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Our Bosch machine (SGS46E18GB/73) recently started leaking water onto the floor and then stopped mid-cycle, with the drain pump running constantly, even when I opened the door. Flooded base, I thought, so tipped in on its side, got the water out, and took off the left hand panel to look inside.
The big clear plastic matrix thing had lots of gunge in the float chamber so I took that out and blasted it clean. The lower float chamber was likewise so I took that out, dismantled it and then reinstalled it after cleaning. Pretty sure I put it back together correctly.
Powered it up and initially thought it was working. It was on the ‘rinse’ cycle, the quickest one for testing it, with an 18 minute cycle time.
However, it started doing this weird ‘surge’ thing, sounded like the drain pump was switching on and off, blowing out a little water each time. This continued for ages, well past the cycle time length, and the timer slowly counted down to 1 minute. Then all of a sudden it sounded like it started properly rinsing – I could hear water spraying inside and the rotors turning. It carried on doing this, for about 15 minutes, with the timer still showing 1 minute.
While it was doing this, there was water coming out the drain pipe, suggesting the drain pump was running. Eventually it stopped and I turned it off.
Next I put a tablet in and set it to its longest cycle, with some dishes in. It did the same again; the on/off drain pump thing, with water flowing into the machine and being pumped out at the same time. At least it wasn’t flooding!
Eventually it did start washing, but just spraying lots of cold water, no heating (should be about 60C!). The detergent tablet door didn’t release, and there was a constant trickle of water from the drain outlet. It counted down to about 37 minutes and then just stayed on that number and the cold water in/out and cold rinsing thing seemed destined to go on and on. I stopped in and reset it, and left it at that.
Any ideas what might be the issue? It’s an oldish model but has been very reliable and I’d rather fix it if I can.Thanks Dave. I can see one end of the pipe with the side panel off. I presume 0410 is the sump? To get to the other end of the pipe, is that accessible through the base?
2 screws take cover off under the door
0410 is the metering unit detects water height sump is 0430. pipe 0415 goes between the two. All inlet water goes down this pipe
Dave
Hi Dave.
Finally got time to get in there. Three nested panels to take off, once the side panels are removed. They don’t want people getting in there, do they!
Anyway, I took the pipe off and it’s clear. Poked a finger in the sump outlet and can’t feel anything in there. I tried running it again and it’s the same: surge-pause-surge-pause-surge-pause etc etc ad infinitum. Any other suggestions? Brianthere is a float in the 0410 unit
start the cycle and watch the float
i bet the float is going up and down starting and stopping the water flowif yes it has to be a blockage
Dave
I just found out how to read the error codes. It’s showing E3 as the last code. Also, the check water LED is lit. I can gear sort of burbling or bubbling somewhere, so you might be right about the float chamber. I’ll have the side off and have a look.
Right, when I turn it on, water runs through the matrix, and down into the left hand side of the metering unit, then straight down the pipe leading to the sump. Every few seconds there’s a kind of ‘burp’ and bubbles seem to come back up from the base of the matrix to the left of the metering chamber, where the matrix pipes fit into the pressure chamber (?)
It does this for a couple of minutes, and water is going into the machine. Then it does what you said. It starts to make a surging noise and the float goes up and down. Meanwhile water is surging from the drain outlet in bursts timed with the up and down of the float. I videoed it but I realise I can’t really post that here.
So the pipe is not blocked, water is getting to the machine to start with, although there’s that weird bubbling. But then it goes pear shaped and is trying to empty and run at the same time. That and the E3 code/check water light.take that chamber apart. something is stoping the water getting out of it
the water is coming in faster then its getting out
or you could turn the tap down a bit and lower the flow rate and see how it goes
Dave
BrianT wrote:Could it be the water inlet valve? That’s what the Bosch site suggests for E3.
no its letting water in its just to quick for matrix
Dave
Part 0410. If the red float within the moulding (0410) rises as the machine fills due to a POSSIBLE blockage to trigger the 3 tag micro switch which turns the pump on thinking that the machine is or will be going into overfill mode. Since you say there is no blockage in the semi transparent hose (very common) between it and the sump (hose 0145) there are 3 points to check. 1) part 0410. underneath the red float as part of the moulding is a drainway about 1cm in depth if that gets blocked up the water coming down from the fill matrix backs up and triggers the float to rise. Part 0410 can be dismantled to clean it out but make sure you mark the top of the microswitch`s 3 wire connector because you can put it back the wrong way round. If however 0410 looks a clean as a whistle you can get this 2) There is no blockage! As the water shoots through the fill system the wash motor does not start, if the wash motor does not start up you will get the problem as if you have a blockage as the motor working sucks the incoming fill water around the internal wash blades allowing the machine to continue to fill to the right level and switch off the incoming water via the impellor jug water flow counter litres / over time, lack of wash motor working will of course mean no heat too. You might want to whip off the r/h/side cover of the machine and check that the motor`s armature Aluminium cooling fan can be turned so carefully flip the stubby cooling blades with a thin screwdriver – if it turns freely you haven`t got the problem!. At the age of the dishwasher it is common that the motor seizes due to falling part 0456- the seals, but the trouble is motor part 0454 is obsolete. BUT:
3) USUALLY the problem is the impellor jug water counter page 5 item 0153 as follows: this cream/white coloured plastic thing counts (via an impellor) how much fill water is entering the machine and gives feed back to the module (pcb) located in the door. If this part screws up (pretty common) the water enters in the normal way but the impellor jug does not tell the pcb to start the motor = there is then an excess of water doing nothing due to no wash motor action (but not necessarily because of a duff wash motor) = the water backs up = the rising and falling of the red float so fill on then pump on repeat etc…… The impellor jug is located rear of the machine on the l/h/side basically about 6″ from the rear of the valve via a 5″ hose and its connection via hose to the matrix; next to impossible to test it but cheap enough to take the gamble if point 1 and 2 prove to be ok. If it is the impellor jug make sure the new impellor jug is replaced exactly how the old one was so mark as necessary also make dead sure there are no leaks so you might need evo stick glue
All great fun and games as only Bosch / Siemens knows how!.PS. If no wash motor action the heater`s plastic push pin should not move to engage with its heater m/swt = no heat. Of course it is possible that the heater is duff too – two faults running in parallel. Pray to whichever God/s take your fancy that that heater unit it is ok as it is not cheap and not for the faint hearted to replace! Price of spares for these things are generally expensive; and over the last 3 years even more so.
Reviving this due to a reoccurrence of the same issue.
After Dave last responded, I took the inlet valve out and the little circular impeller thing just downstream of the valve. Blew through them, flushed them with the tap and made syre they were clean. Hey presto! Machine worked again. Until today that is. Now it’s doing the fill/drain thing endlessly, red float going up and down, error codes e3 and e6 .
Part 0410 is clean as a whistle. I dismantled it and thoroughly cleaned it.
The wash motor is working OK, and has been doing so, and water heats up OK, or has been.
So Andy, maybe now I will check the little impeller sensor thing. Given that it was when I removed that and flushed it through, that it started working again, and I didn’t do anything else, that seems likely to be something to do with it.
Is this the part you mean?
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