Jenn-Air dishwasher model DW871UQB. The upper spray arm continually falls out when the dishwasher is run. It looks like it just snaps in and is not broken.

1. To remove upper basket spray arm, tilt it down hard.
2. Clean spray arms jets.



3. Place cleaned upper basket spray arm back in position against the connecting piece: press the two together
firmly, until you feel them snap into place.










Dado

Most dishwashers dispense the detergent via gravity and the sprayer arms spraying against the soap dispenser once the little door flips open during the wash cycle. Since it sounds like the soap door is opening I would look at the sprayer arms and make sure they are free of food particles or other debris that might be keeping them from rotating and spraying properly. Here are some instructions for performing this check.

Remove the lower dishrack from the unit. Reach into your dishwasher and spin the lower spray arm. Take note of whether or not the arm moves freely or if its movement is restricted. It should not be restricted in its path of motion. Now gently pull up on an end of the spray arm. The spray arm should be free to wobble up and down. Unscrew the arm retaining knob (some of these are left hand threads) and take the arm out for inspection and carefully examine the spray arm seams. If they have split or are damaged, the dishes may not receive the amount of water pressure required to fully clean the dishes or to rotate the arm properly. What’s more, if water is in fact spraying out of the spray arm from its seams, it is possible that it can cause your dishwasher to leak. Make sure there is no debris in any of the holes.



If your dishwasher has a spray tower, pull up on it as far as it will go and then let it fall back down. Again, this movement should not be restricted. It should be a fluid and smooth motion. Also, unscrew the spray tower and examine it for any debris or foreign objects. Remove any that you find.
Gain access to the upper spray arm by removing the upper dishrack. Perform the same tests for the upper spray arm as you just did for the lower spray arm. Keep in mind that the upper spray arm may not wobble as much as the lower spray arm.
On a final note, some dishwasher models have a water tube that meets up with the upper spray arm once the upper dishrack is pushed back. It is a good idea to check to make sure this tube is aligning properly with the upper spray arm and that this has not split or is damaged in any other way.

Hi Jeanette,

Maybe I misunderstood your question, but the tablet is supposed to come out of the dispenser and fall into the bottom of the dishwasher. It needs to fall into the hot water in the bottom of the washer to dissolve. The dispenser releases the tablet at different points in the cycle depending on which wash cycle is selected. On a shorter cycle it will be released soon after starting. On longer cycles, there is usually a rinse first, so the tablet will be released a little later. There would only be a problem if the tablet wasn't being released, or wasn't dissolving completely.

There are a number of reasons for poor cleaning on the top rack. The most common are the upper spray-arm not spinning, incorrect stacking or overloading. If the upper spray-arm isn't spinning, there may be caused by a blockage in the spray-arm or the water delivery system, but, as the dishwasher is new and it's not happening every time, it's possible that the dishwasher isn't levelled correctly. The spray-arms aren't motorised, they use water pressure to spin, but they wont spin if they aren't balanced, i.e. the dishwasher isn't level.

You can check whether the spray arm/s are spinning by pointing them front-to-back, or left-to-right (so you can remember the position) and allow the dishwasher to run for a few minutes. Then open the door and check the position of the spray arms. They should continue to rotate slowly for a short while after opening the door, but if they're in the same place and static, they're not spinning. I'd suggest repeating this a couple of times to eliminate the possibility of them having stopped in the exact same place you left them.

If the spray arms are spinning, test the dishwasher with only a small load in the top rack. If the top rack comes out clean with a small load, you may be overloading it or stacking it incorrectly some of the time. There should be a correct stacking guide in your user manual.

Hope this helps. If you need further assistance, check whether the arms are spinning then post back.

Regards,
BElectric

the clips that hold it in place are worn. you will have to replace it. they are not very expensive. to remove it simply unscrew the round disc above the arm

You may need a new spray arm..Locking tabs could be broke.


Dishwasher Repair Replacing the Upper Spray Arm Frigidaire Part 154754502

If you are referring to the arm on the top of the dishwaser (not the one under the top basked) it snaps in. What probably happened is that it fell off and the plastic nut flipped around. The gray plasting thing on the top (that looks like a flower) will unscrew and you can turn the nut around and snap it back on and then re-attach the entire piece.

it snaps back on

I just had the same thing happen and fixed it! You might need to remove the upper rack first. In the "Roof" of the dishwasher, you should see what looks like a plastic gear wheel. It will screw off, but you will need to put a little force to get it started. Inside of the gear is a free floating plastic ring with 2 small teeth on one side. Make sure the teeth are facing down through the center hole of the wheel. Hold the ring with one finger, and snap the spray arm back in place. Just screw the assembly back into the washer and all is good... Until it falls out again...

Have you looked at the spray arm fixing nut at the back top arm as this has just gone on my machine

I realize this problem was in March of 2008 but if in the case someone else needs the solution. The Frigidaire website doesn't list this in there troubleshooting list either.

I had the same problem and let the upper spray arm off for a couple of months. My glasses were not getting cleaned as well so I was rewashing everything by hand. What's the point of that if I have a dishwasher.

On the inner roof of the dishwasher there is a round piece that you hook the upper spray arm to. Well it's a pain to try to just snap it on. Unscrew it by hand, get the little white plastic piece so the teeth are pointing out of the hole and snap on it on that way. One tooth at a time and it should go back on. It will be wobbly. Works like new I am so happy !

From now on be careful what you place on the top rack, if the item is too big it will cause it to snap off again. I know I will :)

Thank god I didn't get a repair man in here for something as minimal as that.