How to Repair a Kenmore Dishwasher Stuck in the Wash Cycle

Kenmore dishwashers run through several steps to thoroughly wash, sanitize and dry its load within one to two hours. A continuously running wash cycle is indicative of a water heating delay that increases washing time and wastes energy. A manual configuration of the cycle allows you to change the current load and finish the cycle. Once the old settings are cleared, the dishwasher restarts the cleaning process as expected based on the new settings. Persistent problems with your dishwasher requires professional service to repair the appliance, which is free depending on the validity of the warranty.

Troubleshoot a stuck Kenmore dishwasher by configuring its settings.

Step 1

Touch "Start/Stop" on the dishwasher's control panel to cancel the delayed cycle and drain the washer.

Step 2

Turn on the hot water faucet near the dishwasher. Run the faucet to clear out cool water and wait for the water to warm up. A recently unused hot water faucet at first dispenses cool water, and can take a minute or two to provide hot water.

Step 3

Turn off the hot water and pull open the dishwasher door. Lift open the detergent cover and fill the main wash compartment with powdered dishwasher detergent. Add 2 teaspoons of detergent for a heavy or normal wash, 5 teaspoons for a heavy or normal wash with medium-hard water, or 8 teaspoons for hard water.

Step 4

Close the detergent cover and shut the dishwasher door. Push "Heavy Wash" or "Normal Wash" and press "Hi Temp" to wash the dishes in the hottest water possible.

Step 5

Tap "Start/Stop" to begin the cycle.