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A hand reaching toward a plain, control panel on the stainless door of a refrigerator.

Refrigerator
Showing an Error Code

A code narrows the search, but only the manufacturer's own table gives it meaning.

(844) 681-4650

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 5 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 681-4650

What it
usually means.

An error code is the appliance naming the circuit it is unhappy with. It is genuinely useful, and it is also frequently misread, because the same characters mean different things on different brands and sometimes on different generations of the same brand. Two things make a code worth acting on: the exact characters, and the model number they came from. Without the second, the first is a guess.

A technician's hands holding a digital multimeter against a wiring connector inside an open refrigerator, the cabinet lit from within. The 5 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

What are the exact characters, including any letter, and in what order?
02

What is the full model number of the appliance?
03

Does the code stay on the display, or flash and clear?
04

Is the appliance still cooling while the code is showing?
05

Did anything happen just before it appeared, such as a power cut?

Check these
before you book.

Refrigerator error code: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Write down the exact characters, including letters, before anything is reset.

02

Find the full model number; the code cannot be read without it.

03

Note whether cooling is affected.

Also worth checking

  • Try a five-minute power-off reset and note whether the code returns.
  • Photograph the display; it is easier than transcribing it over the phone.

How soon does it need a visit?

Depends entirely on whether cooling is affected. A code on an appliance that is still cold can wait for a scheduled visit.

The causes,
cheapest first.

5 things refrigerator showing an error code turns out to be, from a latched code after a power event to communication between boards.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    A latched code after a power event

    Some codes stay on the display after the condition has passed and clear with a reset.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 low to moderate

    A sensor the control can no longer read

    The most common category by a distance. The circuit is open or shorted and the control reports it rather than guessing.

    Fixed by controls and sensors
  3. 03 low to moderate

    A fan or a motor not reporting back

    Modern fans report their speed, and a fan that has stopped is named directly.

    Fixed by fan and airflow repair
  4. 04 low to moderate

    Defrost cycle not completing

    Often the same problem as visible frost, caught by the control before it became obvious.

    Fixed by defrost system repair
  5. 05 moderate

    Communication between boards

    On units with a display board and a main board, a code can mean only that the two have stopped talking.

    Fixed by controls and sensors
  6. What it costs

    Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side

    Open the cost guide

The makes
it happens on.

31 makes on this site; refrigerator showing an error code can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 31 brands

Refrigerator Showing an Error Code,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family preparing a meal together in their kitchen
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
refrigerator showing an error code.

Can I clear the code and keep using the refrigerator?
If the appliance keeps cooling after a reset, it can usually be used while a visit is arranged. Clearing a code over and over without recording it throws away information, so write it down each time and note how often it came back.
Where do I find the model number?
Usually on a label inside the fresh-food compartment, on a side wall near the top or on the ceiling, and on some built-ins behind the top grille. The serial number is on the same label. Photograph the whole label rather than copying it by hand.
Does a code mean the part it names has failed?
Not necessarily. A loose connector or a damaged wire produces the same code as a failed part, because the control only knows it lost the signal. That is why a code narrows the visit rather than replacing it.
The code flashes and disappears. Should I still report it?
Yes. A code that shows briefly often marks an intermittent problem the control has caught, and intermittent problems are the hardest to reproduce during a visit. Photograph it when it appears and note the time and what the appliance was doing.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing refrigerator showing an error code?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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