5 Things To Do If Your Bosch Dishwasher Can’t Change Cycle!

So your Bosch dishwasher can’t change cycle and you have no idea why? Or maybe you’ve noticed that it stuck on auto and won’t change from the setting even with a manual reset? It’s time to figure out why.

Your Bosch dishwasher might decline to change cycle because you opened the door mid-cycle and added additional dishes because the unit could dispense liquid detergent. It’s likely that your children or pet may have interfered with or accidently broken the door latch, which stops the unit from changing a cycle.

Not being able to adjust a wash cycle in a Bosch dishwasher means you can’t clean your dishes thoroughly. And it can be frustrating to see your utensils not coming out clean.

So if your Bosch dishwasher can’t change cycle, it’s important to do a soft or hard reset to see if the unit can start and run a full wash cycle.

Related: Bosch Dishwasher Troubleshooting Guide

What to Do If Bosch Dishwasher Won’t Change Cycle

If your Bosch dishwasher stuck in a wash cycle when it shouldn’t, it’s best to do a device reset first to determine if the unit can resume normal operation.

To reset your Bosch dishwasher:

1. Use the Control Panel to Reset the Unit

Pressing a Reset or Start button is all it takes to do a soft reset on your Bosch dishwasher. You only need to press the Reset button for three to five seconds to restart a stalled wash cycle.

If the pump or motor of the dishwasher starts moving again after a few seconds, this implies that the unit has interrupted the cycle and it’s ready to start functioning as intended.

Some Bosch dishwashers have the control panel outside the unit. Other models have the panel located beneath the counter.

If you have a Bosch dishwasher with a control panel hidden beneath the counter when you close and latch the unit, you’ll first have to open the door to access it. 

Then, close the door quickly after pressing and releasing the Start button. If the dishwasher was simply in a stopped cycle, you should hear some pump activity after five seconds. Thus, the unit will complete the current cycle and the control panel lights or sound will signal that it is finished.

It’s important to note that older Bosch dishwasher models don’t have a clear Reset button. Instead, they feature a “drain” or “cancel” button.

In addition, a stopped wash state, often marked by unique symbols, requires a particular key combination or the “Key Dance” for restoration.

With the latch closed, press the Hold and Rinse buttons for three to five seconds, and then the Rinse button. Doing so will reset the old Bosch dishwasher, activate the drain pump, and then drain water from the appliance. (dragonballzmerch.com)

You’ll get a “Done” or “Complete” message once the unit drains out all the water. Then, the machine will go into a standby mode to indicate a complete reset. You old Bosch dishwasher model should now start and complete a new wash cycle.

2. Do a Hard, Manual Reset to Get Bosch to Run a Cycle Successfully

Using the control panel to do a reset doesn’t work for all Bosch dishwashers. So if you’ve pressed a combination of keys on the control panel but that didn’t reset the main control board, do a hard reset.  

• Unplug the device’s power cord from the wall outlet.
• When you re-plug in the dishwasher, wait two or three minutes before putting the appliance back into service.
• To prevent electrocution, make sure the power cord is dry and undamaged and that there isn’t any standing water behind the equipment.

If it doesn’t work, you’ll have to unplug the Bosch dishwasher completely. You’ll need to get into the circuit breaker box.

Before you proceed, check to be sure that your circuit breaker have clear labelling. You don’t want to turn off the wrong power source by accident. Also, don’t be alarmed if the lights and other appliances go out at the same time as the dishwasher.

• Disconnect your dishwasher by finding the breaker that has the dishwasher’s name on it.
• Wait five to seven minutes after pulling the circuit breaker downwards to the OFF position before turning it back on.

As long as it takes to deplete all of the dishwasher’s battery power, this should get rid of problem messages like the frozen screen. It’s time to start a new cycle in the dishwasher.

A hard reset also helps to solve the E-15 dishwasher error, a problem cause by water entering into the sensors at the bottom of a dishwasher.

After you’ve unplugged your equipment, look for cracked or leaking valves and pipelines. In a vertical position, tip the machine to one side and the water will run down the wall. Reconnect the machine’s power cord, and then dry your hands before pressing the power button to turn it on.

Your Bosch dishwasher should reset successfully, ready for a new, clean wash cycle.

3. Deactivate the Child Lock

As someone who owns a Bosch dishwasher, I can firmly state with confidence that the unit can’t run if the child lock is on.

I know just how significant the element is. From where I sit, I appreciate Bosch for considering the safety of my children and the condition of my kitchen.

At the hardware level, the purpose of the control lock is to keep kids from interfering with the machine. With the lock activated, kids can’t interfere with the current cycle, start new ones, alter the unit’s settings, or cause flooding in the kitchen.

The protective mechanism is undoubtedly great. But if the child lock is active, your Bosch dishwasher simply won’t change the cycle no matter what.

There’s no magic fix here.

Really, all you have to do is to turn the child lock function off and your Bosch dishwasher will resume running its wash cycle to the end.

4. Make Sure You Select the Correct Settings

Typically, new Bosch dishwasher owners tamper with the settings, which may cause the machine to halt the wash cycle for some time if the incorrect settings are used.

For instance, inputting the incorrect key combination may prevent you from initiating a fresh cycle.

Verify the settings to confirm that you have not entered incorrect key combination before starting the dishwasher. Otherwise, your dishwasher is highly likely to get stuck on a wash cycle altogether.

Ensure that you have not previously selected anything before picking a new cycle. For instance, delay-start will prohibit the machine from beginning a new cycle by pausing it in the previous cycle.

5. Replace the Door Latch if it’s Faulty

Some dishwashers obstinate even after a control board reset and a manual reset, suggesting that there could be something wrong with the system. 

Your Bosch dishwasher’s inability to change cycle may have something to do with the door and the latch.

If you think about it, Bosch dishwasher doors should close tightly and latch properly. Unfortunately, just closing the door ready for a new wash cycle doesn’t mean the unit will start and run as expected.

As much as you may have shut the door, the unit may fail because the control panel failed to detect a latch. And in such a case, the unit is highly likely to run a full cycle or change to another one altogether.

There is also a possibility that you re-started the dishwasher after a stalled cycle, only to have it fail again. Vibrations caused by restarting the wash cycle may confuse the door sensors, even while the devices are operational.

Interference from the outside is also likely. It’s possible that the latch can dislodge because of interference from pets and young children if they bump into the door.

When a damaged door latch or switch serve the electrical connections between separate elements of the machine, your Bosch dishwasher is likely to think the door is still open and therefore won’t run, change, or complete a wash cycle altogether.

The solution here is to have the current door latch replaced with a new compatible door latch.

You don’t need to call a repairperson to do the fixing for you, as a door latch is easy to fix.

After all, there are YouTube videos that explain exactly how to replace a dishwasher’s door latch without incurring service costs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Do I Reset the Cycle on My Bosch Dishwasher?

You can reset the cycle on your Bosch dishwasher by:

• Switching off the power supply and use the valve below the sink to cut off the water supply
• Using a screwdriver, remove an available mounting bracket that holds the unit in place
• Lower the unit’s legs to slide it out smoothly
• Inspect the dishwasher for signs of bulging. Check the latches and see if there’s a problem with the door. 

Remove the screws on the door panel to access the door switch for inspection. Now use a multimeter with continuity test to check if the switch has anomalies in the continuity.

You will have to get a new door switch if it fails the continuity test.

2. How Do You Cancel A Bosch dishwasher Cycle?

To cancel a Bosch dishwasher cycle:

• Open the unit’s door far enough to expose the control panel
• Press and hold down the Start/Reset button until the active light indicator is off
• Close the dishwasher’s door and wait about a minute for the dishwasher to drain
• Open the door and press the ON/Off button to end current and choose a new cycle.

Final Thoughts on Bosch Dishwasher Can’t Change Cycle

Homeowners find up shelling out a lot of money on expert dishwasher services or repairs because they don’t know how to reset their appliance.

But I can assure that it’s so easy to fix many of the Bosch dishwasher problems without ever having to call an expert for help.

So if your Bosch dishwasher can’t change cycle, the insights I’ve shared in this guide should help you fix the problem fast.