GE Dishwasher Control Panel Not Working [SOLVED] – Let’s Fix It

The GE dishwasher control panel is the most important part of the appliance. Without this part, the dishwasher will never pump water or heat it to the necessary temperature in order to complete its cycle. Unfortunately, this part can become damaged due to a power surge or even a lightning strike.

If you find that your GE dishwasher control panel isn’t working, here are a few steps to help you troubleshoot and repair the problem.

If your dishwasher control panel isn’t working, there are a few reasons why this might be happening. Either your dishwasher isn’t getting power or a child lock has been activated. Here’s how to fix it.

GE Dishwasher Control Panel Not Working – Troubleshoot And Diagnosis

Let’s find out what might be causing the issue and how to address it. Here are the most common reasons why dishwashers stop functioning and the fixes that might solve your problems.

1. Child/Control Lock Is Activated

The dishwasher’s control panel is not working because the child lock feature has been activated. You will need to disable the control lock before you can use the control panel.

GE’s dishwashers come with a child lock that lets parents keep kids out of the appliance. Since children can’t reach in, it also helps keeps hands and feet out of the bottom racks and prevents broken fingers.

To deactivate the Control Lock feature on GE dishwashers:

Press and hold the LOCK pad for three seconds. Enter your four-digit passcode (if it asks). The lock icon will blink twice to indicate that the Control Lock feature has been turned off.

You will have to use your product manual for this task, but you can also try locating it online. It’s usually under “Programming” or “Settings.

2. Faulty Touchpad

Confirm that the display is working. On most models, this requires holding down a key for 5-seconds, like Some displays are lit for as long as the power is on, but not all displays will stay lit when engaged. The display indicates an error code when pressed (look up the code in your model’s manual to determine what the code means.

Most dishwashers have a display that indicates the cycle and other settings. If this is working, move on to the buttons. Press them to see if they are working, too. If some buttons aren’t responding, it could be a touchpad problem — but it could also be a hardware problem. Either way, you should replace the touchpad (as it is easier to replace than the entire control panel).

3. Electricity Issues

First, make sure the dishwasher’s power cord is plugged into the wall outlet. Next, make sure the wall outlet has power. If there is power at the outlet, but it isn’t reaching the dishwasher, you can try plugging an appliance into that outlet to check if the outlet is working. If the device works, you know the problem is with your dishwasher.

Test the wiring inside the dishwasher as well, as this may be a wiring issue. If you can’t find an issue inside the dishwasher, try resetting it before calling a service technician.

4. Faulty Main Control Board

A bad control board can cause a myriad of problems, from buttons not working to the dishwasher not even starting. If you suspect that your dishwasher’s control panel is bad, try unplugging and plugging it in again. That could refresh the connection, or you may need to replace the board.

The control board can be tested by unplugging the machine and removing the motherboard. Once that is done, you can plug a known-working power supply into the motherboard.

5. Damaged Dishwasher Thermal Fuse

There’s a thermal fuse in your dishwasher that protects it from overheating. When this fuse blows, you won’t get any lights on the control panel. Your dishwasher will actually work just fine, but there may be some parts that need maintenance or replacing. Have a specialist check out the situation and make sure your appliance is operating at peak performance.

If your dishwasher is experiencing an issue that doesn’t involve the controls, check for a blown thermal fuse near the control panel first. It’s usually a small white or silver cylinder with two wires connected to it. Test this fuse for continuity. This can be done by using any multimeter with a continuity setting.

Locate the thermal fuse. It’s usually next to the control board if the circuit board has been mounted vertically. If the control board has been mounted horizontally, the thermal fuse will be on the right side.

It’s usually located under a translucent cover. Use a flathead screwdriver to gently pry the cover off the fuse. Insert the probes on your multimeter into the two holes on the fuse.

If the thermal fuse fails the continuity then replace it.