How to Fix Dishes Not Drying on a Bosch SHX78CM5N (800 Series) Dishwasher — Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-step instructions for the Bosch SHX78CM5N (800 Series) (built-in dishwasher, 800 series, crystaldry). Parts and access points can differ slightly by production year — the steps below cover the common layout for this platform, and the model notes flag its quirks.
If you test the heating element, kill the breaker first.
Tools
- Multimeter (only if testing the element)
Parts
- Rinse aid ($5–$8); heating element only if it tests dead
Step by step
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1 Fill the rinse aid and set it high
The unglamorous fix that works: fill the dispenser, set its dosage to maximum, and give it two weeks of loads. Rinse aid is how modern dishwashers dry.
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2 Use the heat/extra-dry option
Eco and quick cycles skip heated dry on many machines. Turn on the heated dry, extra dry, or sanitize option and compare.
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3 Open the door at cycle end
Condensation-dry machines (Bosch-style, no exposed element) benefit hugely from cracking the door when the cycle ends — some do it automatically.
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4 Check the heating element (exposed-element machines)
If dishes AND the tub interior are cold at cycle end, breaker off, then continuity-test the element at its terminals under the tub — open circuit means replace it.
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5 Load for drainage
Cups angled, plastics up top, nothing nested. Water pooled in mug bottoms isn’t a machine fault — it’s geometry.
Bosch SHX78CM5N (800 Series) notes & error codes
The constantly running drain pump on an E15 is the machine protecting the kitchen floor, not a pump fault. Tilt the unit forward to drain the base pan, then find the actual leak — replacing the pump on an E15 fixes nothing.
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| E15 | Water in the base pan — leak protection active |
| E24 | Drain blocked |
| E22 | Filter blocked |
| E09 | Heating element fault |
| E01 | Control board fault |
Full details for this machine — common problems, causes, and costs — are in the Bosch SHX78CM5N (800 Series) repair guide. The general version of these instructions is here.
A dead heating element or a stuck vent fan is a modest repair — worth a pro visit if under-tub electrical work isn’t your idea of a weekend. If you'd rather skip it entirely, find a dishwasher repair pro near you →
What this repair costs professionally
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