal. I'm certain that a non-DIY kind of guy would have given up years ago, after the service man told him it was not worth fixing.

The saving grace is that this quiet dishwasher works very well when it's working.

Tell us your experiences with monkey-designed products. Send stories to Lauren Muskett for Made by Monkeys.

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