Maytag Dishwasher F6 E2 — What It Means & How to Fix It
Also shown as F6E2, 6-2 on some models.
Where F6 E1 just says water never arrived, F6 E2 names the culprit: the inlet valve's own electrical coil is reading open, so the control can't drive it and no water gets through even with a perfect supply.
What this code means
F6 E2 (6-2 flashed) is the targeted member of the fill family — the control checked the inlet valve's solenoid and found its winding electrically open, which means the valve can't be energised. A healthy coil measures in the rough neighbourhood of 1,400 ohms; an open one reads nothing, and the valve has to be replaced. Because it switches mains voltage, that swap is a technician's job.
It's easy to mix this up with F6 E1: both leave the tub empty, but 6-1 blames the missing water while 6-2 blames the valve coil itself. If you've already proven the supply is open and pressurised, 6-2 is telling you the part has failed.
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Inlet valve solenoid winding failed open | Very common | No — technician job |
| Loose or corroded connector at the valve | Occasional | No — technician job |
| Damaged wiring between control and valve | Less common | No — technician job |
| One-off control misread | Occasional | Yes — one power reset |
What you can try yourself
- Switch the dishwasher off at the breaker for two minutes, then restore power and try a cycle — a single clean fill means the reading was a glitch.
- Confirm the household supply is on and the line unrestricted, so you aren't chasing the valve when the real issue is upstream.
- If the supply checks out and F6 E2 returns, book a technician to confirm the coil and fit a new valve — it carries mains voltage and joins the water line, so it isn't a safe owner swap.
When to call a technician
- F6 E2 returns after a power reset with the supply confirmed good.
- The tub stays dry despite full pressure at the kitchen tap.
- Any sign of water around the valve body, which pairs an electrical fault with a leak.
Typical professional repair cost: Inlet valve replacement typically runs $120–$220 with labour.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Maytag F6 E1 and F6 E2?
F6 E1 simply means no water reached the tub, usually a supply problem you can fix yourself. F6 E2 is more specific: the valve's electrical coil has gone open, so the part itself has failed and needs replacing.
Can I replace the inlet valve myself to clear F6 E2?
We don't recommend it. The valve is wired into the dishwasher's mains supply and also joins the water line, so a fault there risks both shock and a leak. It's a job for a qualified technician.
Is there anything safe I can try first?
Yes — a two-minute power reset in case the reading was a fluke, and a check that your water supply is fully on. If the code comes back with the supply confirmed good, the valve has failed.
Related Maytag codes
- Maytag Dishwasher F1 E1 Your Maytag's control board has flagged one of its own relays as stuck on — an output that should have switched off still reads live — and a full power-down often clears a false alarm, while a genuinely welded relay means board-level service.
- Maytag Dishwasher F2 E1 Your Maytag's control thinks one of the touchpad buttons is being held down — a stuck-button reading that's far more often caused by moisture or a sticky film on the panel than by a dead control.
- Maytag Dishwasher F3 E1 The combined temperature-and-soil sensor in your Maytag's sump has stopped giving the control a usable reading, so the machine can no longer tell how hot or how dirty the water is — sometimes just a fouled sensor face, sometimes a true sensor or wiring fault.
- Maytag Dishwasher F5 E1 Your Maytag tried to begin a cycle and didn't sense the door securely latched — most often because the door wasn't pushed shut quickly enough after pressing Start, and less often because the latch or its switches are wearing out.
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