Hi, I have a 3 years old Kenmore Ultra wash dishwasher, I am on my 3rd panel control, last panel was put in Oct. 09 by sears, 4 months later it broke again, they will not honor the part, it is out of the 90 days warranty!! (never buy sears products again... ) I tried resetting the control panel by pushing heated dry, high temp repeatedly, it worked once, and now it stopped again, I tried the same reset steps again, the lights come on, blink and some sounds go off, and that's it, still no life, when I push the start button, nothing happens, any suggestions?? Thanks in advance...

First, we have to determine exactly what the problem is now. What has happened in the past may be unfortunate, but it is in the past. The fact that you've had several controls replaced is good information for me, but it actually sounds like you have a technician problem, not an appliance problem. I need to understand what is happening now. If I understand you right, the dishwasher is completely dead? If that's the case, there are a few things that come to mind. The first thing to determine is whether the dishwasher actually has power. One way is to make sure all switches under the sink are on, then turn the circuit breaker off and then back on in a minute or two. If the unit is still dead, most likely the problem is an open thermal fuse in the control board housing. To access this component, you have to open up the door assembly. If this is something you wish to try yourself, let me know. Just so you know, it requires a T15 torx driver; looks like a "star" screwdriver.

If these things don't get your dishwasher running again, or if I am not understanding you, I would like you to include the model number of the dishwasher and the part numbers that have been replaced in the past (if you have them) when you re-post.

3 control panels in 3 years? You may want to check the polarity on your electrical connection as well. Reversed polarity will really mess up your control panel and it is a easy check.

These panels seem to have a high failure rate. I've had two go out, each after 18-24 months. Of service. My neighbor also had his go out within 24 months. The polarity on my household circuit and the connection is correct. [Connect white to white, black to black, and copper to copper, if the house circuit is correct. Never assume anything was done right--examine the entire circuit first.] After the second panel failed, my wife couldn't fathom anything other than a new dishwasher and I couldn't fathom paying for one or another panel motor and everything else worked just fine. So I put in my own buttons from Radio Shack. I added the buttons on the metal door beneath the control panel, one for Normal, one for Cancel/Reset, and one for Start; I didn't bother with any of the other buttons, which we never use. Fairly easy, a hobby-level electronics project, but probably shouldn't be tried by anyone who doesn't have tools or cannot figure it out on their own. Admittedly, it is an ugly solution if your spouse or significant other in the house cares excessively about the aesthetics of an appliance. Otherwise, my dishwasher seems to function no worse than previously.

Replacing a control panel is easy. Just disconnect it from the controller. You also have to detach the door latch from the defective panel and move it to the new panel if the new panel doesn't come with a latch. For troubleshooting this part, as mentioned by applguy, you need to distinguish whether the problem is due to the controller, the control panel, or other components, such as (rarely) the door latch. The troubleshooting guide is (or should be) tucked into a plastic sleeve behind the removable metal plate beneath the door of the dishwasher.

One quick test is to open the dishwasher and unplug it or turn off the household circuit running to the dishwasher for at least 40 seconds. Then, turn on the circuit, close the dishwasher door, and listen for the motor to run for 2 minutes through the drain cycle. If the motor runs, the problem is likely the control panel. If it doesn't run, the problem is likely the controller, as described by applguy (although it could be the door switch).

If the motor doesn't run, you really need to confirm this test with the controller disconnected from the control panel. The controller flips off after it detects a short circuit in the control panel. The additional test requires the T15 torx (star) driver, described by applguy, to remove the 6 screws that fasten the control panel to the dishwasher door. Pull back the plastic hooks & remove the cover that covers the switch & controller, then carefully work off the wide flat cable (or "bus") that is plugged to the controller. Similar plugs are found connecting components in computers. Important: Always work in a dry environment and unplug or turn off the circuit before poking your fingers into an electrical appliance. (Even electricians get shocked by live circuits!)

There are additional tests using an ohm meter (preferably with a diode function that applies a current) described in the trouble-shooting instructions to distinguish faulty buttons. If you do those tests, first make sure the circuit is turned off, then make sure that you get the polarity correct as described in the trouble-shooting instructions when using the ohm meter (large number P1-prong positive (+) and low number P1-prong negative (-) for any button, if I recollect correctly). The prong numbers run from 0 to 14, as marked on the board. Poke the test probes into the test holes corresponding to prongs on the back of the plug, making sure you've got the count in the right direction. The ohm meter should initially read 0 (infinite resistance) before pressing a button, then while you or a helper presses the button, the ohm meter should indicate a completed circuit. A button is faulty when the ohm meter indicates a connection (short circuit) before being pressed. I'm not sure what good it is to know which buttons are faulty, unless someone can tell me how to repair buttons on a sealed panel.