I have an lg ldf7811st and the bottom arm will not turn. I purchased the part 1267558 (motor assembly, vario spray valve) to repair it and I need instructions on how to install this part. Please advise.

If you have one spray bar working then there is enough pressure. There is only one pump. So you should check the spray bar to see if it is plugged. Also check the seals to see if they are bad.

Steps:
1)Shut off power to the dishwasher at the circuit breaker and turn off the water line to the dishwasher by locating the shut-off valve, which is typically inside the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink.
2)Remove the four screws that hold the dishwasher kick plate in place.
3)Locate the motor,which is typically centered beneath the bottom spray arm.
4)Lower the dishwasher door and take out the bottom dish rack.
5)Remove the spray tower and spray arm assembly by unscrewing the bolt through its center.
6)Take out the filter immediately beneath the spray tower.
7)Disconnect the motor wires from the wiring harness,making a note of which wire connects to which terminal.
8)Disconnect the pump assembly and drain hose from the motor.
9)Remove the motor from the base of the dishwasher by unscrewing the four bolts holding it in place.
10)Repair or replace the motor and reinstall,taking care to reconnect the wires the same was as they were attached to the old motor.
11)Attach the pump and drain hose to the motor.
12)Replace the filter,spray tower and lower spray arm assembly.Reattach the center bolt in the spray tower.
13)Restore electrical power and turn on the water supply valve.
14)Run a test cycle to check for leaks underneath the appliance.
15)Replace the kick panel in front of the dishwasher.

I have an LG LDF8922ST model with the same exact problem (16 months old as well). I think you are right about the vario spray system. Seems like the repair guys that come out are clueless and get very little assistance from LG customer assistance. I will never buy another LG product again.

The vario motor that attaches to the check valve can be accessed by pulling the unit and turning the entire DW over on its top.

This thing is not light and please be careful.

Remove the entire (black) base support assembly so you can see all the motors, etc.

Here is an example source for the vario motor

http://www.repairclinic.com/SSPartDetail.aspx?s=t-LG+LDF-%3d%3da9i1267558&PartID=1267558

Please report back what you end up doing, OK?

When you say the top arm does not spin, remember that the LG model x811 family has the Vario feature that alternates between routing the pumped water to the bottom arm and then the top arms alternately. So anytime the dishwasher is washing and rinsing, either the lower or upper arms will be spinning.

If the problem is not above, then the motor that drives the check valve may have failed (or the check valve is obstructed inside.)

Hope that helps. Please post back here with what you find, OK?

Vicky,

I understand that your LDF8812 fills with water (and drains?) but is not cleaning and you are not hearing the unit wash. Are the dishes on either rack getting wet at all?
-Are you getting any error codes in the display?

On LG dishwashers, the upper and the lower arms never spin at the same time. Rather the vario check valve routes all water pressure either up or down.

The arms turn because the wash motor turns the pump (impeller) which drives the water to/through the wash arms. If the wash motor was faulty, you almost always get an error code. So the problem is probably caused by a blockage of the "plumbing" in the sump area beneath the lower wash arms. But first check all three wash arms to confirm that the holes are not blocked. (How cool is it that the light inside this model helps you do that?)

Next use a screw driver to remove the filter assembly in the sump area. There are 10 screws to remove, but first you need to firmly lift the lower spray arm directly up and out.

Inspect the entire sump area for debris. Watch out for broken glass! Look closely at the white area near the back for blockages at the check valve.

Please report back what you find and we will take the next step. OK?

On the LG LDF xxxx dishwasher family, the Vario feature uses a motor/check valve to switch between "full power" cleaning from _either_ the lower or the upper spray arms, never at the same time. So, not seeing the upper arm spin during the lower arm spinning is standard operating procedure.

But back to your problem. Step one would be to remove the filter assembly again and make certain that there is nothing (debris, broken glass) blocking the white areas where the check valve rotates to switch between upper/lower spray arms. A blockage there ~could~ cause impotent spraying/cleaning.

If there is no blockage and the impeller remains in good shape, suspect a failing wash pump motor. Try to isolate the noise to that motor.

Watch for error codes on the display and report back what you find, OK?

Good Luck!

The LG dishwasher family has a cool feature that alternates the full wash/spray power between the upper spray arms and the lower arm.
It is called Vario - with a motor that drives a check valve to route the water.
So, If you just open the dishwasher while it is running and look to see if all the spay arms are spinning, you will be disappointed.
Now, if you are having problems with dishes not getting cleaned, we need to take the next step. Post back what you find.
Good Luck!

The LG LDF6920 dishwasher has an innovative "Vario" motor/check valve. It switches between full power spray on the upper arms and the lower arm. So, if you are looking inside the dishwasher to see which arm is spinning, you just have not opened it when the lower arm is turning.
if the root problem is that your dishes are not getting clean with this water conserving DW, go out and buy a name brand detergent powder - like Electrosol or Cascade. And use less powder then you have been using.
Good Luck!

Can you tell me if the problem was fixed by the original posters?
The multi-level wash direction feature uses a check valve just below the mesh filter asembaly and is driven by a vario motor underneath the check valve. By removing the mesh filter (10 screws and the lower spray arm) you expose the check valve. It is very close to the pump that empties the water through the drain hose.

High probability problems: -The Check Valve could be jamed/stuck. -Also, the Vario Motor could have failed
Please respond back with the findings on this problem. Thanks!