LG Dishwasher Not Cleaning the Upper Rack: Causes and Fixes

A tub that cleans the lower rack and ignores the upper one is telling you something specific. Water has to travel farther and fight gravity to reach the top, so anything that weakens the spray shows up there first. The good news is that the reasons are fairly short, and most can be sorted from the front of the machine.

How water gets to the top rack

In many LG dishwashers, a pump pushes water through channels in the tub and rack rails to the upper spray arm, while another arm or set of jets handles the lower area. Several brands of dishwasher, LG included, market multi-direction wash systems such as QuadWash, which is simply LG’s name for a set of arms and jets aimed at different angles. The details vary by model, but the principle is the same: pressure and open nozzles equal clean dishes.

Common causes

Clogged nozzles and arm holes

Seeds, label scraps, bits of eggshell and mineral scale lodge in the small holes. Remove each arm where the design allows it, shake it out, rinse it, and clear individual holes with a toothpick. Also wipe the rack connector that feeds water into the upper arm, since debris collects there.

A dirty filter

A clogged filter restricts the water that the pump can recirculate. The result is weak spray and grit left on the plates. Lift it out, rinse it, and scrub gently. Check the drain screen too.

Loading problems

Tall bowls that tower above the upper rack block the spray from the arm above. Large platters set against the sides deflect water. A long utensil handle can stop an arm from turning, which you can test by spinning each arm gently by hand before closing the door.

Hard water and detergent

Mineral buildup narrows nozzles and leaves a cloudy film. Too little detergent leaves grease; too much creates foam and the machine reacts, with the bE bubble error possible if suds are detected. Use a detergent suited to your water and measure it by the product label.

Pump or motor performance

If cleaning and loading are not the story, the circulation pump may not be moving enough water. The LE code refers to the cleaning motor not working correctly, and nE refers to a Vario pump issue, where the impeller is not spinning normally or dishes are touching it. These codes need a technician; the owner step is to write them down and not to keep running cycles.

Water level and fill

A slow fill means less water for the cycle. If the supply valve is half open or the inlet screen is blocked, the tub may start the wash with too little. See the fill guide for more on that.

A short test run

1. Pull out the racks, spin each spray arm by hand, and make sure it turns freely.
2. Clean the arms, filter and drain screen.
3. Load so that no tall item shades the top arm and no handle reaches into the arm’s path.
4. Run a cycle with a normal, measured dose of detergent and a filled rinse-aid dispenser.
5. Check the result. If the top is cleaner but still not perfect, repeat once more before drawing conclusions.

Do not do these

Do not drill or enlarge nozzle holes, do not use pointed metal that scratches plastic arms, and do not remove tub panels to reach the pump. Water and electrical parts sit very close to each other in a dishwasher, and a mistake can cause leaks that damage cabinets and floors.

When a visit makes sense

If the arms are clear, the filter is clean, the loading is fine, and the top rack is still dirty, a pump, motor or valve may be performing poorly. A technician can check the circulation and the fill path, then explain the finding and give a written estimate before touching anything else. Nothing is repaired without your approval.

For visit details see LG dishwasher repair. The lineup is gathered under LG dishwashers, and examples include SDNVH981 and LDWPC12BL. If you are not sure where the model label is, start here. Wet or spotted dishes after a cycle have their own causes, covered in this drying guide.

Reading the evidence on your plates

What the dishes look like tells you something. A sandy film points to a dirty filter or hard water. Baked-on food in a straight line often means a spray arm was blocked at that spot, or a tall item shielded it. Greasy spots on the top rack alone suggest weak pressure, a dosing issue or low water temperature. Cloudy glass that wipes clean with a damp cloth is mineral film, not leftover food. Matching the pattern to the cause prevents a lot of wasted cycles.

A note on rack height and adjusters

Many racks can be raised or lowered, and some third racks slide out for cutlery. If the upper rack sits too low, tall glasses scrape the spray arm above it or sit too close to the nozzles. If it sits crooked after being pulled out roughly, the water connector at the rear may not line up with the rack’s feed point, and water sprays in the wrong place. Seat the rack on both rails and push it all the way back before you start a cycle.

Frequently asked questions