On the covered Kenmore HE2, HE5 and HE5 steam model front-load washer, rL or F34 and rL, OU or F34 mean Kenmore's service table lists this code as: load inside the washer during the Clean Washer cycle. Open the door and look inside; the chart says the Clean Washer cycle can only run with the tub empty.
Differential
Likely causes of “Kenmore HE2, HE5 and HE5 steam model front-load washer codes rL or F34 and rL, OU or F34”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Clothes or other items are inside the tub when the Clean Washer cycle is started
What separates it rL, OU or F34 appears straight after starting Clean Washer with laundry in the drum
How to confirm Open the door and look inside; the chart says the Clean Washer cycle can only run with the tub empty
- 2
The spin bearing is not allowing the basket to rotate smoothly
What separates it The tub was empty and the code still appears; the drum may feel rough or rumble when turned by hand
How to confirm With the washer unplugged, turn the drum by hand and feel for roughness, grinding or a drum that does not spin freely
- 3
An object trapped between the drum and the outer tub, dragging as the drum turns
What separates it The tub was empty but the drum catches or rattles, and a coin or small item may have gone through the drum holes
How to confirm With the washer unplugged, turn the drum by hand and listen for scraping, then look for an item caught behind the drum
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the tub was completely empty when Clean Washer was started
- Whether the drum turns freely or feels rough when turned by hand
- Any rumbling or grinding heard during spin
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedCorrect only the documented fault domain
ReversibleYou can only run the Clean Washer cycle with the tub empty. Remove any clothes from the washer and restart the Clean Washer cycle. If you had no clothes in the washer when starting the Clean Washer cycle, then you'll likely need to replace the spin bearing because the bearing isn't allowing the spin basket to rotate smoothly. The spin bearing is a component of the outer tub and isn't available as a separate part. Replace the outer tub if the spin bearing failed. Parts named: outer tub.
Remove any clothes from the washer and restart the Clean Washer cycle
ReversibleThe chart's first instruction: the cycle only runs with the tub empty. Check the door seal folds too, where a small item can hide.
Turn the drum by hand with the washer unplugged
ReversibleA drum that turns smoothly and quietly points back to a settings issue. A drum that grinds or feels rough points to the spin bearing.
Plan for the outer tub if the bearing has failed
ReversibleThe chart says the spin bearing is a component of the outer tub and is not available as a separate part, so the outer tub is the replacement.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Tools
- A flashlight to look into the drum and door seal, and towels if the tub holds water.
- Codes covered
- rL, OU or F34 (some charts list rL or F34).
- Part named by the chart
- Outer tub, which includes the spin bearing.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the bearing is the cause the chart's remedy is the outer tub, which is a major repair; get it quoted against the age of the washer before deciding
- !Stop using the washer if the drum grinds or rubs; a failing bearing can damage the tub
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. The empty-tub rule and the outer-tub remedy are chart text; turning the drum by hand is standard practice.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does rL or F34 and rL, OU or F34 mean on a Kenmore HE2, HE5 and HE5 steam model front-load washer?+
Kenmore's service table lists this code as: load inside the washer during the Clean Washer cycle.
Can I run Clean Washer with laundry inside?+
No. The chart says you can only run the Clean Washer cycle with the tub empty, and the codes rL, OU or F34 appear when the control senses a load.
Are rL, OU and F34 the same fault?+
The charts list them together for the same condition: a load inside the washer during Clean Washer. Use whichever your display shows.
Can I buy the spin bearing on its own?+
The chart says it is a component of the outer tub and is not available as a separate part, so the outer tub is replaced if the bearing has failed.
How do I tell a real bearing problem from a leftover item?+
Empty the tub and restart. If the code returns and the drum feels rough or noisy when turned by hand, the bearing is the likely cause.