My Cusinart SS-15 has the 3 cup volumes lights flashing blue and will not send the water through the coffee cup in the single dispenser. Why would these lights flash and how do you fix the issue. The unit is about 1 year old. null

Question

Steve · Accepted Answer

I recently experienced the same issue with my SS-15. Will not brew, and the three cup-size lights are flashing on and off. Nothing that I tried would start the unit working, and I did not find any solution to this on the internet.

So....I called Cuisinart customer service....and a person answered!!!
They informed me that there is a "reset process" for this problem:

Per Cuisinart customer service:
remove water reservoir
locate toggle switch on the Right side of unit
flip toggle on and off for 60 seconds
unplug machine for at least 10 minutes

Re-attach reservoir and plug unit back in....the unit should have reset.

Once unit is working, descale unit with 50/50 white vinegar and water in reservoir. (3-4 brewed cups) then flush unit out by brewing 4-6 cups of plain water.

I'm in the process of trying the above solution, not finished with it yet.

Singleserveissue · Answer

I tried cleaning with 50/50 vinegar to water. The lights still flashed on/off. Finally I got a paper clip out and cleaned the upper needle out which is on the bottom of the put-up lid. I found out that it was totally plugged. This prevented the water from coming out of the needle and caused back pressure in the unit. Once I cleaned the upper needle, I also cleaned the bottom needle which didn't any buildup. The coffee maker works great now on the single side. I still have the clean indicator light on after cleaning the carafe side with 50/50 solution. Doesn't help.

Answered by Singleserveissue 4 years ago

Answer

On mine it means it's overheating and the needle is clogged,

Kevin · Answer

I have same issue. After flicking the On/Off switch multiple times then unplugging for 10-15 minutes I plugged back in and it stopped, then I ran a few clean cycles using vinegar/water as recommended. The next day, the same issue occurred but I’m not able to get the lights from blinking. I called their CS and they said the product is faulty but they’d offer 20% off the next one. I declined, every Cuisinart product I’ve ever owned only had a 2 or 3 year life span. I do not recommend Cuisart product at all.

Answered by Kevin 3 years ago

I do not recommend Cuisart product at all.

Mainer0723 · Answer

I had the same problem. It wasn't the needles though -- it appears to be some kind of safety switch on the bottom of the lid near the hinge -- when you close the lid the switch is pushed in and allows water to pass through to the pod. I think the switch must get worn slightly and is not fully pushed in, which causes back pressure and then the three flashing lights.

I solved the problem by taping a thin piece of plastic (about the thickness of a folded business card) on the shelf where the switch hits. You'll have to experiment to get the right thickness, but it solved my problem.

You can see it in the photo -- the switch is at the top and you can see the plastic pieces below.

Marecat · Answer

My needles were plugged. I clean them took out the water the Reservoir turned it off for 30 seconds turned it back on and it worked fine.

Answer

This is a bad documentation issue.  the User Guide does not mention using a paperclip will fix the all 3 size LEDs are blinking problem.

Answer

I used a small gauge copper wire and reamed out the upper needle, the one that supplies hot water to the top of the K-cup. After I did that the operation became normal again.

Answer

On mine the 3 flashing lights occurred when I tried one of the pods with no bottom plastic shell.  I switched back and it is now running like normal.

CuisinartMadness · Answer

No lights on mine are coming on at all. I thoroughly cleaned the heck outta it and only sign of electrics working is the clock that doesn’t stay a steady flashing 12:00 but it’s all over the map. One said H 104 or something. Jeeez. On/Off will not even acknowledge the buttons pushed. Factory reset or throw it against wall!!???

Answered by CuisinartMadness 1 year ago

Answer

My k-cup cuisnart machine worked great for a couple of months. Then, the lights started blinking on/off. After a couple of weeks of that it suddenly stopped working. This is the 2nd one of these I’ve had that stopped working. The first one didn’t heat the water.

I tried piercing the top needle thingy with a staple and then a needle, but it doesn’t seem to have a hole on my model. I will take the whole thing apart later and see what’s happening.

MsIngie · Answer

Definitely because needle is clogged.

Answer

Mine did this just now.  In the time it took me to Google the question,  find this site,  and read a few answers, the 3 lights stopped flashing and came on like they normally do.  Prior to the lights flashing i was trying to single brew a cup of coffee.  The machine was making strange noises. Kind of a restricted fluid noise high pitched.  After the lights came on again i used a new k cup and it worked fine.  I think it was simply a faulty k cup.

bri28420 · Answer

On my machine if the lights are flashing it means that the water level is too low.

“My Cusinart SS-15 has the 3 cup volumes lights flashing blue and will not send the water through the coffee cup in the single dispenser. Why would these lights flash and how do you fix the issue. The unit is about 1 year old.”

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