Why doesn't my dishwasher run the full 2-hour cycle?

The Water-heating cycle

Many dishwashers heat the wash and/or rinse water to a higher temperature, as the cycle calls for it. In these cycles, the dishwasher pauses after it has filled with water, waiting for the water to reach the pre-set temperature. What happens next, depends, as follows:

On some units, the pause is timed and the unit continues after the allotted time.

On others, the cycle can't continue until the water reaches the higher temperature. If you have this type of dishwasher and the water isn't being heated (say, because of a problem with the heating element or thermostat), after the unit stops at the heating cycle, it never continues. When you repair the heating-system problem, the "cycle problem" is fixed too.

Please give us the model number so we can direct you to the correct parts and repair instructions.