How to Get the Rack on the Track of a Kenmore Dishwasher

Reasons for Rack Removal

• A Kenmore dishwasher rack may need to be removed for one of several reasons. With the top rack removed, for example, extra tall items such as cookie sheets and large pots fit on the bottom rack easily. You may need to access the appliance's inside walls for cleaning; Sears recommends cleaning them by hand with a detergent paste and sponge. Sometimes food particles get stuck inside the track, causing the rack to get off the track. Too much force on an off-track rack wheel may break it. If one of the rack wheels breaks, you can order a new wheel from Sears, but installing it requires removing the rack and then getting it back on the track.

Lower Rack

• The lower rack does not fit into a track. Instead, the small wheels on each corner of the lower rack run on grooves built into the interior of the dishwasher. The lower rack simply pulls all the way out and can be lifted straight up. The dishwasher has no release mechanisms to separate the lower rack from the unit. Sometimes, the wheels can jump the ridge that holds the wheels in place. If that happens, simply pull the lower rack all the way out, realign the wheels with the grooves and push the rack back inside the dishwasher.

Upper Rack

• Taking the upper rack out of the dishwasher begins with removing the plastic end clips on the end of each track and setting them aside. Then the top rack can be pulled completely out from the tracks, but pull the rack gently so you don't crack the wheels. Returning the top rack starts with holding the rack so that the wheels align with the rack tracks, and then the rack is pushed in the appliance. Testing the wheels a few times to ensure they roll smoothly inside the tracks is wise before reattaching the plastic end clips. Then hold the plastic end clips up to the ends of the racks. The open side of the plastic end should face the open end of the rack track. Press gently until the plastic end clips snap into place.

Bent Tracks

• Sometimes a dishwasher track can become bent, causing the rack to get off track. If possible, use your hands or a wrench to pull the soft metal track back into shape, eliminating bends. When the bend is too great to fix, order a replacement from Sears, using the correct model number and part number. Replacement wheels, racks and end caps also are available; each of those items can interfere with a dishwasher rack's ability to stay on track.