KitchenAid dishwasher error codes

Find your code below, then run the free checks before buying anything. Each row says what the code means and how serious it is.

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Showing all 17 codes

The 17 KitchenAid dishwasher codes verified so far, whether or not each has its own page. Manufacturers document codes across several places, so a code missing here is one we have not confirmed yet — not one that does not exist. 6 of 17 have passed review: those are the boxed codes, and they open a full page with the free checks and the causes in order. The rest are rows — they state the meaning and stop there, because a second independent source has not confirmed enough to write more.
Code	Also shows as	What it means	Category	Severity	Effort
F1E1	1-1 · F1 E1	KitchenAid dishwasher error F1E1 points at the main control board — Sears identifies it more precisely as a stuck relay on that board.	Control board or panel	Medium	Major repair
F2E1	2-1 · F2 E1	KitchenAid dishwasher error F2E1 means a button on the control panel is stuck. Both publishers agree, and the panel is the part that gets replaced if it cannot be freed.	Control board or panel	Medium	Major repair
F2E2	2-2 · F2 E2	KitchenAid dishwasher error F2E2 means the control panel and the main control board cannot communicate.	Control board or panel	Medium	Major repair
F3E2	3-2 · F3 E2	KitchenAid dishwasher error F3E2 means the thermistor/OWI sensor is shorted. That sensor reads both the water temperature and how dirty the water is.	Sensor	Medium	Major repair
F6E3	6-3 · F6 E3	KitchenAid dishwasher error F6E3 means the machine has detected suds or air in the pump. The usual cause is the wrong detergent, and the fix is one you can do yourself.	Too many suds	Info	Free check
F6E4	6-4 · F6 E4	KitchenAid dishwasher error F6E4 means the overfill float switch is open — usually something stuck under the float rather than a failed part.	Overflowing	High	Free check
F6E1	6-1 · F6 E1	The two publishers on file disagree about what KitchenAid dishwasher error F6E1 means. KitchenAid's own page calls it a user interface or main control error; Sears PartsDirect says the dishwasher will not fill, and sends the reader to the overfill float and the inlet valve screen. Until that is settled this page states the disagreement rather than picking one.Sources disagree — not published until resolved: Part of a systematic split, not an isolated disagreement. Across the twelve codes both publishers document, they agree on F1E1, F2E1, F2E2, F3E2, F6E3 and F6E4 — and disagree on F6E1, F7E2, F8E2, F9E1 and F9E2. The break falls cleanly above F3, which is what two generations of a code map look like rather than one publisher being wrong. Resolving it needs a model number tied to one of the disputed codes, which neither publisher gives. Do not resolve it by preferring the manufacturer: Sears is the more detailed of the two here and its readings are internally consistent.	Unresolved	Medium	Major repair
F7E2	7-2 · F7 E2	The two publishers on file disagree about what KitchenAid dishwasher error F7E2 means. KitchenAid's own page calls it a wash motor error; Sears PartsDirect says the heating element will not switch off. Until that is settled this page states the disagreement rather than picking one.Sources disagree — not published until resolved: Part of a systematic split, not an isolated disagreement. Across the twelve codes both publishers document, they agree on F1E1, F2E1, F2E2, F3E2, F6E3 and F6E4 — and disagree on F6E1, F7E2, F8E2, F9E1 and F9E2. The break falls cleanly above F3, which is what two generations of a code map look like rather than one publisher being wrong. Resolving it needs a model number tied to one of the disputed codes, which neither publisher gives. Do not resolve it by preferring the manufacturer: Sears is the more detailed of the two here and its readings are internally consistent.	Unresolved	Medium	Major repair
F8E2	8-2 · F8 E2	The two publishers on file disagree about what KitchenAid dishwasher error F8E2 means. KitchenAid's own page calls it a fill valve electrical error; Sears PartsDirect says a drain pump electrical problem. Until that is settled this page states the disagreement rather than picking one.Sources disagree — not published until resolved: Part of a systematic split, not an isolated disagreement. Across the twelve codes both publishers document, they agree on F1E1, F2E1, F2E2, F3E2, F6E3 and F6E4 — and disagree on F6E1, F7E2, F8E2, F9E1 and F9E2. The break falls cleanly above F3, which is what two generations of a code map look like rather than one publisher being wrong. Resolving it needs a model number tied to one of the disputed codes, which neither publisher gives. Do not resolve it by preferring the manufacturer: Sears is the more detailed of the two here and its readings are internally consistent.	Unresolved	Medium	Major repair
F9E1	9-1 · F9 E1	The two publishers on file disagree about what KitchenAid dishwasher error F9E1 means. KitchenAid's own page calls it a long drain; Sears PartsDirect says the control cannot read the position of the diverter disc. Until that is settled this page states the disagreement rather than picking one.Sources disagree — not published until resolved: Part of a systematic split, not an isolated disagreement. Across the twelve codes both publishers document, they agree on F1E1, F2E1, F2E2, F3E2, F6E3 and F6E4 — and disagree on F6E1, F7E2, F8E2, F9E1 and F9E2. The break falls cleanly above F3, which is what two generations of a code map look like rather than one publisher being wrong. Resolving it needs a model number tied to one of the disputed codes, which neither publisher gives. Do not resolve it by preferring the manufacturer: Sears is the more detailed of the two here and its readings are internally consistent.	Unresolved	Medium	Major repair
F9E2	9-2 · F9 E2	The two publishers on file disagree about what KitchenAid dishwasher error F9E2 means. KitchenAid's own page calls it a drain motor error; Sears PartsDirect says the diverter motor is stuck on. Until that is settled this page states the disagreement rather than picking one.Sources disagree — not published until resolved: Part of a systematic split, not an isolated disagreement. Across the twelve codes both publishers document, they agree on F1E1, F2E1, F2E2, F3E2, F6E3 and F6E4 — and disagree on F6E1, F7E2, F8E2, F9E1 and F9E2. The break falls cleanly above F3, which is what two generations of a code map look like rather than one publisher being wrong. Resolving it needs a model number tied to one of the disputed codes, which neither publisher gives. Do not resolve it by preferring the manufacturer: Sears is the more detailed of the two here and its readings are internally consistent.	Unresolved	Medium	Major repair
F1E2	F1 E2	KitchenAid dishwasher error F1E2 points at main control communication error. The manufacturer names the suspected component and offers a control reset, and nothing further.	Control board or panel	Medium	Major repair
F4E2	F4 E2	KitchenAid dishwasher error F4E2 points at a heating system fault. The manufacturer names the suspected component and offers a control reset, and nothing further.	Heating	Medium	Major repair
F4E3	F4 E3	KitchenAid dishwasher error F4E3 points at a heating error. The manufacturer names the suspected component and offers a control reset, and nothing further.	Heating	Medium	Major repair
F8E5	F8 E5	KitchenAid dishwasher error F8E5 points at the fill valve is stuck open. The manufacturer names the suspected component and offers a control reset, and nothing further.	Overflowing	High	Major repair
FAE5	F10E5	KitchenAid dishwasher error FAE5 points at a diverter leak. The manufacturer names the suspected component and offers a control reset, and nothing further.	Leaking	High	Major repair
H2O	—	KitchenAid dishwasher error H2O means the machine is not detecting water entering the tub.	Not filling	Low	Free check

Before you check anything

Disconnect the power first. Unplug the machine at the socket, or switch off its circuit at the consumer unit if it is hard-wired. Do this before opening any panel, reaching into a pump filter, or moving the appliance.
Turn off the water before disconnecting a hose, and have a towel and a shallow tray ready — a drain hose holds water even when the drum looks empty.
Gas, mains wiring and sealed refrigeration are for a qualified professional — in many countries that is a legal requirement, not advice. If you smell gas, do not touch any switch: leave, and call your gas emergency number from outside.
Stop if you smell burning, see scorched wiring, or find water near an electrical connection. None of those is a code to look up.

The checks on this page are the manufacturer’s own, rewritten and sourced, and they are reference information rather than a repair instruction for your particular machine. Model, age and installation all change what is safe to do. You are the one standing in front of it — if a step looks wrong for the machine you have, trust that and call a technician.