LG Dishwasher Error Codes, Decoded

No — CL is Control Lock (child lock), a feature, not a fault. Someone held the lock button and the panel is ignoring input on purpose. Hold the same button (often marked with a lock icon, or the button labeled in your manual) for about 3 seconds and CL clears. Don't confuse it with LE, which IS a real fault (a wash-motor error, grouped by LG with CE). We flag CL on every LG page because people book visits for it, and there's nothing to repair.

OE is a drain (outlet) error — the tub didn't drain completely, usually a food clog or an install issue. Start with the filter at the bottom of the tub (twist out the cylinder, rinse it), then the drain hose for kinks, then the air gap or garbage-disposal knockout plug if it's newly installed (a very common cause). If those are clear and OE returns, the drain pump is the next stop. Because there's no separate LG dishwasher drain-symptom page, the full drain walkthrough lives on our dishwasher not-draining page. Drain pump replacement runs $89 to $440 depending on whether it's a clog or the pump. $89 residential diagnostic, waived with repair.

IE is an inlet error: after about 10 minutes of filling, the water didn't reach the level LG expects. Check the supply valve is fully open and the fill hose isn't kinked, then the inlet screen for sediment (common in our harder-water areas). If the water's arriving fine but LG still throws IE, the inlet valve or the water-level sensor may be at fault. Inlet valve replacement runs $200 to $340. Note LG's own pages group leak and overfill codes (AE/E1/FE) separately from IE — IE is specifically 'not enough water in.'

Yes. AE and E1 are the same leak/overfill condition on LG: water in the base pan trips the float switch and the machine shuts off to prevent flooding. It won't clear from a customer reset until the leak source is found and fixed — a door gasket, a hose, or the sump. Our techs trace where the water's coming from before quoting, because the cost swings widely ($200 to $980) depending on the source. If you see AE or E1, it's an on-site diagnosis, not a DIY reset. See also our dishwasher leaking-water page.

Both are heat-related and both are technician codes. HE is a heater error — LG can't heat the water, or it detected water above about 149°F. tE is a thermal/temperature-sensor error — water above roughly 194°F or a failed thermistor. Each needs a meter on the heating element, thermistor, and control board, and there's mains voltage involved. Not a DIY reset. Heating element or thermistor work runs $200 to $460.

nE is a Vario/spray-arm motor error — the spray-arm or impeller motor isn't spinning normally. LE is a wash-motor (cleaning motor) error, and LG groups LE with CE as a motor/harness fault (an issue between the motor and the control board). Those three — nE, LE, CE — are technician-level. bE is different and customer-addressable: it's a bubble/over-sudsing error, meaning too much detergent, the wrong (non-dishwasher) soap, or the unit isn't level. For bE, cut the detergent, use dishwasher detergent only, and confirm the machine sits level. Motor/harness repairs run $300 to $820.

Those are Dynamic Heat Dry codes, specific to LG models with that drying system. F31 is a heat-dry fan-motor failure, F35 means the heat-dry temperature can't be measured, and F37 is an auto-open door mechanism error. All three are technician diagnoses on the drying hardware — they won't clear from a reset. If your dishes are also coming out wet, our dishwasher not-drying page covers the broader drying picture, and these codes point us straight at the fan, sensor, or door actuator.

Unplug for about 60 seconds (or flip the breaker), restore power, and run a short cycle to see if the code returns. Customer-addressable codes (OE clog, IE supply, FE overfill, bE suds, CL child lock, PF power failure) often clear once you fix the obvious cause. PE is a water-level pressure-sensor fault that LG notes on older models — it's a technician code. Codes that return within a cycle or two of resetting mean real hardware faults: HE, tE, CE/LE, nE, PE, and the F31/F35/F37 heat-dry codes all fall there.

90 days on SDAR labor and parts for the work we perform — separate from any LG factory warranty. Same component fails inside 90 days, we replace it free. BHGS #A49573, BBB Accredited Business, EPA 608 Universal certified #1346255700410. $89 residential diagnostic, waived when you approve the repair.