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ErrBase

Whirlpool Dryer Error Codes

All Whirlpool dryer error codes with step-by-step troubleshooting, multimeter specs, and OEM part numbers.

30 error codes

CodeMeaning
AFAF stands for Air Flow. The control board monitors exhaust temperature, and when hot air isn't escaping fast enough, it throws this code. Basically the sensor's saying heat inside the drum is building up instead of leaving through the vent like it's supposed to.
moderatebeginner
CABRIO-DRYER-DIAGWhirlpool Cabrio dryers use a rotating selector knob to enter diagnostic mode rather than button combinations. The specific knob rotation sequence activates the service test mode, which displays stored fault codes and allows component testing.
lowbeginner
DRUM-STUCKThe drum stopped rotating because either the mechanical drive system (belt, idler pulley, or rollers) can't transfer the motor's power to the drum, or an electrical safety component cut the motor circuit entirely. Could be a snapped belt flopping around at the bottom of the cabinet, or a blown fuse that killed power to the motor.
highintermediate
DRYER-DIAGWhirlpool dryers with digital control panels include a service mode that stores fault codes from previous cycles. These codes use an F/E format where F identifies the failed system and E identifies the specific fault, helping you pinpoint the issue before disassembly.
lowbeginner
E1The thermistor is basically a resistor that changes resistance based on temperature. The control board reads that value to know how hot the drum is. When E1 fires, the board is getting either infinite resistance (open, meaning broken wire or failed element) or near-zero resistance (shorted element), and it can't use either reading to control heat safely.
highintermediate
F01The main electronic control board has detected an internal fault or has failed. The control board is the central computer that manages all dryer functions including cycle timing, heat control, and motor operation.
highadvanced
F2 E3The F2 E3 error code indicates a communication mismatch or a stuck key on the user interface. Essentially, the main control board is not receiving the correct digital signal from the front buttons or the interface itself.
highintermediate
F22The exhaust temperature has exceeded safe operating limits, causing the high-limit thermostat to trip. This is a thermal protection event triggered by either a restricted vent or a failed cycling thermostat allowing runaway heat.
highbeginner
F3 E2The control board sends a small voltage through the two metal sensor bars in the drum and measures the resistance as wet clothes make contact. F3 E2 fires when that circuit reads as completely open, no connection at all, for several seconds in a row.
moderateintermediate
F3 E3Your dryer has two metal sensor bars inside the drum. When wet clothes touch both bars, a tiny electrical signal passes through. That signal tells the control board how wet the load still is. F3 E3 fires when that signal is missing, too weak, or stuck, because of residue buildup, a broken wire, or a physically dead sensor assembly.
moderateintermediate
F3-E2The control board is trying to detect a tiny electrical current passing through your wet clothes between those two sensor strips. F3-E2 means that circuit is open, like a broken wire in a loop. Either nothing's conducting, the wiring's disconnected, or the signal isn't making it back to the board.
moderateintermediate
F4 E4The control board's monitoring exhaust airflow and it's detecting that hot air can't escape at a safe rate. Either the vent's physically blocked, the air path is too restricted, or the thermistor that reads exhaust temp is seeing numbers way outside the normal range.
highbeginner
F70The main control board and the user interface board have lost their communication signal. These two boards exchange data constantly during every cycle. When the signal drops or gets corrupted, whether from a loose connector, a failed board, or a voltage problem, the dryer throws F70 and locks up.
highadvanced
F9 E2The outlet thermistor sits right at the exhaust duct opening and monitors the heat of air leaving the drum. When it reads outside the expected range or goes completely open circuit, the control board throws F9 E2 and shuts things down to prevent overheating. It's a safety sensor, so when it stops talking to the board, the board panics.
highintermediate
HUBThis is a hub page covering all Whirlpool WED-series dryer fault codes. The F number points to the system that failed, the E number narrows it down to the specific component. Together they tell you exactly what the control board thinks went wrong inside your machine.
lowbeginner
L2The control board detects that the L2 leg of your 240V supply is missing or too low. Basically one half of your electrical circuit isn't showing up. The board shuts down heating to protect itself and throws this code to tell you exactly which leg is the problem.
highintermediate
LINT-INDICATORThe control board monitors internal exhaust temperature using a thermistor. When heat builds faster than normal, it assumes the lint path is restricted somewhere, either at the screen, the transition hose, or the wall duct, and fires the indicator to tell you airflow is compromised.
lowbeginner
NOISEWhen your Whirlpool dryer makes noise, something in the mechanical drive system is worn or has debris in it. The drum rides on rollers, a belt wraps around it and connects to the motor through an idler pulley, and the blower wheel moves air through everything. Any of those parts wearing out creates a very specific sound you can actually diagnose just by listening.
moderateintermediate
NOT-HEATINGThe dryer's heating circuit lost continuity somewhere in the chain. Either the thermal fuse blew, the heating element burned out, the gas igniter failed, or one of the safety thermostats cut out. The drum still spins fine because the motor circuit is completely separate from the heat circuit, which is why this one's so confusing to people.
moderateintermediate
NOT-SPINNINGThe drum needs a motor, belt, idler pulley, and rollers all working together to spin. When the belt snaps or the idler pulley seizes, the motor just spins freely with nothing connected to the drum. Everything runs, the drum just doesn't move.
moderateintermediate
NOT-TUMBLINGThe dryer's drive system has failed to rotate the drum. This can be caused by a broken belt, a lack of power to the motor, or a safety switch preventing operation.
highintermediate
NOT-TURNING-OFFThe dryer's control system, either a mechanical timer motor or an electronic moisture sensing circuit, has lost its ability to recognize when the cycle is complete. The timer contacts may be welded shut, or the sensors can't read moisture in the drum anymore, so the machine just keeps running.
moderateintermediate
PFPower was interrupted while the dryer was running mid-cycle. PF is an informational notification, not a fault code. The dryer is telling you it lost power and the cycle was cut short.
lowbeginner
PROBLEMSGeneral diagnostic guide for the most common mechanical and electrical failures found in the Whirlpool Duet front-load dryer series.
moderatebeginner
PROBLEMSGeneral mechanical and electrical troubleshooting for the Whirlpool Ultimate Care II series, focused on common wear items and age-related failures that show up after years of heavy daily use.
moderatebeginner
RESETA reset clears the electronic control board's memory and kicks it out of whatever stuck state it's in. The board holds sensor readings and cycle state in volatile memory. Cut the power, that memory drains, and the board boots fresh. It's basically the same reason turning your router off and back on actually works.
lowbeginner
SMELLS-BURNINGSomething inside the dryer cabinet is generating heat it shouldn't be. Either the exhaust path is blocked and hot air is backing up and charring lint, or a mechanical component like a roller, belt, or idler pulley is wearing out and creating friction heat, or lint has actually accumulated near the heating element itself.
moderateintermediate
TAKING-LONGYour dryer's either not generating enough heat or not moving enough air to carry moisture out. When drying time doubles or triples, something in that heat-produce-and-vent loop has broken down. Could be restricted airflow, a weak heating source, or sensors lying to the control board about how dry the clothes actually are.
moderateintermediate
TIMER-REPLACEThe timer is a small motor-driven cam switch that steps through positions as it counts down. When the internal plastic gears strip or the copper contact points burn out from years of arcing, it can't signal the dryer to advance. The drum might spin, but nothing else happens the way it's supposed to.
moderateintermediate
WONT-STARTYour dryer's getting the start command but something's blocking the drive circuit. Usually it's the thermal fuse cutting power to the motor to prevent a fire, or the door switch not confirming the door's latched. On Whirlpool's design specifically, the belt-break switch can also kill the start signal if the drive belt snaps.
moderateintermediate