GE Dishwasher Error Codes — Complete List

GE dishwashers flag problems with short C-codes — C1 through C8 — where the number maps to a stage of the cycle: C1 to C3 cover draining, C4 and C5 the float and fill, C6 and C7 water temperature, and C8 the detergent cup. Alongside them sit plain status words like PF for a power blip and H2O for a low-water condition. Every verified guide below leads with the checks GE itself suggests before any parts are mentioned.

• C1 Your GE dishwasher is draining, but too slowly for the control's liking — the water path is partly restricted, usually at the air gap, the drain hose, or a disposer that hasn't been run.
• C2 Draining ran well past the time GE allows — about seven minutes — pointing to a heavier blockage than the milder C1, though the things to check are the same trio.
• C3 The dishwasher didn't drain at all, and GE's first move for C3 is a brief power reset — if water still won't leave afterward, the drain path or pump needs attention.
• C4 C4 means the dishwasher refilled twice after a power interruption, which usually traces to a stuck overfill float or a clogged sump rather than anything electrical.
• C5 C5 fires when the drain finishes far too quickly, which normally means there was little water to pump out — a supply that's off, a slow fill, or a float telling the control the tub is empty.
• C6 C6 means the water arriving at the dishwasher is colder than the roughly 120°F it wants — usually a water-heater setting or cold water sitting in the supply line, not a fault inside the machine.
• C7 C7 means the dishwasher's water temperature sensor circuit has stopped reading correctly — worth one power reset in case it's a glitch, but a repeat means the sensor needs a technician.
• C8 C8 means the detergent cup couldn't open fully during the wash, almost always because a tall item or stray utensil in the lower rack is blocking the dispenser door.
• PF PF simply records that power to the dishwasher was interrupted mid-cycle — reselecting your cycle and pressing Start clears it, with no repair needed unless it keeps happening.
• H2O H2O signals a low-water condition — the dishwasher isn't getting the water it expects — and on most cycles the first checks are a kinked inlet hose and a part-closed supply valve.
• FTD (F56) FTD — shown as F56 on some models — means the dishwasher failed to drain, and the three things to check are the same external trio: the drain hose, the countertop air gap, and the garbage disposer.

Don't see your code?

GE notes that not every code shows on every model, and its newer inverter-driven dishwashers report faults as F-numbers — F98, F34 and the like — rather than C-codes. If your display shows an F-code or anything not listed here, the fault-code sheet for your model number, on the tub rim or door edge, is the reference that matches your machine.

Also from GE: GE washer error codes