Bosch SGI4345AU/17 shows 2H on the display, it does not seem to matter which program is selected, the unit runs continually. It does not heat the water or finish any cycle. The washing tablet covers the dishes and is not rinsed off. Any thoughts

Hello, welcome to FixYa.

The dishwasher you're speaking of (provided it is indeed a Gaggenau GM954) is built by Bosch as you may or may not know.

To address your concern regarding the 2H in the display actually needs to be done in two parts. I'll start with the basic info associated with the 2H displayed.

This can be simply indicating the previous cycle exceeded a 2 hour wash cycle, not necessarily an error and can be attributed with too cold water entering the dishwasher (below the recommended 120F), a longer than normal drain time (due to partial blockages, kink etc. hence longer time needed to complete the cycle) or inproper water circulation during the cycle.

Aside from these issues, it (2H) can also mean the unit has a heating error and if left long enough will show another error of "1" in the display, extremely long wash times, etc.

**The first thing I'd suggest before attempting any repair is running an additional cycle while making sure the water inlet is hot (120F optimum) and the unit does indeed drain fine.

**A fair indication of proper draining is to start a cycle and once washing begins (2-3 minutes) activate the "cancel" and the unit should adequately drain in the 2 minute time allowance.

**To identify proper water circulation, place an empty cup in the upright position in the top rack, start a cycle and inspect the cup after 2-3 minutes and it should be full of water.

After trying and posting the results of these thing's we can move forward with potential heating errors, the cause, and how to remedy them. Let me know what you find and I'll continue to assist you in any manner possible going forward. Good luck.

Regards,

Macmarkus :)

WANTED FREE INSTALLATION GUIDE AND USER MANUAL FOR BOSCH DISHWASHER SGI4345AU/30

Hi welcome to Fixya. You're right what you're describing is not delay start, but rather a problem with one of the heating component's and most likely the heater relay on the electronic control. The wash cycle has exceeded two hours without a temperature increase of the water and therefore the control "thinks" something is wrong. Whether there is or isn't remains to be seen. Likely if you let the unit operate from that point of displaying "2H" it will run and run for several hours and not heat the water. You can confirm this by pulling out the control and visually inspecting the printed circuit side of the control. Look for a burnt solder on the opposite side of the largest relay ( black or orange retangular box ). That will confirm the heater relay is faulty and the control either needs to be replaced or repaired if you are capable of resoldering the board. Let me know what you find and I'll try and assist you further if you require any. Thanks for visiting "fixya" today and good luck moving forward. macmarkus :)

Hi,

To answer your first question, in a word Yes. To address the second question, Yes. The control module is easy to replace but the better news is it is also repairable, ( you can make an educated decision when I'm through on whether to replace or repair, that is obviously up to you ) but I'd like to enlighten you if you'll allow on what to look for, and why.

The issue with your Bosch dishwasher likely lye`s within`the electronic timer/control, specifically the heater relay solder joint. ( a faulty flow switch, ntc or heater can also cause this, but not very probable ). This is why it runs forever unless pressing the two buttons for "cancel". It has nothing to do with a "delay". The 2H stands for two hours and is actually the estimated time the unit took to complete it's previous cycle based on data to the control gathered and stored in memory...it is not "actual" time, it never is on Bosch. there are far too many variables to be "actual" time and since it only goes to two hours in the display, that's what is displayed even if it runs for four hours.

To repair your unit It will require you to remove the control from the unit and then remove the control from it`s plastic housing and look for a burnt solder contact on the printed circuit board. This will be one of the pins from the heater relay, hence the unit sit`s at 2H ( because it can`t heat to advance or until canceled ) trying to heat the water.

**Further to this, if you or someone you know is proficient at soldering, a lot of times it can be remedied by simply repairing the solder...although Bosch recommend`s replacing the control and I don`t pretend to speak on there behalf nor do I profess to know better. This is just my experience (it work`s) and my opinion (why buy new if one can repair ?)**

**Please disconnect the power before attempting any service to the dishwasher. If you do not feel comfortable attempting this service, call a local pro, preferably one familiar with Bosch/Thermador/Gaggenau, to service your machine.**

Hope this answer`s your question's, let me know if I can assist you further. Thank`s for visiting "fixya" for your repair inquiries. Please take a moment and rate this solution to it's helpfulness to you and leave a testimony if you're satisfied.

Good luck.

macmarkus :)

BAD CONTROL BOARD TO TEST TO SEE IF THIS IS THE ISSUE RUN TEST PROGRAM
To start test program, press and hold both SCRUB WASH and DELICATE/ECONO program buttons, then turn unit on by
pressing ON/OFF button. Initially, control module version # will be displayed (e.g./ “20” = version 0 without jumper). When
wash program buttons are released, lights above them will flash. To end test program, press ON/OFF button.
To check each program indicator light, press its button. To check Cycle Countdown display, Refill Rinse Agent light and
REGULAR WASH light, press REGULAR WASH button (press Delay Start button to test Cycle Countdown display
alone). Cycle Countdown display will show "88" when REGULAR WASH button is pressed and "8h" when Delay Start
button is pressed.
To start testing, press both SCRUB WASH and DELICATE/ECONO buttons a second time. When testing has ended,
Cycle Countdown display will show a fault using codes below. If more than one fault occurs, code numbers will be added
together, (e.g./ “6” = faults 2 + 4).
0 = No faults detected 2 = Heating fault 8 = NTC (temperature sensor) fault
1 = Aqua Sensor ("Sensotronic") fault 4 = Filling fault F = Filling fault (display occurs during wash, not test)
To check for heater, high limit or flow switch problems, start testing until heating starts. Using a meter with a current coil,
measure current going into dishwasher. If current is ~ 11 A, then heater, high limit and flow switch are OK. If current stays
at ~ 1.5-2 A, then heater, high limit or flow switch are faulty.
If water level switch (f1) has failed (opened), display will show fault code "4" and unit will continually fill and drain where
testing won't be completed. If flow switch (e5) has failed (opened), display will show "0", water won't heat (to 150ºF) and
water won’t stop circulating. If NTC probe (f2/f4) has failed (opened), display will show fault code "8" immediately and
testing will end shortly after water has started circulating

My Bosch dishwasher did the same thing. When the wash cycle starts, the dishwasher fills with water and then the heater is supposed to turn on to heat the water. If the water does not heat, then it will display 2H continuously. The heating element may be bad, but a more likely cause is with the control module. Bosch has a problem with the control module printed circuit (pc) board that powers the heater on many models. The solution requires some technical expertise and soldering skills. The details are explained in the document "Bosch dishwasher troubleshooting tips" on page 11. Download here
Bosch recommends re-soldering the connection, which is a temporary fix. The problem is that the copper conductor (called a trace) on the circuit board is not wide enough to handle the current required for the heating element, and as a result the copper trace overheats, causing the solder to melt on the relay connection. The best solution is to remove the control module PC board and solder a short length of copper wire between the pins to prevent the overheating problem, as shown in the attached photo (magnified portion of PC board). I did this on my dishwasher and it has been trouble-free for over 3 years.

The "2H" is an error code indicating the control panel needs to be replaced.

bosch dishwashers run the cycle through the heating element, you may get a 2H displayed. when you wee that it means the heating element is bad, or the board is bad, i will tell you in my 15 years of repair its almost always the board,. if you know someone who is solder literate, the you can remove the board and resolder the connection. you need to remove the screws on the inside top of the door to remove the display panel, after doing so you will see the control board(fisrt turn off the electrical) then remove the wiring harnesses from the control board, the harneses only go in a certain slot so they will be easy to remember where to put back into.open the case of the board, look on the back and you will see where the bad solder joint id...clean, resolder, reinstall......good luck

I would check the buttons on the control they may stuck. check the delay button..

The control panel needs to be replaced (indicated by the "2H" error code displayed at the start of the cycle).
BTW - The number 1 displayed at the end of the cycle indicates the cycle has timed out (i.e., it doesn't mean 1 minute remaining). Hence the continued running of the unit. Until you replace the control panel, you'll have to manually cancel the cycle at this point.