Whirlpool Dishwasher Error Codes — Complete List

Whirlpool dishwashers report faults as paired function-and-problem numbers — 6-1, 8-1, 9-1 — shown as F-E codes on models with displays and as blink patterns on models without: the light flashes the first number, pauses two seconds, then flashes the second. The verified codes below each link to a full ranked-cause guide.

• 6-1 (F6 E1) The control board never saw water arrive after opening the fill valve — usually a supply problem under the sink rather than a failed part inside the unit.
• 8-1 (F8 E1) The tub drained too slowly or not at all — food debris in the filter, buildup in the drain hose, or the garbage-disposal knockout plug are the usual culprits.
• 7-1 (F7 E1) The heating circuit isn't doing its job, so water stays cold and dishes finish wet — and because everything involved is on mains power, the repair belongs to a technician.
• 9-1 (F9 E1) The control lost track of the diverter — the rotating disc that aims water at different spray arms — usually debris interfering, a leaking diverter seal, or the diverter motor itself.
• 1-1 (F1 E1) The control board detected one of its own relays stuck on — a long power-off clears the false alarms, while a genuinely welded relay means board-level repair.
• 3-1 (F3 E1) The control lost a usable reading from the combined temperature-and-soil sensor in the sump, so it can no longer judge how hot or how dirty the water is — often a wiring or sensor fault, sometimes just a fouled sensor face.
• 3-3 (F3 E3) The machine could not calibrate its soil sensor on the last run — most often because used water is siphoning back into the tub through a failed one-way valve in the drain hose, so the water never looks clean.
• 5-1 (F5 E1) The control did not sense the door latched when the cycle tried to begin — frequently because the door was not pushed shut within a few seconds of pressing Start, and sometimes because the latch or its switches have worn out.
• 5-2 (F5 E2) The machine expected the door to be opened and closed between one cycle and the next, did not see it happen, and is refusing to start again — usually fixed in seconds by opening the door and shutting it.
• 6-2 (F6 E2) The control found the water inlet valve's electrical winding open, so the valve cannot be commanded to open and the tub will not fill — a failed valve is the usual answer, with a loose connector the hopeful exception.
• 6-4 (F6 E4) The overfill float switch — the machine's anti-flood backstop — is reading open, usually because the float is stuck or obstructed, occasionally because the inlet valve is dribbling water in when it should be shut.
• 6-6 (F6 E6) The water arriving at the dishwasher is colder than the cycle expects — around 110 to 120°F is normal at start — so the fix usually lies with your home's hot water rather than the machine.
• 7-2 (F7 E2) The control detected the heating element staying powered when it should have switched off — usually a welded heater relay on the control board — and because a heater stuck on is a safety matter, this is a one-reset-then-technician code.
• 8-2 (F8 E2) The control flagged an electrical fault in the drain pump circuit — an open motor winding or broken wiring — rather than the simple blockage behind the slow-drain code, so after the easy checks this usually means a new pump.
• 10-1 (FA E1) The control could not operate the detergent dispenser as expected, so soap may stay trapped in the cup and dishes finish poorly cleaned — often caked detergent or a jammed door, sometimes a failed dispenser.

Don't see your code?

These number pairs are shared across several Whirlpool-family brands (KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana use closely related systems), but always confirm against your own model's tech sheet or manual — the model number is on the door edge.

Also from Whirlpool: Whirlpool washer error codes