Water is not flowing into the dishwasher and as a consequence it overheats. In the couple of weeks prior we noticed unusual noises and taking longer to complete washing. Also since about two weeks ago dishes have had white mineral deposits and film on glasses. I suspect that the water pump is not working. I cannot find the salesslip from sears to see when we purchased the machine but I sus pect it was about 6 years ago. We are debating wther to have a service call, possibly including replacement of the pump or to buy a new diashwasher.

HI, First I hope you checked that someone has not turned the water off. next, you will find that the inlet of the water is operated by a solenoid valve. This has I would expect, stopped working. You will need to remove the power, then remove the top of the dishwasher. the inlet valve is where the cold water enters the dishwasher. You will need the make and model of the dishwasher, buy the new valve and replace the dead one. it will take longer for the new one to arrive than it will to change them over. Good luck

It may be time to descale. Most models will give you a message when it's time to have the mineral deposits cleaned.
HERES HOW TO DO THAT...
Empty water resevoir. Disable auto off. Pour approx 48 oz of undiluted white vinegar into resevoir. PLace large mug on drip plate, run brew cycle, dump contents of mug in sink. DO NOT USE A K-CUP.
Repeat this process until the add water light is indicated.
Let brewer stand for at least 4 hours while still on.
Discard any residual vinegar in the resevoir and rinse thorughly.
AFTER approx 4 hours...fill resevoir with water.
RINSE:
PLace a large mug on the drip plate and water brew cycle. Pour the contents of the mug into the sink.
REPEAT this brew process until the add water light is indicated.
YOU MAY NEED TO REPEAT THIS "RINSE" PROCESS if you notice any residual taste.

Check the food grinder (small blade spins against a screen) in the bottom of the dish washer drain. I found the grinder to be inoperative and clogged which reduced / stopped flow of the wash water. Also, small pieces of clear plastic food wrap can block flow.

Check whether water is flowing into the machine. Disconnect and check the water flow at the machine connecting end. This is user serviceable portion and no special tools required. Check the strainer submerged in to the small pipe on the machine body. Clean if blocked.

To ease matters further pour water into the wash chamber manually to a required level. Run the machine. if OK only your incoming water problem.

Finally check the inlet solenoid valve & its associated circuitry if problem persists. Take help through the authorized service provider.

The sound may generate form inlet Solenoid. It may come from water pump also. Check inlet water flow also for proper pressure.

there is a split pump system on these appliances so it looks like the said peanut ?has blocked the flow to the bottom spray arm solution is to remove the circulation pump and clean out

Try taking the dishwasher out of its wall space and tipping it back and forth. Apparently the weight of water gathering in some component triggers the 'eco' function. Failing that, last time it happened to my dishwasher i waited a week for the repair guy to arrive, by which time the water had evaporated and there was no longer a problem..

If you're on the highway when the belt lets go, you may not even notice it. If you're in town, the the first thing you will notice is it's hard to steer.

A serpentine belt powers all your vehicles secondary systems, when the belt fails they fail, simultaneously.

What exacty happens when a serpentine belt fails:

1. Power steering pump is no longer spinning, steering becomes difficult. This is the first noticeable symptom.
2. Water pump no longer spinning, water no longer circulates, your engine begins to overheat. It doesn't matter if the fan is electric or not. Symptoms are slower to present themselves.
3. Alternator no longer spinning. The engine continues to run by drawing power from the battery. If this happens at night, you will notice the headlights getting gradually dimmer. An idiot light on the dash (ALT) will light up.
   
4. The engine finally overheats, you pull over and shut the engine down. Steam is shooting from the radiator reservoir. There may be damage to the engine. You wait over an hour for it to cool enough to open the cap. You notice the belt is gone.
   
5. You put some more water in it. You try to start it up to get to a repair shop, only to discover your battery has been completely drained. You aren't going anywhere.
   

So the potential consequences are possible severe engine damage (warped heads, etc), battery replacement, stranding in the middle of nowhere, possible accident if the steering cuts mid-turn in traffic.

I hope that answered your question.

If you have trouble putting a new belt on, click here. The procedure is straightforward.

If you have additional questions, click on my name to get my profile, then click Askme.

Good luck
Mike

Check your drain line and/or drain pump. The drain line should have a high loop at the point prior to where it connects to your drainage system in order to prevent drain water from the kitchen sink from back flowing into the dishwasher. In addition, most drain pumps have a small check valve that prevents this water from backing up as well. However, if you have something lodged in the drain pump (i.e., a toothpick) it can prevent the check valve from closing properly. This can cause water to back up into the dishwasher. You mentioned that the water will not drain. Is the drain pumping runnings at all? Please post back and let me know.

if this hum is in the wash cycle then dissasemble the top of the pump assy and look for foreign objects in the pump