Miele Novotronic 1918 Water inlet light error?

I noticed that my laundry was not getting very clean (it was smelly), because not all that much water was being used. I decided to start using more water since I wanted my laundry to smell better. So I have been adding water through the soap dish where the water normally runs in. I was really pleased with the results, until I noticed the error light on the intake. Did I damage the electronics while pouring in the water? Or is the error because not enough water is going into the machine to begin with? Is the water pressure maybe too low due to lime build-up in the water hose? Should I add the water directly to the drum before I close the door? I have used this machine successfully for 13 years except for the musty smell of the clean clothes. I don't mind adding the water since we use very little water anyway, but I would hate to have to replace my machine. We had a Siemens dishwasher which died after 9 years due to failure of the water intake valve and I am afraid that that is my problem. I also added water to the DW manually for several months before it stopped holding water entirely. The salesman said that Siemens DWs are famous for this problem. Is this the same problem? Another strange thing is that I used the machine to dye fabric which I had done several times in the past. This time the dye stayed in the machine for several loads and ruined a whole load of laundry. That NEVER happened in the past!

Kelly
March 2011