Bosch Error Codes: Washing Machine, Dishwasher and Dryer Fault Codes

A Bosch code on the display looks like an answer and is really a question. It says the appliance noticed a problem. It does not say which part has failed, and the same code can mean different things on a washing machine and a dishwasher. This page is the index to every Bosch error code we cover. It shows what Bosch's own pages say, where those pages disagree, which resets are safe, and which codes need a technician.

We have written a full guide for nine codes, listed below. For every other code, this page gives Bosch's stated meaning and action and says plainly where we have no guide. We repair Bosch appliances in Dubai. We are an independent company, not the manufacturer and not an authorised Bosch agent. Where this page says "Bosch says", it names the page and the country, because Bosch publishes different information in different countries. Where it says "ours", it is our own reading, and Bosch has not said it. If your appliance is inside Bosch's warranty, contact Bosch first. Our guide to authorised and independent repair explains how to decide.

At a glance

• Nine full guides: dishwasher E09, E15, E22, E24 and E25; washing machine E17, E18, E19 and F21
• What Bosch US publishes: a dishwasher list of 48 codes and a washing machine list of 18, each with Bosch's meaning, and for dishwashers an action. Dryers, ovens and hobs have shorter or scattered lists
• First step for any code: photograph the display, note the model code, and do not run another cycle if the code is about water in the base
• Safe reset, per Bosch US for dishwashers: switch off, wait about a minute, switch on, run a short test cycle with no dishes. Or reset the breaker for 30 seconds
• A repair in Dubai: AED 150 to 520 for the codes we have guides for, before 5% VAT, with the AED 99 inspection credited to the repair

How to read a Bosch error code

Start with the code itself, because Bosch's naming has a few patterns that save you a search.

E and F are usually the same family. Bosch US's washing machine page lists its codes in pairs: E16 and F16, E17 and F17, E19 and F19, E20 and F20, E23 and F23, E25 and F25, E26 and F26, E28 and F28. Each pair has one meaning, and only F27 is listed on its own. Bosch UAE's E18 page says the same fault shows as F18 or d02 on some models. So a code that begins with F is not a different or worse fault. It is the same code in the form your model's display uses.

Four-digit codes on dishwashers repeat the short ones. Bosch US's dishwasher list gives E0100 as the same as E01, E3100 as the same as E15, E6001 as the same as E09, and E6102 as the same as E25. Your display may show the long form. Look up the short form.

Some codes are not faults. Bosch US's dishwasher page says H01 "is not an actual error code". It shows that the start-up timer is set to a one-hour delay, and H02 means two hours. Press the plus or minus button until the display reads h:00 to clear it.

Symbols count as codes. A washing machine with a water-tap symbol or a key symbol is reporting a fault. Bosch's page on the water-tap symbol, which our E17 guide quotes, says the symbol appears when there is a problem with the water inlet, and that models without a display may blink an LED beside the tap symbol instead. A dishwasher has its own set: a floor light, a water tap symbol and a salt or rinse-aid light. Bosch US says a blinking floor light signals a problem, three beeps usually means water in the base, and five beeps may mean the same sensor has been triggered.

The code needs a model code beside it. Bosch's lists are written for the models on each country's page, and your booklet decides what your display means. The model code, called the E-Nr, sits on the rating plate. Bosch Singapore says you need it, and the FD production number, when you book a repair. If you send us a photo of the display and a photo of the plate, we can usually say what the code means for your appliance and whether it is worth a visit.

Before you reset: what is safe

A reset is the first thing most owners try, and it is a reasonable first step for most codes. It is also the step that most often hides useful information, so there is an order to follow.

Photograph the display first. A code that comes back after a reset tells a technician more than a code you saw once and cleared. Take the photo before you do anything else, with the programme still showing if you can.

Use the reset Bosch describes. Bosch US's dishwasher page gives two, depending on the code. For many electronic codes it says to reset power at the breaker for 30 seconds, and to call support if that does not clear it. For clearing a code in general, it says to turn the unit off, wait about a minute, turn it back on, and run a short test cycle with no dishes. Our dishwasher reset guide and washing machine reset guide set out the full steps for each.

Do not keep resetting. One reset is information. Two or three resets with the same code returning is a fault, and each one runs the appliance with the problem still there. Ours: if a code returns after the second reset, stop and book.

Do not reset a code about water in the base. Bosch US's dishwasher E15 entry says the safety switch has detected water in the base, and its action is to turn off the water inflow and call, not to reset. The E3100 code is the same entry. Our E15 guide explains why a second cycle makes things worse.

Stop and message us for these, whatever the code (ours):

• Water on the floor or in the base of a dishwasher
• A smell of burning, smoke or sparks from any appliance
• A tripping breaker when the appliance starts
• A code and a drum that will not turn, with the machine hot or humming
• A heating code on an appliance that is already hot

Bosch Singapore advises against attempting repairs yourself, and the checks on our code pages stay on the right side of that line. They are filters, hoses, taps and resets. We never ask you to remove a panel or test wiring.

The same code on different appliances

The most expensive mistake with Bosch codes is reading a dishwasher answer for a washing machine, or the reverse. These are the codes whose meaning changes with the appliance, using Bosch's own pages.

The E17 row is the one that deserves care. Bosch's own pages do not agree about washing machine E17. Bosch US names the pump and its time limit. Bosch Singapore and Bosch UAE describe a fault on the water-inlet side. We follow the Singapore and UAE pages in our E17 guide, because they match the symptom owners in Dubai describe, a machine that does not fill. We cannot tell you which Bosch page is right for your model. The answer is on your display: if the drum is empty and the machine has stopped before any water came in, it is the inlet. If the drum has water that does not leave, it is the drain, and our E18 guide is the one to read.

The same rule applies to every row. Read the code and the appliance together. The nine guides each say at the top which appliance they cover.

Bosch dishwasher error codes

Bosch US's dishwasher error page lists 48 codes. We reproduce its meaning and action for each in the table below, and group them by what they ask of you. The wording is Bosch's, shortened. "Reset and call" in the action column is Bosch US's standard instruction: reset power at the breaker for 30 seconds, and if that does not resolve it, call Bosch customer support. "Call" means call without a reset. Bosch UAE's number is BSH 048030400, and Bosch US's list was written for American models, so your booklet decides.

Bosch US also lists longer forms that repeat these: E0100 for E01, E0103 and E0107 for E03, E0105 for E04, E0106 for E05, E2030 for E20, E2060 for E12, E2120 for E10, E2130 for E07, E3000 for E14, E3100 for E15, E3200 for E18, E3300 and E3400 for E16 and E17, E6001 for E09, E6002 for E21, E6101 for E23, E6102 for E25, E6103 for E24, E6900 for E19, E8000 for E06, E9001 for E27 and E9240 for E22.

Read the groups as four kinds of message.

Water in and water level (E14, E16, E17, E18). These say the dishwasher is not getting the water it expects. Bosch US's action for E16, E17 and E18 is to check the inlet hose for kinks or damage, and for E18 to confirm the supply is on and delivering about 10 litres a minute. Only then does it say to call. These are the cheapest group: the tap, the hose and the inlet filter are the usual cause, and our inlet valve and filter guide covers the parts if they are not.

Draining and blockage (E22, E23, E24, E25). Three of the four come with owner steps. E22 is a blocked filter, and Bosch's answer is to wash it. E24 and E25 point at the drain filter, the pump cover and debris in the pump. E23, an issue with the drain pump, is a call. Bosch's seven-step pages warn that glass fragments may be in the pump and that cutting is a risk, so take care, as our E25 guide says. Our dishwasher filter guide covers the routine cleaning that prevents most of these.

Heat (E01, E04, E07, E09, E10, E12, E20, E21). Bosch US's heat pump and Zeolite entries are for models that have those drying systems. E12 is the one an owner can act on: limescale in the heat pump, answered by descaling with a Bosch descaler. The rest are "reset and call". Our E09 guide covers the heating code we see most.

Electronics (E02, E03, E05, E06, E19, E0110, E6160). These are board, relay, sensor and dispenser circuit faults. Bosch US gives no owner step beyond the reset. Ours: after one reset, a code from this group is a job for a technician, and no check we could name would find it.

Two entries stand out. E15 is the only one where Bosch tells you not to reset, because water in the base is a leak. And E27 is not a dishwasher fault at all: it says the house power supply to the unit is too low. We cover that in the building-causes section below.

If your dishwasher shows a code that is not in this table, Bosch US's advice is to contact customer support and have the model number ready. Send it to us too, and we will say what we can find.

Bosch washing machine error codes

Bosch US's washing machine list is shorter and gives less. It has 10 entries covering 18 codes, a meaning for each, and no action. It says a code "means something needs your attention as some maintenance might be needed", and that some are simple fixes while others need a qualified technician. It does not mention resetting.

Bosch US's list has no entry for E18 or F21, so two of our guides cover codes that Bosch US does not list. For E18, Bosch UAE has its own page, which our guide follows. For F21, Bosch has no page we could find, and our F21 guide says so and uses Bosch's pages on a drum that will not turn instead.

Four of the entries on the list are worth reading closely.

E16 and F16, door open. This is the cheapest code on the list. The door is not closed, or the latch is not registering. Open it, close it firmly, and check nothing is caught in the seal.

E23 and F23, AquaStop hose activated. AquaStop is Bosch's hose protection, and when it triggers it has detected water. Treat it as a leak: switch off, close the tap and look before you start another cycle.

E19 and F19, heating time exceeded. This is one of the codes with a full guide. Bosch UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Malta say it cannot be fixed by the owner and tell you to contact customer service. Our E19 guide explains what a technician checks.

E20 and F20, unexpected heating. Bosch gives no explanation. We have no guide and no source beyond the line above. Ours: do not run a hot programme while it shows, and book.

For a code not on the list, Bosch US says to contact customer support. Our washing machine repair page has a short table of the other codes we see, with the sources named.

Dryer, oven and hob codes

Bosch US's error-code page covers dishwashers and, separately, washing machines. For the other appliances we rely on shorter lists, and we say where each comes from.

Dryers. Bosch Kuwait publishes a short code list in English for owners in the region. It says E01 and E02 mean the fluff filter is blocked by fabric-softener residue or fluff, and the answer is to clean the filter after each cycle. E03 is a blocked or kinked condensation drain hose. E06 is a fault in the heating circuit, and E08, E09, E24, E25, E28 and E90 are electronics faults. For the last two groups Bosch Kuwait says only an experienced engineer can fix them. Bosch UAE has no list that we could find. The full tables, including Bosch US's longer list and the contradictions in it, are on our dryer repair page.

Ovens. Bosch US's page for ovens and microwaves is sparse. It says E11 means the touch keys are not operating, possibly because of condensation, and its answer is to wipe the panel dry and cut power at the fuse box for about 10 seconds. For an "E" and a number with no beep, it says to note the code, cut the power and call support. With a beep, press any button, reset if needed, and if it returns, switch the oven off and call. Retail and repair sites list more codes, such as E115 for temperature too high, and we label those by source on our oven repair page.

Hobs. Bosch US's induction page gives a longer list, and most of it is the hob protecting itself: F1 and F6 for an overheated cooking zone, F2, F4 and E7015 for overheated electronics, F5 for hot cookware near the panel, U1, U400, E9000 and E9010 for a supply voltage outside the normal range, and E7010 when the hob cannot connect to a home network or hood. Bosch's answer to most is to let it cool and carry on. Our hob repair page sets out the table, and says which entries point to a technician.

Refrigerators, microwaves and coffee machines. We found no Bosch code list for these that is useful to an owner. Our guides for refrigerators, microwaves and coffee machines deal with the symptoms instead of the codes, and we do not publish a code table where no Bosch page gives one.

Three displays, read step by step

Here is how the reading works on three realistic cases. The steps are ours, and each leans on what Bosch's pages say.

A dishwasher shows E24 and has standing water in the base of the tub. Bosch US's E24 entry says the dishwasher is not draining because the drain filter is blocked, and it points to the pump cover and, where the drain hose connects to a disposer, to the disposer plug. So the order is: switch off, remove the filters, look at the water, check the pump cover is on and locked, and check whether the hose runs into a disposer. If the filter is clear and the cover is secure and E24 returns, the pump is the next question and a technician's job. Our E24 guide has the full sequence.

A washing machine shows E17 and the drum is dry. The drum being dry points to the inlet reading, which is the one Bosch Singapore and Bosch UAE give. Check the tap is fully open, check the supply hose is not kinked, and check the door is shut. Then the inlet filters, which are the next most common cause. If the drum is full of water and the machine will not carry on, you are reading the code the Bosch US way, and the checks move to the pump filter and the drain. Which page is right for your model, we cannot say. What the drum is doing tells you which set of checks to do.

A dishwasher shows E27, and the washing machine in the next room has been misbehaving too. Bosch US's E27 says the house power supply to the unit is too low. Two appliances on the same supply with odd behaviour is the case where the supply is the first suspect. Reset the breaker for 30 seconds as Bosch says, and if either appliance still shows a code, ask a building electrician to check the incoming voltage before you pay for an appliance repair.

None of the three involved removing a panel. That is deliberate. The cheapest answer is nearly always on the outside of the machine.

Why a code comes back after you cleaned something

A code that returns after a clean is common, and it has a short list of causes. Bosch's pages give some of them, and some are ours.

• The part was refitted wrongly. Bosch's E25 pages say the pump cover may be loose or missing, and that it must be refitted until it locks. A filter that is not seated or a cover that is not locked brings the code straight back.
• The cause was upstream. A dishwasher E22 clean can fail if the filter is only the symptom of a problem further along. Clearing the filter and finding the code back within a cycle or two points at the pump.
• The code is a record. On some appliances a code stays on the display until you clear it, even after the fault is gone. Switch off for about a minute, as Bosch US says, and run a short test cycle before you decide the fault is still there.
• The fault is electronic. A sensor or circuit code does not respond to cleaning. Bosch's "reset and call" group is this case.
• A second cause is present. A machine can have a blocked filter and a weak pump together. Fix the first, and the second shows up.

If the code returns twice after a proper clean, stop and book. Note the dates, because a record of when it came back helps a technician and supports a warranty claim.

The nine codes with a full guide

Each of these guides runs to several thousand words and follows the same order: what Bosch says, the safe checks, the cost in Dubai and the point where it stops being a job for you.

These figures are ours, from our service pricing, and are ranges and not promises. The written quote at the inspection is the price. For how a quote is built, including VAT and the AED 99 credit, see our pricing page.

Which codes need a technician

Across Bosch's lists, codes fall into three groups, and the group tells you what to do before you spend anything.

Codes you can often clear yourself. These are the ones with a cause outside the electronics: a blocked filter (E22), a blocked drain (E24, E25 on a dishwasher), a closed tap or kinked hose (E16, E17, E18 on a dishwasher), a door not shut (E16 on a washing machine), limescale (E12), a timer (H01), a hob protecting itself (F1, F2, F5, F6) and a wet oven panel (E11). Bosch's answer to these is a clean, a check or a wait. If it works, you have paid nothing.

Codes that mean "reset once, then call". This is the largest group on Bosch US's dishwasher list: the board, relay, sensor, circuit and heater-electronics codes. Bosch's own wording is "reset power to breaker for 30 seconds. If not resolved, call". We follow it. A technician's job here is to test the circuit and replace the part that has failed, which is why these repairs sit at the higher end of the range. The control-board repairs for washing machines and dishwashers have their own guides.

Codes that mean "stop". A leak code (E15, E3100, AquaStop E23), a heating code that does not clear (E09, E19), and any code with a burning smell. These need a visit, and the appliance should stay off until it has been seen.

Ours: Bosch's codes describe a symptom, a timeout or a protection event, and they do not name a part. A code is where the diagnosis begins, which is why we test before we quote and why we do not tell you to replace a part from the code alone.

When the cause is outside the appliance

Some codes point away from the appliance. We say so at the inspection, and you pay for the inspection only.

Low supply voltage. Bosch US's dishwasher E27 says "the house power supply to the unit is too low". Its action is to reset the breaker for 30 seconds, and if the code recurs, to have an electrician check the incoming voltage. The longer form, E9001, is the same entry. Bosch's hob list says something similar: U1, U400, E9000 and E9010 mean the supply voltage is outside the normal range, and the action is to contact the electric utility or Bosch. If an appliance shows one of these, and others on the same circuit misbehave, the supply is the first question, and a building electrician is the right call.

Water supply. A dishwasher or washing machine that will not fill may be fine. Check the tap and the supply hose first. Bosch US's own E18 entry for dishwashers asks you to confirm the supply is on and delivering about 10 litres a minute.

Drainage. A drain code can be a blocked standpipe or building drain, and Bosch US's E24 entry mentions a disposer plug on the drain hose. If a different appliance drains slowly into the same line, the machine is not at fault.

Ducts and venting. A weak hood is a duct question as often as a motor one. Our cooker hood guide covers it.

If the supply or the building is the cause, a technician cannot fix it by replacing a part, and we say so before we quote one.

Codes Bosch does not list

You will find code lists online that are longer than Bosch's. Many are written by repair companies, and they include codes that Bosch's own owner pages do not carry. We use them carefully.

What we do. When we quote a code that is not on a Bosch page, we name the source on the page, as in the tables on our oven and dryer pages. A Bosch statement and a retailer's or repair site's statement are never presented as the same thing.

What we will not do. We do not give a meaning for a code that we cannot source and present it as Bosch's, and we do not tell you to replace a part because a third-party list links the code to it.

An example: E67. Our washing machine pages mention E67, because repair sites link it to the control module. Bosch's US washing machine list has no E67, and we found no Bosch page for it. We removed it from this library, since a code page with no Bosch source would be repeating a repair site. If your display shows E67, read the washing machine control module guide, where we cover what the sources say and where they stop.

If you have a code that appears nowhere, photograph it with the model code and send it. Bosch US's advice is to contact support for unlisted codes, and ours is to ask us as well. We tell you what we can find and where it comes from.

What to send us

A code, a photo and a model code let us tell you most of what you need before anyone travels. Send:

• A photo of the display with the code, and any symbols or lights that are on
• The model code from the rating plate, or a photo of the plate
• What the appliance was doing when the code appeared: filling, washing, draining, drying, idle
• What you tried, such as a reset, a filter you cleaned or a tap you checked
• Whether the code returned, and how soon
• Whether there is water anywhere it should not be

Send us a WhatsApp message with the photos, or use the online booking form. We confirm a time window and the price range before we set off.