KitchenAid Custom Panel Debacle (pics)

15 years ago

Has anyone ever gotten one of the front control panel KA dishwashers and successfully paneled it? We only purchased this model, the KUDC03IVBLA, as it was able to accept a custom panel with the addition of an extra panel kit. We bought the kit with the dishwasher, all from the same (big) online retailer, and it just doesn't fit.

The installation guide tells me I need panel kit #8171555, which is what I received, but it is not deep enough. It is almost 1/2 the depth of the panel that comes with the dishwasher. Calling KA *many* times, getting many responses, several reps say I actually need kit # 8212489. The online retailer orders it from Sears, and it evidently got lost in the mail (?). Ridiculous, yes, but general googling indicates that the part they are trying to order is for a fully integrated dishwasher with the controls on top, which is not what we have. Since they have been trying to resolve this since the 3rd week in November, I'm getting a little irritated. No one seems to know what to do or how to fix this.

Has anyone successfully paneled their similar KA dishwasher?

The first pic is the dishwasher:

And the depth of the standard DW panel:

The #8171555 panel kit with our cabinet door installed:

And the depth of the panel kit piece. It's not deep enough to cover the guts on the dishwasher door:

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Comments (10)

User
15 years ago
what exactly is the problem? Look like the orig. black on is 1 3/4" thick and the bracket + wood is 1 5/8".

They both clearly fit under the "lip" of the control panel so I'm not sure what the issue is.

If you are concerned about your DW font not being in the same plane as the sink doors then you better sit down. They are not going to be unless you can push the whole unit back into the wall behind it. KA's stink for this application, which is a little late for you , but maybe someone reading this might gain something.
xand83
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, ignore the measurement of the wooden panel. The depth of the current door is about 1 3/4" and the depth of the panel kit door is about 1 1/8". As a result, the guts on the dishwasher door (the back of the soap dispenser, wires, electrical boxes, padding, etc.) are too bulky for the panel door to fit. It physically is not deep enough to wrap around the dishwasher door to be attached. Near the top left of the DW door is a black covered box that protrudes out a good bit. This is one piece that is keeping the panel kit door from attaching properly.

I've heard about the KA custom panel aesthetic issues (albeit, after ordering) but that might not be too large an issue in this case. We are using a thinner wooden front(1/2") than the usual cabinet door (3/4"), so it shouldn't be as noticeable. But we haven't even *gotten* to that frustration yet! haha
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User
15 years ago
OK, I get it now. It would seem that the KA manual has the wrong part # in the text. Have your ordered the ....489 model yet? And don't let them charge you for it or the return shipping on the incorrect one.
xand83
Original Author
15 years ago
The retailer is trying to order the #489 panel kit, but the first one got lost by UPS and the 2nd one is going to take a few weeks. I'm just a tad worried to wait around a few weeks only to have it be the wrong kit. Just about everything in the kitchen is completely finished with the exception of this business. Argh.

Wishing I had shelled out more at the beginning to get a ready-to-go panel ready dishwasher. *Filing this under "Lessons Learned"*
User
15 years ago
can you just return and swap units?
xand83
Original Author
15 years ago
That's what I did/am proposing. There seems to be significant push-back to that idea when the dishwasher has already been installed. I tried installing the panel kit a week after the dishwasher went in. It's not something I thought would ever be an issue.
segesta
15 years ago
Xand83--
psst, as an aside, I think your kitchen looks really good. This panel thing will be long forgotten while you're enjoying your kitchen in future years.
Back to the problem at hand...
xand83
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Segesta! These are all old pics I have posted. More recent ones are on the Flickr account. Still lots to do!
aprince
15 years ago
"We bought the kit with the dishwasher, all from the same (big) online retailer, and it just doesn't fit."

"The retailer is trying to order the #489 panel kit, but the first one got lost by UPS and the 2nd one is going to take a few weeks."

"Wishing I had shelled out more at the beginning to get a ready-to-go panel ready dishwasher. *Filing this under "Lessons Learned"."

Ordering appliances online usually does end up filed under "Lessons Learned"
xand83
Original Author
15 years ago
So, it turns out that the original panel kit was the correct kit after all! The retailer had KA send out a serviceman and, low and behold, it turns out that you have to break the dishwasher to get a panel kit installed. Not with a hammer or anything, but just breaking off some extra plastic tabs that are under the console. Somehow, KA fails to mention that you need to pry off pieces of the button console to install a panel. Oh well.

The service guy said he's seen the same thing before and it took him a while, but realized that a pair of pliers and some hard pulling is all that it takes.

@aprince: I still don't think the online retail experience was all that bad. We got a killer deal, free shipping, and great delivery. Now, I wish their after-sales customer service wasn't the mess that it is, but in the end, the problem was resolved. And I'm not terribly a fan of face-to-face conflict, so sending angry emails and making snarky phone calls is sooooo much better for me :)

A quick pic tonight with some trim & adjusting left to do: