I have a whirlpool gu2400 dishwasher. The spring loaded soap dispenser door does not open during the wash cycle to release the soap.

close the soap door and put into diagnostics. most models you can do so by pushing heated dry-normal-heated dry-normal. let it do its test and if the soap door opens during the test cycle, most likely the soap door assembly needs to be changed.

I bet your clumps of soap began with the beginning of the use of a different DW detergent powder.

Try this (trust me) Go buy a box of brand name Dishwasher powder (e.g. Electrosol or Cascade) Use it for two loads of dishes and report your results back here. OK?

depending on the model and make of the dishwasher you're going to have to determine if it the control which actiavtes the soleinod of the wax motor that springs the dispenser door open and later in the cycle it also dipenseces the rinse aid

Symptoms:
Dispenser lid is open. Caked powder at (what would be during normal operation) bottom edge of soap dispenser or caked powder fallen onto dishes or dishwasher bottom. There may be loose powder in rest of dispenser or spilled down inside door or onto dishes underneath dispenser.

Solution:
Keep the area around the soap dispenser lid clear when loading the top tray.

Explanation:
The soap dispenser needs to swing open during the wash cycle. In many dishwashers the top tray has an indentation as wide as the lid of the dispenser. This allows the top tray to be as large deep as possible while still allowing space for the dispenser lid to open. People often pack their dishwasher with things overhanging this gap.

During the wash cycle the catch will release but the overhanging cutlery or crockery prevents the lid from opening all but a few degrees. Some water will splash in but not enough to wash out the soap powder. The soap powder at the bottom of the dispenser will then cake.

When the front door is opened the spring loaded lid, which is partly open, will of course swing fully open and you'll be convinced that the lid opened normally during operation. If this is the problem then if you're very careful and open the door very slowly you can actually hear the lid flip open. Also, depending on when the lid opens, how far it opened during operation and how fast you open the door you may find soap powder spilled down to cover the dishes at the front or down the inside of the door. This happens when you first open the door and obviously there couldn't be loose powder there if the powder had emerged while there was water washing around. Seeing the lid open as you open the door is a lot harder but can be done on some machines.

If you are you using a liquid soap or packets that will be the main problem.If your unit fills with water circulates the water and drains the water,and also heaters are working then you probally need to change to cascade powder soap.The film on the dishes is soap.The unit has so much build up in it that when it gets to the rinse cycle it is rinsing dishes with soapy water.You need to get 2 medium bowls fill both 2/3 up with white vinager,place one in upper rack and one in lower rack and run unit on longest cycle letting the vinager splash out during wash.do this with no soap and no dishes.Having soft water will allow you to use less soap.

its either the dispenser or the timer/pcb.

Kqon, looks like your dispenser has a wax motor. I think the first thing you have to do is remove the inner door and inspect the soap dispensor assy. See if any of the moving parts are broken. This wax motor is 120V so you can run a cheater cord to it to see if it works, but be very careful when doing this. It will expand the plunger and open the flap. If the wax motor operates with 120V applied to it then you want to see if you have power coming from the timer. It will be the tan wire # 27 on the timer harness. You also want to make sure the spring and pin are in place on the dispenser flap. Your part number for the wax motor is 902899. Catriver.

check to see if anything like dried up soap in there if so wash out with warm water or try a liquid

Before taking anything to bits, check you aren't just loading the machine in such a way that something (for us, it's usually a frying pan) is stopping the soap dispenser from springing open all the way. A.