Miele Dishwasher Repair

How a Miele dishwasher reports a problem

A Miele dishwasher keeps track of its own fill, drain, heating and leak protection. When something drifts out of range, it stops and shows a fault number. Lots of faults have a simple cause you can check yourself. Others are internal failures that need a technician. Current G 5000 and G 7000 models also show plain-text messages, like Drainage or Check filters.

Reading the F codes

Codes and meanings vary by model and series, so check the operating manual for your exact machine. The code tells you which system caught the problem, and that may not be the part that failed.

What to try first, and when to stop

1. Switch the dishwasher off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on and restart the program. Miele recommends doing this once for faults that may be electronic.
2. Make sure the faucet feeding the dishwasher is open all the way. Miele lists a closed faucet as the first cause of F12, F13 and F15.
3. Lift the filter combination out of the tub floor and rinse it. With a drain fault, look in the drain pump and non-return valve underneath for glass or debris, and check that the valve sits flush when it goes back in.
4. F70 is your signal to stop. Close the faucet, switch the dishwasher off and unplug it. The Waterproof system has detected water, and the leak has to be found and fixed before the machine runs again.

Seasonal homes in Naples, Marco Island and Bonita Springs

Miele notes that the circulation pump can dry out and stick after weeks or months of sitting, and the dishwasher then shows F14 or F78. That lines up with the Southwest Florida homes that stay closed through the summer. When you get back, turn the water on fully before the first cycle.

Should a pump fault come up anyway, Miele has its own fix. With the lower spray arm and filter out of the way, add roughly a liter of hot water mixed with a few drops of rinse aid. Keep that water at 165°F or below. Let it soak for five minutes, reassemble everything and start the program again. Two or three rounds of this is fine. A fault that keeps coming back means the pump needs service.

Spots, white film and wet dishes

For wet dishes or spots, refill the rinse aid or turn up the dispensing setting, and pick a program with a drying phase. Plastics take longer, so use extra dry if your model has it. On models with a water softener, white residue calls for filling the salt reservoir with dishwasher salt and setting the softener to a higher water hardness.

Then there's siphoning. When the drain connection sits lower than the lower basket rails, water can siphon out during the cycle and dishes come out poorly washed. Miele builds in a vent valve for this, and an installer can open it.

Fixing one versus replacing it

Miele's testing standard goes as far as 20 years of use. Plenty of Miele dishwashers sit behind a custom panel, so replacing one can mean new panel work on top of a new machine. Pumps, inlet valves, heaters and door parts can all be replaced, which makes repair the normal choice. Check your paperwork first, because Miele offers extended coverage of up to 10 years on some purchases.