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Why does the LOCK ON light keep blinking on my Kenmore Ultra Wash Dishwasher Model 665.15779?
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Kenmore Ultra Wash Dishwasher Model 665.15779 LOCK ON light blinking on control panel, unable to use washer. If buttons were locked, LOCK ON light should be lit continually not flashing. If you press and hold NO HEAT DRY button to disengage lock, nothing happens. If you press the CANCEL button it begins to blink in unison with the LOCK ON light. How can I stop the light from blinking to allow button function again?
14 Answers from these members:

Try this after before you are ready to junk it or have the $400 part on order.Use a thin nail drive it into the lock lite till it goes out cancel the part order and wash your dishes..

Can you explain how this works? My washer is the Kenmore 655 Ultra. I took the control panel apart today. Behind the lock light is simply a ribbon and it's not even that close to the outside "button". It doesn't make sense how the nail trick would do anything. I'm desperate so I may try it, but I'd love to understand. Thanks!
by kmhastings kmhastings

I tried everything to fix the blinking lock light and nothing worked. Took a nail to the light gently while the breaker was turned off. Reset breaker and boom dishwasher is good as new. Killing that light must bypass an error on the board and allow it to function properly. I will continue to use my dishwasher at no cost to me until another part of it fails! It has served me well for 15 years and will continue to do so thanks to Robert Briggs!
by Seth Deal

Please do not try the nail.
by Brock Alexander

Thank you Mr Briggs! Since I did the nail job on my lock on light, the dishwaher is working fine aganin, Already four wash since!
by Pierre Rochefort

Whooo Hooo!!!! IT WORKED!!! Thanks MR BRIGGS!!!
by Adam Corn

Sounds crazy, but I had this exact problem and used a small drill bit to disable the "Lock On" light. I pressed Cancel for 5 seconds, the diswasher started working again. Make sure to turn off the breaker before drilling the light.
by Andre Wilson

This works! Hard to believe. Thank you Robert Briggs. I used a nail and my dishwasher works now! I can see that a drill would work too. My dishwasher stops and starts sometimes though; still washing dishes 3 weeks later.
by Michael Weaver

7 votes

Normally, the lock light will be turned on solid when the control is locked. To turn it off, press and hold the NO HEAT DRY or AIR DRY button for 4 deliberate seconds (or until the lock light turns off). The light will blink if a key is pressed while the control is locked. You may have a stuck key on the keypad that is preventing you from unlocking the control. You can try disconnecting electrical power from the dishwasher by shutting off the breaker. After 5 minutes, turn the breaker back on. See if the dishwasher will work properly or see if you can unlock the control. Disconnecting power can sometimes clear a stuck control board. It may not work, but it is worth a try. If these tips don't help, it is likely that you will need to replace the control console on the dishwasher. I recommend calling a service technician to complete this type of repair.
If you need more help, resubmit your question with additional details.
If you need more help, resubmit your question with additional details.

One of my buttons must have been stuck. I unplugged it and took it apart to try and fix it but couldn't figure out how to take out the buttons. I ran my fingers against the buttons to see if they would just unstick. Not sure if I did anything but, after I put it back together and plugged it back in bam it worked.

My Kenmore Elite Microclean Dishwasher Model 665.1476 was about 5 years old in 2018 when the LOCK light started blinking on the control panel and I was unable to use the washer. As suggested a post, I tried pressing and holding the TOP RACK ONLY button to no avail. I tried pressing that plus the START button with same non-result. I opened and closed the door with same non-result. My dishwasher does not have some of the buttons suggested in other posts. Finally, I disconnected electrical power from the dishwasher by shutting off the breaker. After longer than 5 minutes, I turned the breaker back on; light still flashing. By trial and error, I pressed the SMART DRY PLUS button and held it more than 5 seconds; the control panel displayed a countdown from 3 seconds and the lock light went out. Then the dishwasher worked!
by Alan Certain

5 votes

I swear, Same problem with lock light flashing on old Kenmore dishwasher. It would do nothing, no reset...I did the nail through the lock light. It works Perfectly Now! Thank you Nail in the light answer guy!!!!
3 votes

As noted by mr. briggs, to unlock the kenmore dishwasher after all kind of reset, just neutralize the unlock button.To do so, punctuate the unlock light as recommended by mr Briggs after disconnecting the machine. And "voilà" , thanks mr Briggs !!!!!
2 votes

I held down the heat button like suggested for 5 seconds and that worked for me. Thanks for the advice.

1 votes

Well my wife accidentally locked by hitting the sani-rinse button for 3 seconds on our Kenmore Elite. All you need to do is hold the sani-rinse button for another 3 seconds and it unlocks it. It says it on the display panel but very difficult to see. There is a you-tube of this as well. The manual wan't much help.

1 votes

I have this same problem. I turned off the breaker, waited, tried holding in the button for 5 seconds. Problem remains. What next? I would rather fix it myself than pay a Sears Rep to come to my rural location.

0 votes



in my case the LOCK ON light was steady green, not blinking. pressing any other button would make it blink three times and go back to steady green. i tried a version of one suggestion by pressing, and holding, the HEATED DRY button. while i held the HEATED DRY button down, it blinked three times, then went back to steady green briefly and then went off. i then released the HEATED DRY button and i was then able to use my washer as normal.

0 votes

I have a Kenmore Elite dishwasher which is also stuck in the locked position. I tried the holding down of the no heat button and it did not work. I turned off the breaker and it still didn't work. I tried holding button after button-down and finally after holding "TOP RACK ONLY" it Worked! I suggest you try this if it happens to you.

0 votes
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