Product review (1 stars): Badly engineered Dishwasher Electronic console
I have needed to replace this panel more than three times for the exact same reason. SHORTED buttons. The original panel lasted about 4 years. BUT I needed to remove the panel from the dishwasher and use a vacuum cleaner on blower to blow air through the one air hole near the vent. This seems to have dried any moisture temporarily and made the panel run good for a couple of washes before repeating the procedure (Pain in the neck). Finally, the short would not go away. I reordered both the Console panel and control panel. The dishwasher was good for about a year. Then I started getting shorting button symptoms (Blinking lights on the console) again.

 According to a website the best way to determine if it is the control board or electronic console that is bad is by doing the following:
A rapidly blinking LED over one of the keys of the keypad (or sometimes a dead keypad/console)

indicates one or more key switch lines are stuck or shorted on either the control or the keypad.

To determine if the control or keypad is faulty, do the following test:

1. Unplug dishwasher or disconnect power.

2. Open the dishwasher door.

3. Open console and disconnect the green keypad ribbon connection from the control (at P1).

Make sure all other connections are made.

4. Put console back together. Do not close the dishwasher door.

5. Plug in dishwasher or reconnect power.

6. Wait 5 seconds.

7. Close dishwasher door.

8. Monitor the controls response:

If the control is OK (no longer sees shorts with the keypad unplugged),

it will respond by turning on a Drain Motor for 2 minutes.

Check and/or replace the keypad if the control responds OK.

If the control is not OK (still sees shorts with the keypad unplugged),

then the drain motor will NOT respond and will remain off.

If no response, replace the control.

Every Time it indicated a shorted or open Electronic console.  I reordered a new one. Lasted two weeks. Returned it to Sears Parts. They send me another under Warranty. Installed it and it is working great again.

I contacted Whirlpool.com about this problem. It is obviously a engineering problem. What I believe is happening is that the console has two AIR holes on it that allows air to circulate through the electronic membrane switches inside the console. One is located near the Vent and the other is located under the Control board. When the dishwasher is working, it produces either steam or very high water saturated air which is being expelled through the vent. Unfortunately, this contaminated air is being circulated through the membrane metallic switches. They are very thin so they will easily corrode and short or possibly open when the switch is pressed externally. The hole near the Vent, on the new console, I covered with tape hoping to lessen the amount of air going through since one hole is covered. I hoping this will prevent contaminated air from entering the console and destroying the delicate metallic membrane switches.

Will update if this works for longer than a year.