Direct answer: When a Miele dishwasher will not fill, the usual causes are a closed or restricted water supply, a clogged dishwasher water inlet screen, a stuck dishwasher float, or a dishwasher that is draining instead of filling because it senses a leak or drain issue.
Most likely: Start at the sink cabinet and the tub bottom. A partly closed shutoff valve, kinked inlet hose, debris at the dishwasher water inlet screen, or a float stuck up is more common than a failed electronic part.
If the machine starts, hums, or runs a drain pump but the tub stays dry, treat it like a fill-path problem until proven otherwise. Reality check: many no-fill calls end up being a supply valve or blockage issue, not a major internal failure. Common wrong move: replacing parts before checking whether the dishwasher is actually stuck in drain mode.
Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering a board or tearing the door apart. On this symptom, the simple water-path checks usually tell the story first.
You hear a steady draining sound at the start, but no wash sound and no water splashing inside.
Start here: Check for a leak-triggered drain condition, a stuck float, or a blocked drain path that keeps the machine from moving into fill.
The dishwasher powers up and accepts the cycle, but you do not hear water entering or any pump action.
Start here: Check the water shutoff valve, inlet hose, and whether the door is fully latching and staying latched.
You hear a short hum or click, then the cycle stalls with little or no water in the sump.
Start here: Look for a restricted dishwasher water inlet screen or a supply problem before suspecting an internal valve issue.
A small amount of water enters, but not enough for normal spray action.
Start here: Check for low supply flow, debris at the inlet screen, or a float that is hanging up before it reaches its normal fill level.
This is the fastest, most common no-fill cause after plumbing work, cabinet cleaning, or moving items under the sink. A valve can look open but still be partly closed.
Quick check: Under the sink, confirm the dishwasher shutoff valve is fully open and the dishwasher supply hose is not kinked, crushed, or sharply bent.
If the home has mineral buildup or recent plumbing disturbance, debris often collects at the dishwasher inlet connection and chokes off flow.
Quick check: Turn off water, disconnect the dishwasher inlet connection if accessible, and inspect the small screen for grit or scale.
A float that stays lifted tells the dishwasher it is already full, so it will not call for more water.
Quick check: Inside the tub, find the float area and make sure it moves freely and is not pinned by grease, detergent residue, or debris.
Many dishwashers will run the drain pump and refuse to fill if water is sitting in the base pan or if the machine never clears its drain state.
Quick check: Listen at startup. If draining begins immediately and keeps going with no fill attempt, inspect for signs of water in the base area and check for obvious drain blockage symptoms.
No-fill and constant-drain can look the same from the kitchen. You want to separate those two before touching parts.
Next move: If you hear water entering and see water collecting normally, the issue may be intermittent or tied to a specific cycle setting rather than a hard no-fill failure. If the tub stays dry or the machine only drains, move to the supply and float checks next.
What to conclude: The sound pattern tells you whether the dishwasher is being denied water, blocked from filling, or held in a protective drain mode.
A restricted supply is more common than an internal part failure, and you can usually confirm it without opening the dishwasher.
Next move: If the dishwasher fills after opening the valve or straightening the hose, you found the problem and do not need parts. If supply looks good and the tub still stays dry, check the float and inlet screen.
What to conclude: Good external supply rules out the easiest plumbing-side cause and points you back to the dishwasher's fill path.
A stuck float can block filling even when the water supply is fine. This is a simple, low-risk check inside the tub.
Next move: If the dishwasher now fills, the float was likely hanging up from debris or residue. If the float moves freely and the dishwasher still will not fill, the inlet path needs closer inspection.
When the shutoff valve is open but little or no water gets through, the inlet screen is a strong suspect, especially after plumbing work or in hard-water homes.
Next move: If normal fill returns, the restriction was at the inlet screen and no replacement part is needed right now. If supply is confirmed, the float is free, and the screen is clear but the dishwasher still will not fill, the internal fill component is more likely at fault.
By now you have ruled out the easy causes. The last useful split is whether the dishwasher is being told not to fill, or it cannot open the fill path even when it should.
A good result: If replacing the confirmed failed part restores a normal fill and wash sound, run a full cycle and recheck for leaks.
If not: If a confirmed supply path and a likely valve replacement do not restore fill, the problem is beyond simple homeowner diagnosis and needs in-person electrical testing.
What to conclude: A dishwasher that is dry despite good supply and a clear inlet path usually has a failed fill component. A dishwasher that only drains is often protecting itself from a leak or drain-state problem.
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That usually means the dishwasher thinks it has a leak or another condition that requires drain mode first. If it keeps draining and never switches to fill, look for water in the base area, a stuck float, or a related drain-state problem before blaming the fill valve.
Not directly in the same way a blocked inlet does, but heavy debris in the tub bottom can interfere with the float area or keep the machine in an abnormal startup pattern. It is still worth cleaning the easy-access debris before moving on.
Suspect it only after the shutoff valve is open, the supply hose is not kinked, the float moves freely, and the inlet screen is clear. If the dishwasher is not stuck draining and still stays dry, the inlet valve becomes much more likely.
No. A board is not the first move on this symptom. Supply restrictions, a clogged inlet screen, a stuck float, or a drain-protection condition are all more common and easier to confirm.
Yes. If the sink-side supply is weak or the shutoff valve is only partly open, the dishwasher may fill very slowly or not enough to start washing properly. Check the valve and hose path before replacing anything.
That points more toward a dishwasher door latch problem than a water-supply problem. If the latch is loose or inconsistent, the machine may not stay in the proper run state long enough to begin filling.