MDB8551AWB Maytag Dishwasher - Instructions

First I watched the repair video provided at your site. Once I got the right part, it went like a breeze. Just a phillips head screw driver and 5 minutes of my time. Speaking if the right part.... I would suggest that you remove the 'LATCH-DOOR-NO Handle' from your parts list.It only cause confusion in ordering the part I needed, and a loss of several days time in the repair cycle.
All in all, a good repair experience. I would reccommend you to my " Do It Yourself" friends.
Thanks,
Harold L.

Switch was not the same switch as what was in the unit, similar but switch was normally closed instead of open, so had to take the switch apart and change sides with the contacts! should be the same, but was not, so in the end worked fine after an adjustment!

1.Disconnected the electricty 2. pulled the dishwasher from under the cabinet 3. tilted the washer on it's face (water supply was long enough and did not need to disconnected.)4. unscrerwed the 2 plastic nuts that hold the heating eliment in place. 5. tilted the dishwasher back upright and removed the old heating element. 6.put the new part in place had a helper tilt the washer forward while i tightened up the two plastic nuts to hold the part in place.7 reattached the elecrtic conectors to the heating element. 8. pushed the dishwasher back in place. 9 hook the electricity back up. During step 4 i had to remove the electric connectors from the old heating element.

I thought the door springs were broken so I ordered both springs and cables. After the parts arrived I removed the six screws that hold the dishwasher in place and slid the dishwasher out about five inches. Neither of the springs were broken but one of the cables was broken. I changed both cables, slid the dishwasher back in place and replaced the screws. The whole job took about 20 minutes. It was a very easy job.

Turn off the DW power (pull the fuse or turn off the circuit breaker) Open the dishwasher door. Remove the torx screws around the periphery of the door inner panel. Lift up the inner panel far enough to get at the door latch. Lift out the entire door latch assembly. There are two wiring connectors attached to microswitches on the latch assemby. Remove the connectors. The connectors were pretty tight, so I needed pliers to pull the connectors off the switches. Discard the old latch. Get the new latch, and plug in the connectors (keep track of which wires go on which side). Lay the latch down in the door so it lines up with the mounting holes. Lay the cover back down, start each of the torx screws into their threaded holes, then tighten them all. Don't over tighten. Turn power back on. Job done. It almost takes as long to type it up as it does to make the repair.

First, I removed the screw, then I took off the old wash arm, then I replaced the wash arm, and replaced the screw. Nothing could be easier!

Snapped the old part out and snapped the new part in.
It was a piece of cake.

I was extreemly pleased with the replacement handle unit. The original unit had a plastic pivot points - the replacement part replaced these points with metal rods. The pivot points on the old unit were the points of failure.

The repair should have been done with a "star" head. Not having this, I was able to use a hex wrench instead.

The repair time was less than 10 minutes, most of that time removing and replacing the star head screws. If you have removed the old part, you have essentially completed the repair.

The biggest problem was identifying the proper handle unit. There are two very similar. Measure the distance between the mount holes in the unit and refer to the grid in the picture. The grid on your site was extreemly helpfull given the lack of part numbers printed on the Maytag OEM parts.

I unscrewed the inner door panel and the old latch assembly came out. I went to the circuit breaker and cut off power to the DW. Then I unplugged the old latch assembly and plugged the new one in. There were some springy metal pieces that had to be pushed back to get the old plug off and the new one on. After that it was just a matter of aligning the holes of the latch assembly with the holes for the screws and replacing all the screw holding the door panel, and tightening them up.

First I removed the torx screws halding the inner door panel on. I then seperated the door panel from the door and removed the latch assembly and disconnected the switches from the latch. After installing the switches on the new latch I replaced it between door and inner panel. Finally I replaced the torx screws and was finished.

Repair was fairly easy. There are 11 screws You have to remove then simply unplug the electrical connection from the door latch/switch and plug in the new one line up the screw holes tighten them down and your in business.

Pretty easy job. You need torx tips for your screwdriver. An electric screwdriver got all 8 or 9 screws out of the door panel in about 60 seconds, separated inner door from outer door, pulled out handle assembly & disconnected wires, attached wires to new assembly, screwed it all back together. Be prepared... the handle will break again. It's just a bad design by Maytag. This Maytag model is so bad the company discontinued it. Beware of the control panel getting corroded from steam & failing. If replacing this panel, make sure you seal where the cable goes into the touchpad with some kind of waterproof glue, nail polish remover, or sealing tape so it doesn't happen again.

Orderd the part's from your web site (recived my order in a timley fasion thanks) the parts just sliped on and clipped' basket rolls great. Mike Schaffer

FIrst I went to your web site; located the part on the easy to read diagram. Next I ordered the part. When the part came to the house (2-3 days), I opened the box and then the packaging, I screwed the part in and Wala! Boom! Bang! She was fixed!

All kidding aside. The part order was quick to locate, quick to ship and one of the easiest companies to deal with. I will return on my next dyi project.

1) Turned off the power

2) I removed the screws on the plastic door.

3) The latch/handle assembly was right there.

4) I noticed that white and black wires fed each side. I noted which side did the black feed and the white feed.

5) I took a pair of pliers and held the white wire brackets and pulled the metal parts off. This is where the time took.

It took about 2 minutes per side.

6) I then slid the new metal parts in the white brackets.

7) I screwed it back.

8) Turned it back on!

9) Works great