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It was a peaceful Sunday afternoon. A load of wash was in the washing machine. An unfamiliar series of beeps from the washing machine interrupted my football couch potato session. It was flashing an E.04 error. I restarted the cycle but the error reappeared.
Time to read the manual. The manual said that either too much suds or the drain pump was having a problem. I went to the Internet to try to find more information. Jackpot! I found a post of the description and the fix for the error code.
It was obvious that excessive suds was not my problem.
You will need a towel, a flashlight and a 4d nail / brad (or some other metallic pointed thing). You may or may not need some silicone grease to lube the sump cap. (I did not need any.)
If you have water in the drum of the machine, you will need a wet/dry vacuum cleaner with crevice end and more towels and maybe ear plugs if your vacuum is as loud as mine.
Note: Wet/dry vacuum cleaners use 2 inch and/or 1 and 1/2 inch hoses. The smaller hoses and accessories are easier to maneuver inside the washer.
Time to read the manual. The manual said that either too much suds or the drain pump was having a problem. I went to the Internet to try to find more information. Jackpot! I found a post of the description and the fix for the error code.
It was obvious that excessive suds was not my problem.
You will need a towel, a flashlight and a 4d nail / brad (or some other metallic pointed thing). You may or may not need some silicone grease to lube the sump cap. (I did not need any.)
If you have water in the drum of the machine, you will need a wet/dry vacuum cleaner with crevice end and more towels and maybe ear plugs if your vacuum is as loud as mine.
Note: Wet/dry vacuum cleaners use 2 inch and/or 1 and 1/2 inch hoses. The smaller hoses and accessories are easier to maneuver inside the washer.
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Signing UpStep 1Gaining Access
To be extra safe, turn off the washing machine and unplug it.
The access for the drain pump is behind the circular access panel on the bottom right front of the machine. This panel twists off. There are three ears on the panel that fit into three cutouts on the machine front. After the ears are in the cutout, the panel is twisted counterclockwise to lock ears behind metal.
If the panel were a clock face, there is a small hole in it at about the 5. Insert a nail in the hole to gain some leverage. Gently press on the panel with your other hand while you rotate the panel clockwise to move the hole to the 6 o'clock position.
Be careful when you get the cover off. The edges of the hole may be unfinished and sharp. You can tape over the edge while you are working or wear gloves. The more adventurous can grind or file the rough edges.
The access for the drain pump is behind the circular access panel on the bottom right front of the machine. This panel twists off. There are three ears on the panel that fit into three cutouts on the machine front. After the ears are in the cutout, the panel is twisted counterclockwise to lock ears behind metal.
If the panel were a clock face, there is a small hole in it at about the 5. Insert a nail in the hole to gain some leverage. Gently press on the panel with your other hand while you rotate the panel clockwise to move the hole to the 6 o'clock position.
Be careful when you get the cover off. The edges of the hole may be unfinished and sharp. You can tape over the edge while you are working or wear gloves. The more adventurous can grind or file the rough edges.
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Btw, Do you know how to disconnect the irritating end of cycle buzzer? I can sleep through it, but my husband can't.
Yes, I do know how to stop the end of cycle beeping (eocb); It is funny how some people find that noise very irritating and others do not:
Turn the dial to one of the programs - for example "Cold Wash", but DO NOT start the program;
Simultaneous press and hold two of the optional features buttons - for example "Bleach" and "Rinse".
After a second or two of holding, the machine should give a short beep. At that point the end of cycle beeping is off.
The beeping stays off until the above process is repeated. There is a long beep when the eocb is reactivated.
You can turn off the eocb and turn it back on (and back off) so you can hear the difference. There is no visual reminder that the signal is off, so if someone else uses the machine and depends on that signal - be sure to tell them that it is off. I tried the no signal option but found I kept listening to hear if the was still running instead.
I had not figured out how long are the cycles with and without the options. I think the machine varies the length of the cycles by the amount of soil or just to annoy me.
After using all the helpful language I learned in the Navy, then finding the manual cute at best (should be called 'Bosch trouble shooting if you don't really plan on shooting the trouble'), I got lucky and found your blog. There it was, stuck in the impeller intake, one of my wife's nylon sock thingies. If I had Super Bowl tickets I'd send them to you.
Best Regards,
Moby
I am glad I helped you out.
Isn't it amazing what gets past the "filter/screen" in this machine? Whew!
I am so glad my instructions were helpful.
An underwire?!? Really?!?! Maybe this machine should come with a warning label?
Or maybe just a better strainer/screen/filter.
Thanks.
P.S. What was clogging your machine?
I agree with your analogy. Sometimes, though, I have had to pay to eat out anyway (or maybe clean up my dirty dishes) - if you get my meaning.
Nonetheless continue to the next project! After all, no one was born knowing this stuff.
Thanks for the comment.
I had exactly the same problem, with exactly the same cause, and also on a Sunday. It wasn't how I wanted to spend my Sunday evening, but your detailed instructions saved me having to call a repairman, with a minimum of mess.
We have found that newborn socks are usually what cause us to have this error not excessive suds.
Thanks for making it so easy to clear & saving us the money on a repair bill!
Next time take the socks off the baby before you put him/her in the washer ! ! !
I thought my nail/screws slipped through the holes in the tub. You point out that there is another way to get sucked into the pump. Thanks.
Hint: My wife has a zippered bag made of fishnet like stuff. She puts delicate items and/or items that would wrap themselves into a knot into it. And then she tosses the bag in with the rest of the wash. Maybe you can find one for your small items.
I can post/send a pic if you need.
Have fun the baby and take plenty of pictures!
Good to know that sump access port is there, and user serviceable.
Have to give it a check before I run my next load :-)
Thanks for the comment.
Yes, I read in the manual that suds can trigger the error. I don't understand how or why suds are a problem (to the computer and./or its sensors) but they are. Anyway, I use the low sudsing HE stuff.
When I feel a need for the suds, I go to a laundromat and watch their machines where the water half fills the drum and clothes peek out from under the foam. Ahhh, the simpler days!!!!!
The washer has a cavitation sensor. the extra bubbles cause the cavitation in the pump, triggering the code.
The obstructions in you cleanout port may be causing the same sort of water turbulence, also triggering the sensor error code.
The wash water is not compressible, so the pump can push it out the drain. But if the pump gets a snootful of suds which is mostly air, the pump can not move as much (or any?) water. And that is because air is very compressible. The pump would have to work much harder to compress enough air to a high enough pressure that would lift the column of water up and out. That it should work as a "high" pressure air compressor is probably outside of the pump's specifications.
It is similar to the problem with radiators in a heating system and why heating systems have air bleed screws/systems.
In my case the impeller was jammed and no water was moving; with excessive suds the impeller spins in air but still no water is moving. Both result in e.04 error. Cool!
Thanks again