If the spin and rinse lights flash on a Bosch WFF2001 what does it mean?

It means a week of misery, despair and dilema wondering if you can last without clean clothes and if you can fix it in time or will you have to buy a new washing machine but Ooh the expense. It means a ball aching day spent crouching in a small space with a wet floor getting covered in crap and busting for a pee because just got your hand in the right place to get the hose on and if you leave now you may never get that opportunity again. It means a bad back from trundling a heavy washing machine from the utility room to the workshop for the sixth time.

Marky Boy
August 2022

It means the water has not drained from the drum after a set time from when the pump started.

Marky Boy
August 2022

If you live in a hard-water area, it might also be worth checking the water inlet, which caused a similar symptom on my machine. I found that the hot water in-flow had got blocked with limescale at the point where it enters the soap-dispenser tray (at the top left of the machine, looking from the front).

It only takes a few minutes to check this:

1) Disconnect from electricity supply.
2) Remove lid (two screws each side near the front).
3) Find hot water inlet valve, remove the black hose below it, and blow into this hose while the other end of the hose is still connected to the soap-dispenser tray. If air flow is difficult then remove the other end of the hose from the soap-dispenser tray and poke a screwdriver or drill bit in to the hot-water path through the soap-dispenser to clear any limescale from it.

In this case, the flashing lights will be indicating a failure to fill the machine with water as quickly as the software expects, so this problem will happen at a different point in the wash-cycle from those covered in the excellent previous reply to this question.

While you have the machine dismantled, it may be worth clearing all potential blockage troublespots on both water-exit and water entry. This could save you having to roll your sleeves up again and fix another problem soon afterwards.

Hope this helps,

Richard W

Richard W
December 2007

bosch wff2001 w/m.The spin pump light/ start light flashes after the rinse sequenceit emptyies and does nothing if i advance it on by hand its okay

nik wright
August 2005

The Spinning and Rinsing lights flashing on a WFF2001 indicate that the machine is unable to empty itself and is, I believe, detected by the water level sensor not reporting a drop in internal water level within a set period after the pump was started.

Likely causes of this problem will include:
1. Blockage in the pump (which you say you have cleaned and so should be OK)
2. Blockage in the hose. Maybe something stuck between the drum and pump or something in the outlet hose itself. Is it kinked up behind the machine? Does water flow readily if you hold the hose low down under the level of water in the machine drum? If not then a blockage is a real possibility
3. Pump jammed or faulty. Normally the tumbling action stops and the pump starts on most programs on this machine. Do you hear the pump kick in or is there say 15 - 20 seconds of silence before the lights start to flash? If so then a pump fault is quite likely
4. Maybe the water level sensor is not working properly. On many washing machines the water level sensor consists of a bottle connected to the drum. As water flows into the drum it traps the air in the bottle and the pressure consequently rises as the water deepens. The air pressure is monitored by a switch which signals to the machines computer when the appropriate water level depth has been achieved. I have seen a machine overfilling because after some years of work the tube between the drum and bottle had become chocked with soap scum and so the air pressure no longer increased as water depth increased. Could well be something similar on these machines so if all else fails worth having a look. Had you noticed the water level higher than normal before this fault? Would be a good pointer.

Best of luck

Steve Coppard
January 2005