How to Fix Your Bosch Dishwasher and Restart It

The no-nonsense guide to getting your dishwasher working again

Co-authored by Homer Flores and Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 2, 2023 References

Unlocking the Buttons

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Hard Resets & Error Codes

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

If you start a wash cycle and realize you chose the wrong settings or there’s some electrical problem that causes the dishwasher to stutter, you may need to reset your machine. If so, we’ve got some tremendous news for you—while unresponsive buttons may freak you out at first, you should be able to fix this problem in under 30 seconds. We’ll show you how to reset your Bosch dishwasher using the buttons on the machine. If those won’t respond, we’ll also show you how to manually reset the machine. Read on to learn more!

Things You Should Know

Pop the door open, press the start button for 3 seconds, and close the door to drain any standing water.
After the water drains, open the door and press on/off to reset the machine and start a new cycle.
If you can’t unlock the buttons at the dishwasher’s panel, flip the circuit breaker or unplug the machine before plugging it in again.
The E-15 error means you have a leak somewhere. Tip the machine to drain the water and investigate the source of the leak.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Unlocking the Buttons

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Open the door to access the buttons. If your dishwasher is currently running a cycle that you want to stop, avoid opening it enough that water sprays out. Bosch dishwashers do will stop a cycle when you open the door, but it won’t reset everything. You won’t be able to change the settings until you reset.^{[1]
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- Use caution, as the steam may be extremely hot when you open the door.
- This process applies to the following models: SHE4AM, SHE5AM, SHX3AM, SHE5AL, SHX5AL, SHSM63, SHS863, SHS843, SHVM63, SHV863, and SHX6AP. This includes all of the silence plus 44 dba and 42 dba models.^{[2]
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2
Hold the Start button for at least 3 seconds. In order to stop a cycle that is currently programmed on your Bosch dishwasher, hold the Start button for 3 seconds until the light indicating that the dishwasher is active fades. On most models, the screen will flash “0:01” when you’ve successfully reset the machine.^{[3]
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- On some models, the “Clean” indicator will start flashing to show you’re now in setup mode.
- This will work whether the cycle is running or the display is stuck on a cycle that never started.
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3
Close the door and let the water drain automatically. If there is any water stuck at the bottom of the machine, it’ll start draining. If your door isn’t closed, shut the dishwasher door and wait around 1 minute for the water to drain.^{[4]
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- If the machine was on its highest setting, it may take more time for all of the water to drain from the machine.
4
Press the On/Off button to begin a new cycle. Once the dishwasher ends the cycle and the water fully drains, it needs to begin the entire cycle again from the start. To start from scratch, hit the On/Off button to turn the machine off.^{[5]
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Research source} On older models, you may need to hit it again to turn the machine on.^{[6]
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Research source} You’re now ready to roll!
- You should now be able to program your machine to run a new cycle.
- On some Bosch models, you can actually reset the machine just by turning it on and off.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Hard Resets & Error Codes

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Unplug the dishwasher and wait 2-3 minutes before plugging in again. Pull the dishwasher out a little from the wall and unplug the machine. For some error messages and unresponsive displays, removing power from the appliance will clear it of the stored settings that created the problem. Plug the machine in again and start fresh.^{[7]
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- Use caution that the cord is not wet and that there is no standing water behind the machine. Unplugging a large appliance with a wet cord can lead to electrocution.
2
Flip the circuit breaker on and off to reset the power. If the plug is difficult to reach or covered in water, find your main electrical panel. Locate the fuse connected to your dishwasher (it should be labelled) and flip it off. Then, flip the fuse back on to open the circuit back up.^{[8]
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- Remember that this will turn off all lights and appliances that are on the same circuit as the dishwasher.
- Wait for 2-3 minutes before switching the fuse back on.
3
Fix an E-15 error by unplugging and tilting the machine. One of the most common Bosch dishwasher errors is the dreaded E-15, which is triggered by water making contact with a sensor on the bottom of the washer. This could be something innocuous, or it might be nothing. Either way, unplug the machine, pull it out from the wall, and gently tilt the machine from side to side to try and drain it.^{[9]
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- If you see water on the floor, your machine needs to be serviced. Call Bosch at 1-800-944-2904 to schedule a service call.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I know what method works for my model?

Homer Flores
Appliance Repair Specialist
Homer Flores is an Appliance Repair Specialist and Training Manager at PreFix, a home maintenance company out of Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Homer specializes in home improvement, remodeling, and construction. Homer’s dedication to the PreFix mission of providing hassle-free one-stop-shop service for home care, in addition to their completion of the Capital Factory and Techstars Accelerators, has contributed to their growth of service to over 50 zip codes throughout the greater Austin area.

Homer Flores

Appliance Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

The best way to determine this is to locate the technical spec sheet located behind the toe kick plate and follow the specific steps from the manufacturer.