I have the same problem. I read the following answer related to resetting the cycle in Kenmore dishwashers.
I will not be able to get to my dishwasher until Saturday to test this out but, please let me know how it goes for you ...
"Hitting "heat dry/normal/heat dry/normal" in sequence, and then hitting "cancel" when all the lights lit up worked! We were told that we needed to run hot water in the sink to pre-heat the water so that the dishwasher did not think that the heating element had failed. This tip saved us an expensive visit by a Sears Technician. Sears would not give us this info over the phone. So much for customer service."
The link is ...
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/appliances/kenmore-ultra-wash-dishwasher-flashing-clean-light-needs-reset-51085.html
Ali
November 2008