If the sensor fails, the auto cycle is set to the maximum time. Which model do you have - there are a bunch of service manuals floating around.

Alex

Our cycle gets longer when the rinse aid runs low.

OK, you forced me into a man's worst nightmare - reading the owners manual! However, it kind of confuses things even more. It does seem to suggest the display reads in total minutes (not hours:minutes).

But cycle times do not seem to match the manual. Normal wash seems low, while Auto is higher than what the manual says is maximum. Seems like the manual is wrong, or the electronics are acting funny.

The model is a SilencePlus 46 dBA, SHE55R52UC/64.

I did find an excellent youtube video that shows how to replace the sensor. Ouch, that is ugly! It looks like the dishwasher was built starting with the sensor, and everything else was installed around it. What were they thinking!

I have a feeling we are going to run it on Normal and see how that works, unless somebody has some magic tips on how to get that sensor out easier? And I hope it is not the electronics. That is what killed our last dishwasher.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch Turbidity Sensor Replacement

The purpose of the sensor is to shorten the cycles if it senses low soil content.
There is no harm in not replacing your sensor. Your dishwasher will still clean fine it just defaults to full time for each cycle instead of shortening them.

As to the manual, Bosch puts in the average expected wash times based on a specific soil level.

"But cycle times do not seem to match the manual. Normal wash seems low, while Auto is higher than what the manual says is maximum. Seems like the manual is wrong, or the electronics are acting funny."

Normal wash in our 800+ model, according to the owners manual, runs ten minutes shorter and the target water temp is not as hot. I don't know if the Normal cycle senses soil in the water. I figure the longer time for Auto allows time for the internal water heater to engage and heat the water beyond our home hot water heater's setting.

Is your rinse aid dispenser empty? When ours runs out, the DW adds approx. 20 or 30 minutes to the Auto cycle.

Well, I couldn't find the manual for this particular model but similar ones. They all suggest to remove the left side panel and pull the sensor out. Will try to attach a screen shot from my phone...

Interesting about empty rinse aid causing longer cycle time. Only reason I can figure for that is for the final rinse water to heat more to compensate for drying purposes.

Yes, the temp is raised and the drying cycle extended.

On the rise aid, I just filled it a couple of days before, so that should not be the issue.

That picture looks like the image in the video I posted a link to. Easy to pull the sensor out, but you have pretty much tear the whole dishwasher apart to get to that point though.

On the cycle times here is what my manual says:

Cycle - Heavy - Auto - Normal - Half Load
Normal - 135 - 95-119 - 115 - 99
Sanitize - 135 - 105-135 - 125 - 120

And here is what the dishwasher currently displays:

Cycle - Heavy - Auto - Normal - Half Load
Normal - 117 - 129 - 92 - 100
Sanitize - 123 - 135 - 104 - 107

I have no idea if those are typical for what it used to be, as we only use Auto with the Sanitize turned off. It pretty much always displays 100-105 minutes. I presume that is the time the last cycle ran, and it is estimating the next cycle will take the same, but I'm just guessing that.

Now It started at 135 when I first noticed it odd. After three acid washes it has come down to 129. Perhaps I will give it a few more loads in normal and then try another acid wash.

Things are going from bad to worse. Still have long or weird cycle times, and now it is not fully draining at the end of the cycle. Tried different cycles and seems to make no difference -- not draining. When I can get it to pump by starting a cycle and then cancelling it, the pump out flow seems pretty good.

Any thoughts on what to try next?

Make sure your high loop is in place and that the drain hose is not partially plugged. This happens a lot when the drain hose is connected to a disposer. The food from the disposer can block the d/w connection port.

Easy to pull the sensor out, but you have pretty much tear the whole dishwasher apart to get to that point though.

No, you remove one side panel. The dishwasher has a self-test cycle, which tests all the components. Judging purely by what the procedure on similar Bosch dishwashers is, Heavy and Normal should engage the test cycle.

Here is a link that might be useful: page 59

High loop is in place. Hose was replaced the last time I had an issue. Found no food in it this time. Also checked pump and pump check valve. All good.

When I try the test cycle, I get a C3 then PO display. Auto led lights, and Normal flashes. Test cycle does not run. No idea what to make of it. I've read a few manuals posted on line, but they don't seem specific enough to this model to be useful.

This post was edited by ronaka on Tue, Jul 8, 14 at 11:31

Called Bosch customer service. They are next to useless. Was given a procedure to "cold reboot" the electronics to factory defaults. It did nothing and I suspect the procedure was bogus. He didn't even keep track of what model I had.

Had to call service repair locally. There is a one week waiting list to get someone to look at it.

The honeymoon with Bosch is over! Their service stinks. LG will take you through a troubleshooting procedure over the phone and read the codes to let you know what is wrong. Bosch is in the stone age.

Our almost always runs around 138-141 minutes (auto sanitize). Every once in a while it shows up at 131 and I get so excited.

Cold Reboot? There's no such thing. What were they telling you?

C3 refers to Code 3. Bosch stores several software versions (each representing a different set of cycles) on one software module. Depending on which C (there's 1 to 6, I think) is activated, you get different cycles.

You could ask on a different forum (specialised in appliance repair) for the correct procedure.

Alex

Well I solved part of the problem. The issue of water not being pumped out "sometimes" turned out to be the inlet water valve passing. If you looked at the load right after the cycle completed there was no water. However if it sat overnight or even a few hours, then there was water. I replaced the water valve for $32. While on the front and only needed the removal of two covers, it reminded me of how awkward the Bosch is to install and work on. It has a taller tub and very little space to work under the tub without removing the whole thing.

However that was not the solution to the increased cycle times. Finally got a call back from the Bosch service man who uses an answering service. By then I had replaced the inlet valve. Questioned him about the strange times on the display, and it quickly became clear it really knew nothing about the Bosch or at least this particular model. He just said not to worry about what the displayed cycle time was, and just run it... Good way to solve a warranty problem!

On the cold reboot, that is my term, and is based on deleting the volatile memory. The Bosch service called it a reset to factory defaults. I based my conclusion that it was the incorrect procedure on the fact that it never changed the predicted cycle time in Auto. It should return to the normal new factory default time.

I guess I will keep fumbling along trying to guess the right way to reset it. I'm quite sure it is possible.

My Bosch is about 6 years old so things may have changed. My dishwasher only has auto times, pots n pans, normal, rinse hold, drain rinse. The one thing I have found that really matters on time is the temp of the water going into the machine. If I run the hot water to the sink until its hot and then start the dishwasher the average wash time on regular will be 96-103 minutes. If I don't then its 116-125. If the times make a big jump and stay there say 150-199 then the water heater in the dishwasher is not working.

On my particular machine this means the solder joint on the main logic board to the heater has broken/melted away yet again. Its happened 3 times in all these years. Luckily I found a site that explained this the first time and said it can be repaired. Repair is not to hard if you can solder and don't mind taking the front of the machine apart. Open it up, remove the back panel from the control board, its easy to see what solder joint has melted away, and resolder it. After that the dishwasher is happy and the times drop back to normal.

I recently bought and installed a Bosch dishwasher. The push button for the 1-hour cycle initially worked but now it shows 1:10 or 1:20. No amount of holding the stop and/or reset buttons will bring it back to display 1:00.

Many suggestions?

I haven't read the thread you tacked this onto, but my guess is that your kitchen is cold. My totally different brand dishwasher's time display says 1.75 hrs. in the (mild and central heated) Winter, and about 1.5 hrs. in the Summer, when then kitchen is a good ten degrees warmer. That's for getting the water the correct temperature, I think.

The time on mine increases if it's low on rinse aid.

I always have run cycles greater than 130minutes and today the entire cycle was 8 hours. I always have water sitting in the sump area and the grime in their is horrendous and difficult to get out. In fact I was surprised to learn that it is supposed to be dry.

Based on the threads above, I need a new sensor, need to add more rinse aid even though the detergent has it, have a water exit valve that has possibly failed, and to fix it I have to take the entire machine apart.

My macine is 6.5 years old. Is it even worth keeping?

If your cycle was 8 hours you probably have a heater failure.

This thread helped solve my problem with the Bosch Silence Plus 50 dba. My cycle times increased suddenly and I was unable to adjust them back. Someone above mentioned that the rinse aid needed to be filled because when it runs low the dishwasher increases the total time to compensate for the drying. Once I filled the rinse aid, my cycle times went back down.

Hope this helps someone, too. I'm not a fan of being unable to adjust the time myself, but...

Whirlpool_Trainee : Sorry to bump this thread, however I am interested in seeing how you can access the other cycles and potentially options? Thanks!

I'm with Cavimum. My Auto time most often sets itself to 2:25....rarely to 2:09 (which it did today, just after refilling with RinseAid.

I'm still baffled how the machine would make a determination to shorten or lengthen the cycle based on the amount of crap on my dishes. I can't even figure that out MYSELF!

What's the trick/technology at work here?

The soil sensing is done with a light emitter and a light receiver. They shine a light through the water as it comes out of the pump. The amount of light that makes it to the receiver determines how dirty the water is. Less Light = More Dirty.