Amana dishwasher error codes

Amana dishwasher codes in plain terms

Find the model number first, on the label along the edge of the tub, because the same code can mean different things on different generations. Then note exactly what the dishwasher was doing when it stopped: filling, washing, heating or draining. A machine that stopped with water standing in the tub is telling you something different from one that stopped dry.

For most codes the cheap checks are the same ones in the same order. Clear the filter and the sump, check the drain hose for a kink, open the tap under the sink fully, level the machine, and look for a stuck button on the panel. Cycle the power at the breaker for thirty seconds before you run a short cycle.

A code that returns after that usually names the drain pump, the fill valve, the heater or the board, and on an Amana dishwasher the question is always whether the repair is worth the cost of a new machine; a drain pump or a valve usually is, a failed board on an older unit may not be.

The codes Amana owners meet most are the ones that name a sensor or a motor. F3 E1 and F3 E2 name the thermistor or the optical water indicator, the sensor that reads the water temperature and how dirty the water is, and a harness check comes first. F7 E2 names the wash motor, and the test is to run a cycle and listen for circulation after the fill; on older tables the same code meant a heating element that would not shut off. F4 E2 is the heating system, which shows up as wet, cool dishes, and H2O means the machine did not detect water at all, so check the supply tap and the inlet screen first.

On a basic dishwasher these are the faults that decide whether a repair makes sense: a thermistor and a heating element are cheap, a wash motor and a control board are not.