The rL code means your washer thinks there are clothes in the drum during a self-cleaning or calibration cycle. Simply remove all items from the tub, ensure no water is trapped inside, and restart the cycle to clear the message.
Honestly, this code is usually a two-minute fix. But if you ignore it, your Clean Washer cycle never runs, and over time that drum gets musty and gross. When I show up to a house with a persistent rL on an empty machine, I'm usually looking at a worn drive belt or a tub bearing that's starting to go. Nine times out of ten though? Someone just left a sock in there.
MaytagWasherSeverity: low98% DIY Success
Time to Fix
2–15 min
Difficulty
beginner
Parts Cost
—
Tools Needed
Flashlight, Phillips #2 screwdriver
What Does the rL Code Mean?
This is probably the most no-drama error code I deal with on Maytag top-loaders. It's almost always a forgotten item or standing water from a bad drain, and the fix costs you nothing. The tricky cases are when the drum is completely empty and the code won't clear. That tells me the control board's sensing something mechanical, like drag from a worn belt or a sticky bearing.
Most Likely Causes
Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:
Laundry left in drum during cleaning cycle80%
Mechanical friction or loose drive pulley12%
Control board software glitch5%
Standing water in the outer tub3%
Symptoms You May Notice
The display shows rL and the machine refuses to start or advance the cycle at all, just sitting there with that code blinking at you.
You hear the motor try to pulse the drum two or three times, then the code appears and everything stops.
Washer started a Clean Washer cycle fine but stopped partway through and now shows rL even though you never put any clothes in.
Machine runs a normal wash cycle without complaint but throws rL any time you try to run calibration or the self-clean cycle.
Drum feels stiff or catches slightly when you spin it by hand with the lid open.
Can you reset a Maytag washer to clear the rL code?
Press Pause/Cancel twice to clear the active display. If the code sticks, unplug the washer for 60 seconds. When you plug it back in, don't touch anything for about 30 seconds and let the board finish its startup sequence. Then close the lid, confirm the drum is empty, and press Start. The code should be gone.
Tools Required for Diagnosis
FlashlightPhillips #2 screwdriver1/2-inch socket and ratchet (for drive pulley nut)Needle-nose pliers (for drain pump filter access)Shallow pan or towels (for residual water when checking drain)
Service / Diagnostic Mode
Rotate the cycle selector knob: Left 1 click, Right 3 clicks, Left 1 click, Right 1 click. Indicator lights will cycle through a sequence confirming you're in diagnostic mode. Works on most Maytag Bravos top-loaders.
Diagnostic Checklist
Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bypass the rL code and keep washing?
No, this is a hard lockout specifically for the Clean Washer and calibration cycles. The machine won't budge until it's satisfied the drum is empty. And honestly, you don't want to bypass it anyway. The Clean Washer cycle is calibrated to use a specific water level with nothing in the drum. If you could force it to run with clothes in there, those clothes would soak up all the cleaning water and you'd basically be washing laundry in undiluted washer cleaner. That's not great for your clothes or your pump. Just pull the stuff out, it takes 30 seconds.
Why does rL appear during the Clean Washer cycle?
The Clean Washer cycle runs at higher water temps with a specific drum motion designed to scrub the outer tub walls, not just the inner basket. Maytag programs a pre-check into the cycle startup where the motor pulses the drum and measures the deceleration rate. If it decelerates faster than the baseline for an empty drum, the board fires rL and shuts everything down. It's actually a smart safety feature because running it with clothes in there would expose fabric to cleaning chemicals at temps that could wreck them, and the cleaning itself wouldn't work right either.
What if my Maytag washer is empty but still says rL?
This one I see a few times a month. First thing I check is the drive belt. Grab a flashlight and look at the bottom of the machine. You're looking for a belt that's glazed, cracked, or sitting loose on the pulleys. A slipping belt creates extra motor current, and the board interprets that as load resistance. If the belt looks fine, spin the drum by hand with the machine unplugged. Any stiffness or grinding points to a main tub bearing going bad. Bearings on these machines usually start complaining around the 5 to 7 year mark, especially on heavy-use households. A new bearing kit runs about $40 to $70 in parts.
Does a faulty pressure switch cause the rL code?
It can, but it's not super common. The pressure switch tells the board how much water is in the outer tub. If it's stuck closed, the board thinks there's water in the tub, and since water has weight, it might trigger rL. But usually when a pressure switch goes bad on these Maytags, you'll also see the machine overfilling or not filling at all, so there'll be other symptoms alongside the rL. If it's just rL with no other weird behavior, look at mechanical causes first before you start suspecting the pressure switch.
How do I start a calibration cycle to clear the rL memory?
On the Bravos models, rotate the cycle selector knob Left one click, then Right three times, Left one, Right one. The indicator lights go through a sequence, and from there you can select the calibration test which forces the board to relearn what an empty drum feels like. Fair warning though, this only really helps if the mechanical stuff is in good shape. If there's actual drag from a bad bearing or a loose pulley, the calibration test is just going to confirm there's a problem, not fix it. Think of calibration as resetting the baseline, not repairing the hardware.
Is the rL code the same as the uL code on Maytag?
Different codes, different problems. The rL code fires specifically when the machine detects a load during a cycle that requires an empty drum, like Clean Washer or calibration. The uL code stands for Unbalanced Load and fires during a spin cycle when the clothes are clumped to one side and the machine can't safely spin up to full speed. Both are control board detections, but uL happens mid-cycle with clothes in the machine, while rL should only happen at the start of maintenance cycles. If you're seeing both, you've probably got a suspension or bearing issue worth looking into.
Models Known to Experience rL Errors
This repair applies to most Maytag washers with this error code. Common model numbers include: