Error codes · Whirlpool · Dishwashers

Whirlpool dishwasher error codes: most of them are the water coming in, going out, or the door.

A Whirlpool dishwasher prints an F-and-E code on a display and blinks the Clean light in groups on a model without one — the first group of blinks is the F number, the second the E number, so 6 blinks, a pause, 4 blinks is F6E4. Most codes are the fill, the drain or the door; the heater, the diverter and the board codes are a technician's. Find the code below and work the checks in order.

Covers: 2015-and-newer dishwashers — the WDT (WDT730, WDT750, WDT970), WDTA (WDTA50, WDTA75), WDF (WDF330, WDF520, WDF540) and WDP (WDP370) series.

Whirlpool · First

Before you clear it

Whirlpool prints an F code with an E code (F9 E1, shown as F9E1). The F names the system, the E names the fault inside it.

1

Reading a blink code: watch the Clean (or Complete) light. It blinks the first number, pauses a second, blinks the second number, then pauses longer and repeats. Count both groups — 1-1, 6-4, 9-1 — and look the pair up in the table; a display prints the same pair as F1E1, F6E4, F9E1.

2

The reset: press Cancel/Drain (or hold Start for three seconds) and let the drain run, then switch the dishwasher's breaker off for one full minute. A code that comes straight back on the next cycle is real; one that stays gone was a one-off.

3

The Sanitized light blinking at the end of a cycle is not a fault — the water never reached the sanitize temperature, usually because the hot tap at the sink was not run first. Run the kitchen tap hot before starting the next load.

4

The service diagnostic is on the tech sheet behind the kick plate at the bottom front and it is written for a technician; the code history lives there.

5

The model and serial plate is on the edge of the door, on the left or right side, readable with the door open. Every warranty call starts with those two numbers.

Section 1 of 3

Water in, water out

F6E1#1

Also printed as 6-1 · F6 E1

Fix at home
Code

Will not fill

What it means

The control opened the fill valve and the water never reached the level it expects. The water is not getting to the dishwasher.

Check first
  1. The shutoff valve under the sink that feeds the dishwasher is fully open.
  2. The supply line is not kinked where it bends behind the cabinet.
  3. Hot water runs at the kitchen tap with normal pressure.
  4. The float at the bottom front of the tub (the small dome or cup) moves freely up and down and nothing is wedged under it.
The fix

Open the valve, clear the line, free the float, then reset and run a Rinse cycle. If water reaches the dishwasher and nothing comes in, the fill valve is the part — a technician's job, and a warranty call on a machine under warranty.

F6E2#2

Also printed as 6-2 · F6 E2

Service call
Code

Fill valve fault

What it means

The control found an electrical fault in the fill valve's circuit — the valve's coil or its wiring, not the water supply.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

F6E2 that returns is the fill valve or its harness — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F6E2 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F6E3#3

Also printed as 6-3 · F6 E3

Fix at home
Code

Suds or air in the pump

What it means

The wash pump found foam or air instead of water — too much or the wrong detergent, or a low fill.

Check first
  1. The detergent is a dishwasher detergent (never dish soap) and the dose is right for the hardness of the water; a pre-wash with hand soap on the dishes makes the same foam.
  2. Run a Rinse cycle with nothing added to clear the foam.
  3. The fill checks above — a half fill leaves the pump sucking air.
The fix

Clear the foam and correct the detergent. F6E3 with the right detergent and a full fill is the pump or its sensor — a service call.

F6E4#4

Also printed as 6-4 · F6 E4

Check, then call
Code

Overfilled — float switch

What it means

The float at the bottom of the tub rose to its switch, so the control stopped the fill. Either the valve kept filling or water came in that was not asked for.

Check first
  1. Press Cancel/Drain and let it pump out, then look at the float — it is free and nothing is holding it up.
  2. Shut the supply valve under the sink. If the tub fills again with the valve closed, water is coming back through the drain hose from the disposer or the sink — the hose needs its high loop under the counter.
  3. If the tub fills only with the supply open and no cycle running, the fill valve is not closing.
The fix

Free the float, add the high loop. A fill valve that will not shut is a part — leave the supply valve off until it is replaced.

Stop & call

Water that rises with no cycle running is a valve that cannot shut. Keep the supply valve under the sink off and call it in; on a machine under warranty it is a warranty service call.

F6E7#5

Also printed as 6-7 · F6 E7

Check, then call
Code

Flow meter not reading

What it means

The small meter that counts the water coming in reported nothing while the valve was open.

Check first
  1. The fill checks under F6E1 — no water at all looks the same to the meter.
  2. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

Water reaching the dishwasher and F6E7 anyway is the flow meter — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F6E7 with the supply open and water at the tap is a service call on the flow meter. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F8E1#6

Also printed as 8-1 · F8 E1

Fix at home
Code

Slow drain

What it means

The drain pump ran and the water did not leave the tub in the time the control allows.

Check first
  1. The filter in the bottom of the tub (twist the round cap out, lift the screen) is clean — a glass shard or a label stops the pump.
  2. The drain hose has a high loop under the counter and is not kinked behind the cabinet.
  3. A new disposer: the knockout plug in its dishwasher inlet was punched out at the install. A disposer that has never taken dishwasher water is the usual F8E1 on a new install.
  4. The sink drains freely; a clogged sink backs up into the dishwasher.
The fix

Clean the filter, fix the hose, punch the plug, then press Cancel/Drain. A pump that hums and moves nothing with a clean filter is the drain pump — a part, a technician's job.

F8E2#7

Also printed as 8-2 · F8 E2

Service call
Code

Drain pump fault

What it means

The control found an electrical fault in the drain pump's circuit.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for one minute and press Cancel/Drain.
The fix

F8E2 that returns is the drain pump or its harness — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F8E2 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

Section 2 of 3

The door, the keys and the sensors

F5E1#8

Also printed as 5-1 · F5 E1

Fix at home
Code

Door not latched

What it means

Start was pressed, or a cycle was running, and the door switch did not report closed. The door was opened mid-cycle, or the latch is not seating.

Check first
  1. Push the door shut until the latch clicks; a rack pulled out a half inch stops it short.
  2. Nothing — a tall pan handle, a cutting board — is leaning on the inside of the door.
  3. The strike on the top of the tub is straight and the latch opening in the door is clear.
The fix

Close the door and press Start. A door that latches and still prints F5E1 is the door switch in the latch assembly — a part, a technician's job.

F5E2#9

Also printed as 5-2 · F5 E2

Service call
Code

Door switch fault

What it means

The control never saw the door open between two cycles — the switch is stuck reporting closed.

Check first
  1. Open the door all the way and close it again, firmly.
  2. Switch the breaker off for one minute.
The fix

F5E2 that returns after the door has been opened and closed is the door switch — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F5E2 after a reset is a service call on the latch assembly. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F2E1#10

Also printed as 2-1 · F2 E1

Fix at home
Code

Button stuck

What it means

The panel sees a key held down longer than a key is ever pressed.

Check first
  1. Press each button once; feel for one that does not spring back.
  2. Wipe the panel dry — water on a touch panel holds a key.
  3. Switch the breaker off for one minute.
The fix

A key that stays stuck after a cleaning is the user interface — a part, a technician's job.

F2E2#11

Also printed as 2-2 · F2 E2

Service call
Code

Panel not talking to the control

What it means

The user interface on the door and the main control under the tub lost communication with each other.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for five full minutes and try a cycle.
The fix

F2E2 that comes back is a board or the harness through the door hinge — a service call.

Stop & call

F2E2 after a five-minute reset is a service call; nothing to check at home. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F3E1#12

Also printed as 3-1 · F3 E1

Service call
Code

Temperature or soil sensor

What it means

The thermistor or the optical soil sensor in the sump reads open or shorted, so the control cannot read the water's temperature or how dirty it is.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

F3E1 that returns is the sensor in the sump — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F3E1 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F3E2#13

Also printed as 3-2 · F3 E2

Check, then call
Code

Soil sensor reading wrong

What it means

The optical sensor that reads how dirty the water is reports a value the control does not believe — usually film on its window.

Check first
  1. Clean the filter in the bottom of the tub and run an empty cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of white vinegar in the top rack.
  2. Switch the breaker off for one minute.
The fix

F3E2 that returns after the cleaning is the soil sensor — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F3E2 after a cleaning cycle and a reset is a service call on the sensor. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

Section 3 of 3

Heat, the pumps and the boards

F7E1#14

Also printed as 7-1 · F7 E1

Service call
Code

Heater not heating

What it means

The control turned the heater on and the water temperature never rose. The dishes come out wet and cold.

Check first
  1. Run the kitchen tap hot before starting — the dishwasher starts from the water it gets.
  2. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Normal cycle with Heated Dry on.
The fix

F7E1 that returns is the heating element or its relay on the control — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F7E1 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call; the dishwasher still washes meanwhile, without the sanitize or the heated dry.

F7E2#15

Also printed as 7-2 · F7 E2

Service call
Code

Heater stuck on

What it means

The control found the heater's relay closed when it should be open, so the heater can run when it should not.

Check first
  1. Switch the dishwasher's breaker off and leave it off.
The fix

A heater that cannot be switched off is the control board — a part, a technician's job. Leave the breaker off until it is replaced.

Stop & call

F7E2 is a stop-and-call: switch the breaker off and leave it off, then call it in. On a machine under warranty it is a warranty service call.

F4E3#16

Also printed as 4-3 · F4 E3

Service call
Code

Wash pump not answering

What it means

The main control and the wash pump motor lost communication, or the motor did not run when it was driven.

Check first
  1. The filter in the bottom of the tub is clean and the spray arms turn freely by hand.
  2. Switch the breaker off for five full minutes and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

F4E3 that returns with a clean filter is the wash pump motor or its board — a service call.

Stop & call

F4E3 after a five-minute reset is a service call on the wash pump. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F9E1#17

Also printed as 9-1 · F9 E1

Service call
Code

Diverter position not found

What it means

The diverter that sends water to the upper or the lower spray arm did not reach the position the control asked for.

Check first
  1. The filter is clean and nothing is caught under the lower spray arm.
  2. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

F9E1 that returns is the diverter motor under the sump — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F9E1 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F9E2#18

Also printed as 9-2 · F9 E2

Service call
Code

Diverter stuck on

What it means

The diverter motor's relay is closed when it should be open.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for one minute and run a Rinse cycle.
The fix

F9E2 that returns is the control board — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F9E2 after a reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

F1E1#19

Also printed as 1-1 · F1 E1

Service call
Code

Control relay stuck

What it means

The control found one of its own relays stuck closed.

Check first
  1. Switch the breaker off for five full minutes and try a cycle.
The fix

F1E1 that returns is the main control board — a part, a technician's job.

Stop & call

F1E1 after a five-minute reset is a service call. On a machine under warranty, file it as a warranty call.

Warranty · When to file

When it's a warranty call

Every unit leaves with the manufacturer's full factory warranty. The codes below name a part inside the machine — once the checks have ruled out the install, the power and the hoses, call Whirlpool's line with the model and serial, and text us if you want a hand with the claim.

All units are surplus inventory (open box, cancelled order, customer return, overstock, or minor scratch & dent). Every unit includes the manufacturer's full factory warranty. Please inspect thoroughly in person before purchasing — cosmetic imperfections or missing accessories are possible.

Still stuck?

Text us the model number and what it's doing — we'll point you at the next step.

A fix, a part, or a warranty call — the plate's model and serial plus one line about the symptom is all it takes to tell which.

These pages are educational. Every appliance is a little different — follow the manufacturer's manual and local code, and leave gas, water heater and 240V work to a licensed installer.