KitchenAid Dishwasher Lower Wash Arm Replacement W10860176

This video provides step-by-step repair instructions for replacing the lower wash arm on a KitchenAid dishwasher. The most common reason for replacing the wash arm is if it is damaged or not working properly.

Additional dishwasher repair, troubleshooting tips, help with finding your model number and part replacement videos can be found on our website:

All of the information for this lower wash arm replacement video is applicable to the following brands:
Kenmore, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Ikea, Amana, Jenn Air, Maytag

Tools needed: none

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[pinecone]

IF THIS VIDEO DID NOT WORK FOR YOU PLEASE READ! This is a terrible install video. It's NOT the entire assembly that you push down on and rotate in order to lock it in place. You need to use your fingers to hold the large GEAR at the base of the assembly and turn it to lock it properly. If all you do is take the entire assembly, push down and rotate it, the wash arm will not set. It will not only pop off during the wash, it will rub against your bottom rack = dirty dishes! Don't just turn the entire assembly! Make sure you turn the bottom GEAR!! Then when you lift and wiggle the assembly a bit it shouldn't be wobbly and just come off like mine has been everytime I try to install it the way this video describes. Now my washarm is finally rotating properly and not popping off.

[coloradosunsa]

The non-powered arm (W11101428) works like a champ on the model KDTM404ESS (KDTM404ESS3)! After many loads all the dishes are clean on the bottom rack. Not going back to the powered arm. What a waste of time and money on the fancy spray arm. Note on installing the powered arm - and that isn't explicit enough in the video - You need to precisely align the big rotating arm such that when it is fully seated and locked-in that one of the arms is exactly pointing in the corner. This is actually on an maintenance instruction sheet from Whirlpool. After the spray arm seats down on the diverter cover you rotate the large cog clockwise maybe 1/4" with your fingers to lock it in and do NOT move the spray arm. This is easier with thin work gloves on and not with your bare fingers. I've had two "professional" Whirlpool appliance repair men grab the whole arm and twist it to get it to lock. They both stripped out the gears and blamed me for the failures. They didn't know what they were doing. If you don't position the large rotating head so it points in a corner and as the arm rotates, it will hit the side of the tub and just stop and start stripping the plastic gears. Avoid all this and the burnt wires prob from the motor overloading from not being able to move the head (jammed due to improper installation) and just put on the cheaper non-powered arm.

[johnedwardii]

If you look at the bottom of the hub you will see one area that has an unusual V shaped piece ending in a small tab that is supposed to grab onto the front tab of the sump. You want that facing towards you so that the tip of that piece can be inserted into the gap just to the right of the front-most locking tab on the top of the sump. Then, make sure the arm fully seats into position before grabbing and rotating the gear (inside the hub) 1/8 turn until it locks in place.

[miked]

Posting this to maybe help someone else out.... I have the KDTM404ESS KitchenAid. My Diverter worked fine, but the bottom arm stopped spinning. I purchased a new motor and did the swap, unfortunately that didn't work. I provided direct power to the motor and confirmed the old and new both actually worked.
I read some other posts where two people commented the wires to power the bottom arm actually overheated and melted, I removed the door and found that mine definitely heated up and went into the door foam (the only wires that did). But I couldn't find any breaks or shorts.

Instead of going through and replacing the control board, wires, etc to possibly come to the same broken solution I bought the non-powered arm (W11101428). It fits perfectly, without any special Macgyvering, and the dishes seem to be cleaner than the mechanical arm could ever do!

[pogokam]

Survey here : Who needed to replace this part because of accelerated degradation? Here 3rd time. Should be a recall on those dishwasher?

[gilpo]

On the bottom of the wash arm is a secondary gear about 1" in diameter. I found this loose in my dishwasher along with a pretty strong spring. I can't find whatever was used to retain these to the white plastic stud that turns the larger spray arm. Can you help me locate a replacement part? I really don't want to have to replace the entire spray arm for this. Thanks in advance!

[scotttrahey]

When I rotate the arm counter clockwise it just clicks and doesn't lift off. Any suggestions?

[mare]

We tried and tried to get this off. I did read the other comments but it still didn't make sense.There is a resistant clicking that makes a loud noise. That is NOT the action that makes it come off. There is a wheel with sprockets that is hard to move and it is underneath. This is what releases everything. Hope that helps someone.

[toddcullen]

I am trying to locate this part and have had no luck...everything seems backordered until as late as May 2022. Anyone have a suggestion where I can find this part?

[LufthanseatFFT]

The problem that I am in countering is that the larger of the rotating propellers keeps hitting the lower rack’s slide as it travels on the left side and gets stuck. I’m not able to get the propeller placement properly synchronized so that it doesn’t hit the side as it does. In what position should the rotating propeller as well as its individual arms bein when replacing the lower spray arm? The timing of its rotation isn’t synchronized correctly. What position does the larger propeller need to be in?

[L]

Consider there are 3 long arms with 3 small sprayers on each arm. Are the three long arms supposed to keep spinning when running? Mine only three small sprayers on one arm is spinning, the rest don't move at all. But all 9 holes spray water.

[ironwkral]

I put mine on and I couldn't. Counterclockwise, and the gears just drained. It doesn't seem to want to attach.

[darenkhatib]

KitchenAid has a two-year limited warranty with third through fifth-year limited warranty on certain component parts.

[caleynelligan]

On my spray arm, the longest of the 3 chrome spray arms is so long it hits the side of the dish rack, stops rotating and when the rack is pulled out the entire spray arm gets pulled off. Seen that before?

[charlettesmith]

This looks just like the lower arm in my kitchenaid dishwasher, but this doesn't work.

[corprosystems]

The longest 3 arms needs to be over the front right float, this video is incorrect