MDB6949SDM1 Whirlpool Dishwasher - Instructions

A Mouse friend had seen fit to chew through the original drain line. I used my Model Number, and was able to order the correct part . It arrived the next day. The job itself is fairly straight forward. You will need to access the rear of the machine. This may include shutting off, and disconnecting the water supply line. (Adjustable wrench). Mine is under the sink, on the "Hot" side. You may also need to un-plug the unit. (recommended) . A pair of (Pliers) will be needed for the spring clamp.

saw big hole in first (main) hose - got replacement at local hardware thinking it was the only problem - it wasn't - turned on the water and noticed another leak so ordered hose from parts select - fast delivery - installed 2nd hose but still a leak so ordered grommet from parts select - again prompt delivery - installed it and voila no more leak -
also checked for rat entry points, plugged those and put down bait - bait wasn't being taken under dishwasher even tho rat reappeared so put a snap trap in back - no luck so far - teachable moment: might have been cheaper to just get another dishwasher as parts are expensive and its difficult to tell extent of damage - luckily i only needed 3 parts = $150

Watched the video, it went as advertised. Easy repair and the noise is gone.

all 4 wheel units needed to be replaced, popped them off and installed need wheel units in roughly 10 minutes, no tools needed.

Following a utube video made it easy. Removed the outer cover of the door to expose latch. Two screws remove the latch, pay attention to how it was positioned and put the new one on and then replace the panel. But first turn off the electricity to the unit at the fuse box.

I was constantly seeing small bits of food blocking the spray holes in the upper and lower wash arms. After a bit of troubleshooting, thanks to the included schematic, the only possible thing left which could introduce particles was the under-unit disposal unit. The dishwasher had to be fully disconnected, removed, and tipped-over to access the pump and motor.

After removing the entire pump and motor assembly, it was obvious what the problem was - the filter screen (which is not accessible normally) was totally destroyed. The motor had ripped the mesh screen up, and sent shards of sharp metal throughout the unit. What a terrible design - a non-user-accessible filter which requires disassembly of the entire product to clean.

I replaced the entire pump and motor assembly which was pretty simple. Just use a very small amount of dish soap to lube the rubber o-ring up to make it slide into place easy. Reconnect all the cables in the same place you removed them from.

If you don't mind using some stainless hose clamps, you could maybe get away with replacing a lesser expensive subassembly - but for me it wasn't worth the hassle.

I did not relize that the drain hose was in two parts. Naturally I ordered the wrong half. So after I relized my mistake, I re-ordered the correct part. Once the correct part was received the repair was easy and went well.

The video included with this part is perfect. Unplug the dishwasher, take off the front trim piece, remove the drain hose from the pump, unclip the power, press the little clip that holds the pump in while turning it counter clockwise to remove. Then just do that in the opposite order to put the new one in. Just make sure you hear it click when you twist the new one on so you know the clip has engaged. Super easy.

Soak up the water in the dishwasher with an old towel. Removed the cover under the dishwasher. Found the pump and twisted it off anti clockwise. Replaced with the new pump. Run a quick cycle, to make sure it pumped out all the water. My wife has used it several times since without any issues.

Turn off breaker to dishwasher.
Remove lower basket.
Drain any water using a wet vac.
Remove bottom cover plate. Should be 2 plastic screws using flat head screwdriver.
Should be able to reach pump. Turn counter clockwise to remove.
Disconnect plug wire on pump.
Install new pump by turning clock wise.
Reattach wire plug.
Run a wash cycle with empty dishwasher and check for leaks.
Replace cover plate.
Done.

put new hose on, very easy.

Removed the old hose, after loosing metal looking rings. Installed new hose ad finally tight firmly the looking rings, using wrench and socket.

Remove the mounting screws that hold the dishwasher under the counter top. Remove dust cover plates at the bottom of the machine. The machine will have to be pulled out, so turn off the water to the machine. Usually under the kitchen sink. Disconnect water supply and push it out of the way so the dishwasher can be pulled out. Pull machine out enough so you have access to the door cables and springs. The door will have to be in the closed(up) position to do the repair. Usually only one side is broken. Start with the broken side and copy the working side when installing new parts. Then repair the working side. To get the working side apart just pull on the spring and disconnect it from the cable. Do the reverse to reinstall.

First I got online to troubleshoot issue to save mysel from a service call. One of the first UTube videos, a young man said usually the main issue was the lever. He pushed down on the floater. If it didn't click, than the lever below needed to be replaced. Most important to turn off the circuit breaker before beginning the repair. I got on whirlpool.com, Part Select, ordered the lever, which was under $10. And once delivered, was able to switch out the old lever with the new replacement. Part Quote video took me through the process step by step. The lever package was marked that usually it was only 2% of the time that replacing the lever fixed the issue. Of course, I was thrilled, my dishwasher was up and running again. Thank you.

I simply had to hook up the power cord to the dishwasher so i could plug it into the outlet rather than direct wire the appliance. Everything went very smoothly. Everything needed for installation other than tools was provided. Easy to follow instructions if you know a little about electrical wiring.