How to Troubleshoot & Replace Whirlpool AP6023350 / WPW10605057 Pump And Motor Assembly

I determined that the circulation pump had failed because the dishwasher would fill the sump area with water and drain it properly, but the circulation pump would only hum intermittently without pumping water to the spray arms. This simple troubleshooting revealed that electrical power was going to the main pump and drain pump when called for so it wasn't a controller / electrical issue, but a mechanical problem with the circulation pump. My deep dive into the disassembly of the pump confirmed the failure. I would recommend for a less involved installation however, to purchase the entire pump and motor assembly as I did here. For only a few dollars more, you're getting the entire factory assembled components (less drain pump) and new seals, well worth it in my opinion. 

I first tried replacing the Float Switch because I thought that it may have gone. This didn't improve the situation. I also tried replacing the Thermistor since the dishwasher kept presenting a "water is too cold" error code. Finally decided to replace the pump and motor assembly. It was about a 1 hour job and fairly simple once I figured out what I was doing. 

The dishes had not been coming out as clean as they had before. The last 2 times we ran it and the soap tab didn't melt. I told hubby it was making this stuttering sound. He said the pump is cavitating. We ordered a new pump on Friday morning and it arrived Saturday morning! Hubby swapped out the old pump for the new one and I have a dishwasher again. 

My husband watched a YouTube video of the repair. He turned the power off and took off the kick plate and dishwasher door. At first, he was freaked out that I'd bought the wrong part because it wasn't identical to the existing assembly but it was fine once he had the old part removed and could see how it would connect. It was difficult to get the new assembly flush once it was in - I had to help push it down while he connected from underneath. There was some cussing. And it took a little over an hour. But it was a lot easier/cheaper than buying a whole new dishwasher! 

Replaced the entire unit which a technician instructed me to do but I could have just replaced the motor/pump. The dishwasher is only three years old so the other parts that the motor/pump connects to were in very good condition. Appliance Parts Pros had the part to me within 24 hours of ordering without having to upgrade my shipping fee. (Awesome) In addition, their website had the best video available to work through the replacement process. Performing this work myself with the available video saved me close to $300 according to the estimate received from the technician who diagnosed the problem. THANK YOU for a very good experience and for getting the part to me quickly enough to repair the dishwasher before hosting Thanksgiving this year. 

Replaced the motor and pump assembly. 

Replaced the entire sump assembly which included all the pumps, except the drain pump (which I could hear was working). Everything comes ready to install as is, except the 1) the concrete counter-balance weight, 2) the drain sensor (it turns out counter-clockwise), and 3) the drain pump (it turns out counter-clockwise) need to be removed from the old sump assembly and installed into the new sump assembly. Not difficult. There are a bunch of wire harnesses to transfer. I wish I had taken a picture of the old assembly before touching it so that I had a template to compare all the wires and directions of everything when I was trying to get it all back together. I had a few mistakes and frustrating false starts. For example, I miss-installed the drain pump in a way that it pointed toward the floor so that I lost clearance with the floor. Make certain you turn off the water completely and turn off the power before doing anything or risk bad things happening to your electronics. Have big towels at the ready to soak up all the water coming out of the drain hose and water line. I think if I had been more methodical and done everything the long way first, I would have saved myself time and frustration. 

Replaced pump and motor asy. 

Replaced pump assembly from inside the unit per a youtube video. Removed kick plate, door front panel, racks, and all spray nozzles, then removed and replaced pump assembly. Did not have to remove dishwasher from cabinet. You’ll need patience, a good light, and I recommend using your phone camera to look at and remove as many electrical connections as possible before pulling up the pump assembly. Circulation pump can be electrically disconnected and reconnected once it is pulled up. 

The detergent pod was stuck on the utensil basket and barely wet, and the dishes were still dirty so I ran another cycle and checked after a few minutes. Sure enough, it would fill a bit and drain but the water wasn’t going anywhere else. After reading similar stories here I purchased the new motor and pump assembly. Installation was relatively easy and I didn’t have to remove the dishwasher from the counter to get it out. The new motor and pump are working great after installation.