What does error E4 mean on my Kenwood KDW243A dishwaher mean?

Got the E4 message and found a hose had come off. Fixed that with a proper jubilee clip and everything got dried out. On switching on E4 has gone out but now can’t select a program or set the machine off. Any ideas folks?

Andyjp
February 2018

I took my 2nd kenwood dishwasher outside took of intergrated door and smashed it up!
Problem solved buy a Bosch or meile

Angry man wasted time trying to find leak pipe seals you name it
June 2017

I agree what Kenwood has written . Also had this problem and what I had done when watched that it is helpful when you will take dishwasher back lift up and wait. I take front legs longer a bit and it fix it .

Gosia
February 2017

Tipped mine back and it worked! Job done :-)

ET64
October 2016

Sometimes where the filter catches the food off the dishes etc, there is a gasket that lies just under this and over a period of time it willswell and part of it can come out this is what brought the E4 code on mine took off the side panel right side facing the machine and the gasket had come out over the top of where it sits it's a bit fiddly to put back but it does you need to push it up while trying to lock the grey attachment back that sits inside the machine you will know what I'm on about when you see it hope this helps mine came on straight away

jpm
July 2016

In my Kenwood E4 error is displayed 1year after puchchase.

Robert
July 2016

Just bought a new machine from Currys and E4 message came up. Checked through the answers on this forum and tried tipping machine, checked supply hoses etc but no joy. It would appear to be a basic design problem with this machine judging by the amount f comments on here. I returned the machine to Currys following day to be advised they need authourisation from Kenwook before issuing refund. Then waited for 57 minutes listening to piped music before Kenwood automated announcment advised that their service dept would be closed for 48 hours Thanks kenwood I think I'll give your products a miss in future, Oh and i dont understand why Currys need authorisation from kenwood before issuing refund as their receipts clearly state that they (i.e. Currys will refund or replace faulty goods)

marine engineer
December 2015

Ppl have said about right hand side panel to access visible pipes? Is that right side when facing the front of the machine???

Mr A. nnoyed
October 2015

My kenwood KID60s10 had an E4 error after using a proprietry dishwasher cleaner . on checking for leaks and emptying the sump I found the top sprayer feed hose had come off , Once refitted the E4 message disappeared but the unit would not restart . I had to drain the unit completely by lowering the outlet hose before it would resume full operation

Chris P
July 2015

My Kenwood showed E4 so I went and repaired a hose inside the machine with a jubilee clip.
But, when I went to use the dishwasher, I couldn't select a program. On turning on it would beep once and the just show -:-- on the display. Turning it on with the timer/delay button pressed would cause it to display 18 and that number would count down as it ran through various stages until it reached 10, at which point it stopped.
I can't find any information on this anywhere.
The door is locking properly btw

Peter D
January 2015

Tipping the dishwash back is a great solution sorted mine Thanks

Stuart
November 2014

Mr. Kenwood answer was best! Worked straight away! Thank you. Sensor got wet due to loose spraying hose. After 2 weeks of not us inning it ( thought is broken) it got dry and working just fine now.

Peter
August 2014

Hi,
Ive cleared water tilting back, but now i cant press the button programme to try it out, it wont let me press a button, on the screen it just shows the lines and wont change or even go on e4, has this happened to to other people.

Ben Walker
January 2014

Error code E4 this is a typical error code. Typical in the fact that Kenwood sold you a load of crap. The issue is with your door seals which causes this issue mainly. I have had my machine replaced twice and both times the crappy stainless steel surround that is touch welded to the sides give way. This causes the rubbers to fall out and does not protect or stop water from penetrating the drainage and activates the float. Hence you get the E4 code error. All i would say is scrap the pile of crap. KENWOOD Should be ashamed of themselves for selling consumers a heap of crap that is so probamatic it costs you 10 times what its worth in call outs. AVOID KENWOOD sold at Currys 0/10

Paul
April 2013

When I had the E4 error I tipped the machine back to reset the flood switch. My leak was coming from the sprayer on the roof of the dishwasher, it had worked loose. So give that a check as well.

michael
January 2012

I had the same problem of the E4 code. I took off both sides of the dishwasher to get at the hoses below. Fired up the machine and after 2 minutes the water started jetting out of a loose hose. I took off the manufacturers clip and replaced it with a Jubilee clip and tested it again. No leaks this time so I put the machine back together (takes a while) and it worked fine. As everyone else says, unplug the unit before taking it apart.

Mark
January 2012

Hi I'm a kenwood engineer
E4 means that the flood sensor located in the sump of the machine has got wet!
It only should get wet if the machine is leaking somewhere.
The sensor is designed to switch off the machine if triggered... To save flooding your kitchen!
Very good idea really - as most machines don't have this feature and flood the floor until the cycle is finished.
Yes you need to tilt the machine back to drain the water from the sump first.... Then look for your leak. The leak cud be on any hose or water pump... Or the seal under the filter chamber. Once leak fixed and water drained/dry
E4 should clear. Make sure machine is empty and unplugged before messing! :)

Kenwood
June 2011

sorry maN Chau the below comment was for life saver and not you.

mattyh
April 2011

maN Chau if you dont know the solution why put your pointless comment!!, firstly turn off the machine at the mains, you should tilt the washing machine backward at 45 degrees to drain the water from the bottom of the machine then allow to dry.
The main issue is how the water is getting there, it could be leaky hoses or it could be as simple as one of the front door seals leaking, on my machine it was the front lower door seal had perished and come off the door at the ends this allowed water to go down the drains (1 tube each side which allows water to drain to the micro switch to alert you to a leak) into the lower pan, once this was replaced with a new item I no longer had this issue all in all an easy DIY fix. All you need to remember is never do anything while machine is plugged into the main unplug and remove plug from socket then investigate further.

mattyh
April 2011

I was having problem with the washing machine ...E4 ..
was about to buy a new one and then stumbled on this page ..the advice worked ...yes it did ..thanks for it ...

maN Chau
February 2011

Boys and girls, Do NOT listen to the people saying tilt the machine to drain the water and thus fix the problem. I have had E4 error code come up on mine dishwasher and have listened to the advice on this forum. Tonight I decided to investigate further. To my horror the motor and electric are at the back!!! Yes where you would be tipping the water..... It would appear that there is a leak and the float switch would be the error code E4. I am not claiming to know the solution but would recommend getting an expert!

Life saver?
January 2011

THERE IS A LEAK!. It is filling up the drip tray and tripping the micro switch. On my model (kdw1274w),remove the lid(2 screws at rear),givng access to screws on top of right side panel,remove right side panel, you will have to remove plastic cover on bottom front first to give access to screws on side panel. This gives access to the hoses and such, where the leak is most likely coming from. I would buy some inch and a half to 2 inch hose clips first, as the clips on the machine are not really reusable.The machine will have to be put on its left side, you may have to remove the bottom drip tray also, this holds the micro switch and the polystyrene float. You may have to run the machine to see where the leak is coming from, It is time consuming, but very "doable", remember electricity and water do not mix,unplug and make sure everything is dry, particularly yourself!.

raymond croal
November 2010

e4 error code - tilt dishwasher back for a few minutes - you will see some water comming out the back on each side.
programme as normal.

MRS TILL - DORSET
September 2010

Our machine overflowed yesterday, despite being switched off. I cleaned up the mess, and emptied the outlet - got the E4 message when I switched it on.
Tilted it 45 degrees as recommended, loaded it up, and it operated perfectly. When I emptied it, the base was free of any standing water.
Got up this morning to find we're back to square one, machine overflowing on to the kitchen floor.
The problem is that I'm not sure where the water is coming from. I don't think it's coming from the inlet, so |I assume it's backing up from the drain.
Is there a non-return valve of some sort on the outlet?
In short, is it a fault with the machine or with the plumbing?
We live in France and brought the machine with us - new- when we moved here three years ago. It hasn't been used much, mainly because it has an absymal stacking system which is far from user-friendly.
Any advice would br appreeciated.

billj
June 2010

Great E4 error code tipped back 45 deg a bit of water came out on the floor...tipped back and it cuured the fault THANK YOU

Andy B
March 2010

i had the e4 error code and i took the outer panel off and inside behind the power button is a grey reservoir tank which measures the water that goes inside the dishwasher which actually got bunged up with crap and grease causing the floaty thing to get jammed and cause the e4 code to come on which means abnormal water level the top to the reservoir just unclips on both sides then just clean all the gooey stuff out and put it back together it worked for me good luck?

paul smith
January 2010

Mine developed same fault code after getting blocked, I did as suggested in previous answers. tilt back 45deg, some water spilled out but machine is now working fine.

Mark
January 2010

i had e4 on my machine, tipped it back at 45 degress as suggessted. this got rid of the e4 code but im now unable to select any programs, any suggestions??????

kaz
January 2010

Hi, please help! We have this dishwasher, we've had it for just over 3 years. we had a problem with it quite early on (whilst under warranty) and the guy came to repair it was something to do with the arms rotating as far as I can remember. Now this weekend, it has just jammed. We switch it on, and the time slot just says 14 and no other lights come on. It won't reset - we've turned off/on and tried the 3 button/2 button reset. Any advice gratefully received - with 2 little ones the last thing i need is a faulty dishwasher now!!! Many thanks

Lucy
December 2009

Did not work for me the E4 code went but i can not access any program now using the select button

Ian
September 2009

hi there error e4 means the machine has over filled,i had this problem tilting machine to drain is only a temp fix this problem is due to 2 microswitches on a float switch either one or both are faulty,telling the machine to keep filling or telling the machine its overfilled when it actually hasnt

darren
August 2009

E4 means the temperature is not getting high enough and it will either be the elementor the heat sensor. I was told by a technicians that it is always the element and never the sensor, so I bought one. It made no difference and I returned it. Cost - about 45 with postage. The sensors come in packs of two and are £5.99 a pair. You can get self-resetting ones and those that do not self-set. I fitted the self-resetting one and bingo, it worked. That saved me £120 or so on a call out and repair. Element is easy to fit. Take off right-hand side panel and it is held with a central nut. Heat sensor is close by and even easier - just unscrew it. You don't even need bother with a seal because it does not protrude into the interior. So, an easy job. I got sensors from http://www.4kenwood.co.uk and they call it a dishwasher thermal cut-out kit. This was for a KDW243A. Don't forget to unplug the dishwasher before taking off the panel.

connolly
July 2009

The reset trick worked for me. This error keeps happening to me i think its linked to the washine machine and dishwasher running the same time and into the same drain.

Mark W
July 2009

What a load of rubbish this machine is, why should you have to tilt the machine and empty it onto the floor just to drain the overflow, also the dishwasher does not dry the plates and leaves them wet, Kenwood have a very good name for household appliances, but this machine is POOR POOR POOR, who ever designed this obviously did not design it for the UK market, the plate holders are too small, and the cup holders are not designed properlly, we are returning and buying BOSCH

Chris,.
May 2009

Kenwood KDW243A
e3 code what does this mean

dave
May 2009

Wow, great tip.... E4 means flood, so I tipped the machine back to empty the trap and voila!! Back to normal. Thanks

George
April 2009

Error code E4......I have the definitive answer.
All the recommendations to tilt the machine are totally wrong!!!!! It may work in the short term but is a bodge-fix and covers up the "real" problem - you have a water leak- its as plain as that.
There is nothing wrong with the Kenwood and it has a 'Flood Sensor' that is filling with your leaked water.
I too was suckered into this quick fix but it didnt work for me; then I spoke to a neighbour who is also a dishwaher repair man.
We removed the machine , removed both side-panels (yes its easy for a DIY), dried out the water from the bottom pan (the sensor sits in a small recess right in the middle of the bottom pan). The machine was switched on and we checked for a leak; now there are many pipes and you need to observe just where the leak is. In my case the water was pouring from a broken pipe, but worse still it was leaking right onto the mains electricity !!!!!!!
So DONT mess with bodge fixes - they may kill you!!!

John O
February 2009

Hi there again i am still having trouble with mine. tried all the things mentioned here tippings back filling with hot water but nothing. Could it be the way i have the inlet pipe plumbed in at the moment it is connected to a t piece at the base of my cold water tap which is next to it but at the height of the machine?

John H
December 2008

OK. I have had the same problem as most of you. I seem to have fixed it by
1. Bail out all the water from the inside
2. Remove the filter and 2 x mesh pieces.
3. Continue to bail out the water from the filter well.
4. You will probably find pieces of food or fat/debris in the bottom of the well. Remove these.
5. Tilt back the dishwasher at 45 degrees for 30 mins or so to drain and dry the flood sensor.
6. Boil a kettle and pour it down the well. Immediately put the dish washer on a eco wash (no tablets or anything) with half load (ie half water) and this will ease the water pump.
7. Let the dishwasher run its cycle.
8. Clean the filter again and the filter well.

It sounds quite long winded but with a £250 item you need to take care of it. Make sure you rinse most plates before loading in the future.

Hope this helps!!!
Ben

Ben
December 2008

The anti flood switch is active, this is in the base of the unit you can check this by pulling out the unit and tipping it slightly put a towel on the floor close by to mop up the water from the base if the fault comes back within a wash cycle you need an engineer as there is an internal leak...

the Duck
December 2008

Had the same problem after the filter clogged. Drained the water with a cup then followed the advice below i.e., disconnected outlet pipe then tipped appliance back 45 degrees, more water came out (obviously from the overflow tray we didn't even know existed!). Switched it back on and it works fine!

Lesley
November 2008

Had the same problem with my new Dishwasher. I resolved it by unattaching the inlet pipe to relieve the pressure. (remember to turn the tap/water off first). Then I re-attached the inlet and turned the tap back on slowly. Try turning the dishwasher on once you have removed the inlet pipe to see if the problem is the same.

James
November 2008

HI there i have done all of the above but it keeps getting the e4 error on every wash i switch it on and off it now empty's but i still get the same error i have even had the thing out side and completely drained it. Could it be the way i have connected the drain pipe it goes straight from the machine to the u bend of the sink? is this okay.

JohnH
September 2008

E4 means overfilled or too much water in the inlet pipe. easy solution is to tip the dishwasher towards the right if your facing it at 45 degrees angle, water will come out.

This is a function to save the pipes against too much pressure.

Have fun!

Mishal
July 2008

I have had the same problem however i scooped most of the water out with a cup and powered it back up and it worked!!

Brian J
March 2008

turn off and on again and press all 3 buttons together for 8 seconds. This should reset itself.

Roberto Amato
February 2008

Mine did the exact same thing,
Did a rinse fine, then when im doing a wash, it started to beep, then water came out of the front right corner ( as if it's an overflow?)
Error code E-4 was displayed
do anyone know the fault??

m
January 2008

Hi, this error means that there is too much water in the machine!
To fix it just tilt the dishwasher back 45 degrees (make sure you've got lots of towels around it!) and the water will drain and it should work again!

Good luck!

Redders
October 2007

kenwood e4 problem , overflow detected! power off pull out and lean back at least 45 degrees to empty the overflow tray, return back and hey presto.

Bustit.co.uk
September 2007

I am having the same problem with mine, only when I try and switch it back on it blows the fuse on the main circuit board and all the power sockets stop working. Any Ideas?? Kenwood service is useless, their manual is also useless.

BK
August 2007

Did you find an answer to your problem???

Lowri
June 2007

Think it is TOO MUCH WATER - mine does it and it is empty!

Lynton
April 2007

E4 on my kenwood kdw243a. what does this mean???

barry
January 2007

We have just installed ours which is leaking right hand corner and the same error message comes up - E4. Did you have any joy with yours?

Alison
July 2006