Viking Dishwasher 5-1 Error Code

This is the vent error, 5-1: the drying side of the machine, not the wash side. On the panel it shows as five blinks on Pots/Pans and a single blink on Normal Wash.

Which models

Next to 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3 the VDB325/VDB450 table carries the words “450 only”. The VDB451 table has 5-1 with a service-cycle mark, whereas neither the FDB301 group nor the VDB200 manual includes a vent code. Compare your model with that before concluding the code is relevant.

Drying airflow

The VDB451 manual lays it out this way. Cabinet air, cold at first, is let in by a vent at the top, flows over the dishes and ends up warm and damp. A blower pulls that air out and it leaves by the kickplate grill at the front. The vent is moved by a wax motor; when the diagnostic cycle ends, that wax motor and the blower motor are both energized for 10 seconds. The control sets 5-1 if the vent circuit’s current falls out of range.

Causes

1. Wiring between the main control and the vent is disconnected.
2. The vent is faulty.
3. The main control is faulty.

What you can see

From outside you can only see the kickplate grill. No manual names it as the culprit, so wiping it down leaves this code untouched. Wet dishes after a cycle form a separate topic; the troubleshooting guide from Viking deals with that under rinse aid, how the rack is loaded and water temperature. If 5-1 keeps coming back, it is the vent plus its wiring, and that is for a technician.

Other drying entries

• 5-2: the blower circuit, which extracts the damp air
• 5-3: where the dry heater is listed

Viking dishwasher drying repair in Los Angeles

Call (310) 692-1112 and state the model number, so it can be checked whether that model has the vent at all.

Source: Viking Preferred Service Manual SMK-0005; SMK-0003