A stalled cycle is its own kind of annoying. Cold gray water, a blinking panel, and a wet load you now have to haul somewhere with parking.
Maytag washers watch themselves. Sensors track fill rate, motor speed, drain time, door lock status, and suds, and when a reading falls outside range the control board stops the cycle on purpose and posts a code. That is protection, not failure. Here is what each one means, which ones you can clear yourself, and where the honest answer is a failed part.
The Way to Read Your Maytag Washer Error Codes
Maytag speaks two display languages. Identifying yours takes five seconds.
Digital Displays
Newer machines and most front loaders have a screen, so the fault is spelled out. You will see alphanumeric pairs like F8 E1, F5 E2, or F9 E1, where the F number names the failing system and the E number pinpoints the error inside it. You may also see short word codes such as Sud, LOC, dET, Int, or drn, plus legacy two-digit codes like F34 on older panels. Read the code, then jump straight to the matching table below.
Flashing LED Lights on Top Loaders
Many top loaders have no display, only status lights, so the code hides in service diagnostic mode. Enter it by pressing any three non-power buttons in a 1-2-3 pattern three times, or by rotating the dial through the sequence on your tech sheet. Sense is the letter, lit for F and dark for E.
Maytag Top-Load Washer Error Codes
| Error Code | Fault Condition | Solutions |
| drn | The washer is not draining properly | Straighten any kink in the drain hose behind the machine. Make sure the hose is not pushed too far down into the standpipe, which siphons water back out. Clear the standpipe itself of lint or debris. Maytag notes this is often an installation problem rather than a failed part. If the hose and standpipe are clear and the pump still moves no water, the drain pump needs service. |
| LF, Lo FL, F8 E1 | The washer is taking too long to fill | Open both faucets completely, since Maytag requires hot and cold supply even on a cold cycle. Straighten both inlet hoses. Shut off the water, disconnect the hoses, and clean the inlet screens at the back of the machine. Remove any anti-flood or auto-shutoff device in the supply line, which Maytag identifies as a cause of low flow. Press Start Pause once to clear and again to restart. Supply confirmed good and still slow means a failed inlet valve. |
| lid | The washer lid was left open | Close the lid to clear the display. If it stayed open more than ten minutes the cycle resets and the water drains out. Start the cycle again without adding more detergent, since the clothes are already saturated with it. If the code appears with the lid firmly shut, the lid switch or strike alignment is at fault rather than user error. |
| LdL | The lid is not locking | Check for a sock, bra strap, or towel corner sitting directly under the lid edge. Wipe detergent crust off the lock mechanism, which builds up quietly over months. Close the lid and press Start Pause. If nothing is blocking it and the lock still will not engage, the lid lock assembly is a common wear part and needs replacing. |
| LdU | The lid cannot unlock | Take everything off the top of the washer. A full laundry basket is the usual culprit, and in tight laundry closets the machine top is often the only flat surface in the room. The lock releases on its own once the weight is gone. Do not force the lid. If it stays locked with nothing on it, the lock actuator has failed. |
| Ofb | The washer load is out of balance | Let the balance correction routine finish. If the dial is flashing and the machine has stopped, redistribute the load in loose heaps evenly around the washplate, close the lid, and press Start/Pause. Avoid washing single heavy items alone, and balance one rug or denim jacket with a few towels. Use the Bulky or Sheets Deep Water Wash cycle for comforters and poly-filled jackets. Confirm the machine sits level. Knocking during spin or repeated faults on normal loads point to worn suspension rods. |
| OL | The washer load was too large | The washer drains the water and detergent automatically when it detects an overload. Remove several items, add HE detergent again since the first dose went down the drain, close the lid, and press Start Pause. If modest loads keep triggering it, the load sensing system is reading incorrectly and needs service. |
| Sud | There are excessive suds in the washer | Let the extended rinse finish, since the machine is deliberately breaking the foam down and may repeat the process. Use HE High-Efficiency detergent only and reduce the dose. Stop using no-splash or easy-pour liquid chlorine bleach, which contains a thickener that generates foam, and switch to regular liquid bleach. Check the drain hose for restriction, because slow drainage traps suds. Codes on correctly dosed loads point to the drain path or the pressure sensing hose. |
| HC | Hot and cold inlet hoses are installed reversed | This appears at the end of a cycle to flag that the cold hose is on the hot inlet and the hot hose is on the cold inlet. Turn off the water supply, swap the two hoses at the back of the machine, and run another cycle to verify. If the hoses are correct and HC persists, either the household plumbing is crossed at the valves, common after a remodel in an older building, or the temperature thermistor has failed. |
| PF | The wash cycle was interrupted by a power failure | Touch and hold Start to resume the cycle, or press Power to clear the display and begin fresh. A single PF after a storm is normal, and brief voltage sags on the local grid explain most isolated cases. Repeated PF with no outage means checking the outlet and cord first, then suspecting the control board. |
| F# E#, F## | A system error the machine did not translate into plain language | Press Start Pause once to clear the code, then press Start Pause again to restart. If that fails, disconnect power for five minutes and try once more. Common examples include F7 E1 for a basket speed sensing fault, F7 E5 for a shifter fault, and F0 E7 for items detected during the Clean Washer cycle. A code that returns points at a component, a harness connection, or the control board, none of which are guesswork repairs. |
Maytag Front-Load Washer Error Codes
| Error Code | Fault Condition | Solutions |
| F5 E2 | The door is not locking properly | Check for a garment edge caught in the door seal, which is easy to miss with dark laundry. Confirm the door closes fully and latches with a click, and wipe the strike and latch recess. Press Pause or Cancel twice and Power once to clear the code. The washer will not admit water without a confirmed lock, so if nothing is obstructing it, the door lock assembly or its wiring has failed. |
| F7 E1 | Motor speed sensing error, meaning the motor cannot reach the speed the cycle requires | Confirm every shipping bolt was removed at installation. Confirm the drum is not overloaded. Turn the drum by hand and feel for resistance or grinding. Press Pause or Cancel twice and Power once to clear. A dragging drum or a repeating code needs a technician, since a seized bearing and a bad speed sensor produce the same code at very different repair costs. |
| F8 E1, LO FL | The washer is sensing a low flow of water | Open both hot and cold valves fully. Straighten both inlet hoses, which kink when the machine gets pushed back into a shallow closet. Remove any anti-flood or flood-safe device in the water line, since Maytag lists these as a direct cause of low flow on front loaders. Press Pause or Cancel twice and Power once to clear. Supply confirmed good means the inlet valve or flow meter is next. |
| F8 E2 | A problem with the dispenser system on select models | Pull the detergent drawer and check for congealed detergent or softener sludge. Rinse the drawer and the cavity it slides into with hot water. Verify the detergent cartridge is not clogged if your model uses one. Reinsert the clean drawer and restart. A clean drawer with a persistent code means a dispenser motor or valve has failed. |
| F9 E1 | Drain times are longer than expected, typically beyond eight minutes | Straighten the drain hose and use the U-shaped hose form. Verify standpipe height, which Maytag specifies as 39 inches minimum and 96 inches maximum. Clean the drain pump filter behind the lower front access door if your model has one. Rule out excess suds, which slow draining on their own and are usually a detergent dosing issue. A clean filter and clear hose with a pump that runs dry or not at all needs service. |
| Sud, Sd | There are too many suds in the washing machine | Let the washer finish. It automatically extends the rinse, pauses tumbling, and adds water so the bubbles can collapse, and it may repeat this several times. Switch to HE detergent and cut the dose. Stop using no-splash or easy-pour liquid chlorine bleach, which contains a thickening agent that creates foam, and use regular liquid bleach instead. Check the drain hose and standpipe for restriction, which Maytag lists as a separate cause of the same code. |
| LOC, LC | Control Lock has been activated | Touch the Control Lock button, holding it for about three seconds on models that require it. On older machines the lock is a secondary function of another button, and your Owner’s Manual identifies which one. This is a feature rather than a fault, usually triggered by a child, a pet, or an elbow. A panel that stays locked after the correct button is held indicates a user interface board problem. |
| dET | Detergent cartridge not detected in the dispenser on select models | Ignore this message entirely if you dose detergent by hand each load. Otherwise reseat the cartridge, make sure it is inserted correctly, and push the dispenser drawer fully shut. A correctly seated cartridge that still is not detected points to the sensor. |
| Int | The cycle was paused or canceled | This is a status message rather than damage. The washer needs 20 to 30 minutes to stop spinning and drain, and displays Int throughout. To remove it sooner, press Pause or Cancel twice and Power once. If it stays, unplug the washer or cut power at the breaker for five minutes. Int appearing when nobody paused the cycle means the control is aborting on its own. |
| rL, F34 | Items were detected in the washer during the Clean Washer cycle | Remove everything from the drum, including the lone sock hiding under the seal, and restart the Clean Washer cycle. This cycle runs hot and empty by design, so laundry inside defeats the purpose and can be damaged. An empty drum still reading as loaded means the load sensing system needs calibration or repair. |
| Other F# E# | A subsystem fault the table does not name, since meanings vary by platform | Unplug the washer or disconnect power for five minutes, reconnect, reselect the cycle, and press Start. A successful cycle clears the active code. Maytag’s stated guidance for a persistent unlisted pair is to have a qualified technician diagnose the washer, which is sound advice, because guessing at parts on a front loader gets expensive quickly. |
How to Find Your Model and Serial Number
Nothing on this page beats the tables in your own Owner’s Manual, and you cannot pull the right manual without the model number.
Top load washers. Lift the lid and check the underside of the lid or the rim of the opening, usually toward the back near the hinges. Some models put it on the top edge or back face of the control console. Older cabinets carry it on the right side near the bottom front.
Front load washers. Open the door and check the door frame, the inside curve at the top of the opening, or the inner edge of the door itself. If it is not there, look behind the detergent dispenser drawer, then on the back panel near the water inlets and power cord.
Stacked and combination units. Look at the inside left or right rear corner of the washer opening with the door open, or along the cabinet edge.
A practical tip. Photograph the label rather than copying it by hand. These stickers print small, they live in dim spots, and one transposed character sends you to the wrong parts diagram.
Get It Diagnosed in San Francisco
Still seeing the same error code? Get a proper diagnosis and know exactly what needs fixing.
Why Your Maytag Codes Look Like Whirlpool Codes
Whirlpool has owned Maytag since 2006, and the two share control platforms across most of the current lineup. That is why F8 E1 means the same slow fill on both, and why F9 E1 points at the same drain path. Kenmore and Amana models built on those platforms follow suit.
In practice, parts cross over under different part numbers, and service literature cross-references, so a thin Maytag code often has a fuller Whirlpool tech sheet behind it. Diagnosis logic does not change either. The F number names the system, the E number isolates the fault.
The exception is the older Neptune and pre-acquisition Maytag platforms, which use their own code sets. Check your model number before assuming the codes translate.
If your machine is the Whirlpool side of this family, our Whirlpool appliance repair page covers the same faults with Whirlpool-specific model notes.
