In this post, we are going to look at how to fix some of the most problems with Bosch washing machine so read to the end if you’re having endless problems with Bosch washing machine.
From issues with the spin cycle to problems with water leakage, these malfunctions can quickly turn a simple task into a major headache.
However, by understanding the common faults that can occur and knowing how to troubleshoot them, you can save yourself time, money, and a lot of stress (it can usually be very stressful)
That being so, I will guide you on Bosch washing machine troubleshooting steps for a range of problems with Bosch washing machine you might run into.
Common faults with Bosch washing machine (and how to fix the common problems with Bosch washing machine)
To kick us off, let’s see what you can do when your Bosch washer is not turning on…
Bosch washing machine not turning on / Bosch washing machine won’t turn on / Bosch washing machine won’t power on / Bosch washing machine not working / Bosch washing machine is not working / Bosch washing machine stopped working
Start by confirming that you have properly connected your washer to a working power outlet.
You can confirm this by plugging your phone into the outlet and see if it charges.
If it does not charge, it means that the outlet does not have power.
That being so, check and confirm that the circuit breaker has not tripped. If it has, be sure to reset it.
On the other hand, if the circuit breaker has not tripped, it means that the power outlet is faulty.
As such, proceed to plug your washer into another working outlet and have an electrician look at the faulty outlet.
Something else you can look out for is to see if the power cord is damaged. If it is, then, it is time to get a new power cord.
Finally, confirm that you have connected your washer to a 220-240v (10A) power outlet.
Anything less than that and your washer won’t start.
Bosch washing machine not starting / Bosch washing machine won’t start / Bosch washing machine is not starting
To fix this, start by checking for power supply problems as we have done above.
Other than that, you might be pressing the start button for too long or very briefly.
Here’s the thing about Bosch washing machines, for them to start, you need to press the start button for 1 to 2 seconds.
This helps to prevent it from starting from an accidental contact with the start button.
Something else: Your washer will not start a wash program if it experiences spinning problems.
With that in mind, if your washer is still not starting, check for spinning problems – jump to the section below on Bosch washing machine not spinning.
Bosch washing machine won’t start beeps twice
What this means is that you have pressed the start button for too long.
You see, to start the washer, you need to press the start button for 1 to 2 seconds.
Pressing it for a longer (or shorter) timeframe will result in the washer not starting. And of course, it will beep twice.
This is meant to prevent the washer from starting through an accidental touch of the start button.
Common faults with Bosch washing machine – how to troubleshoot more problems with Bosch washing machine
Bosch washing machine not taking water
Here, start by confirming that you have fully opened the water tap.
Next, check and confirm that the water hose is not kinked.
Of course, if the hose is kinked, you will want to straighten it out.
Other than that, remove and clean the mesh filter at the end of the hose.
You see, this filter could be fully clogged (more so if you live in an area with dirty or hard water). And, this might be what is preventing the water from properly flowing into the washer.
Another thing: Confirm that there is enough water pressure to the washer.
Generally, Bosch recommends that there should be approximately 10 liters of water flowing into the washer per minute.
With that in mind, if the water flowing from your tap is less than this, you should have a plumber come and look at your plumbing.
Finally, it could be that the water inlet valve is bad.
To see if this is the problem, proceed to remove the valve and check it for any signs of cracks.
If it is not cracked, proceed to test it for continuity.
Now, if it lacks continuity (or appears cracked), it means that the valve is faulty and will require to be replaced – see Bosch washer inlet valve prices.
Bosch washing machine not heating water
From what I have from several of my clients’ washers, this is mostly a result of a bad heating element.
So, start by testing the heating element to confirm that it is indeed working.
To do so, simply remove the wire harnesses to the heating element.
Next, touch the probes of your multimeter to the element’s terminals (having chosen the lowest resistance reading).
If the element is healthy, you will get a reading of between 20 and 50 ohms.
Pro tip: This reading applies to an element that has two terminals. If your element has four terminals, the reading will vary a little bit as shown in the table below:
| Connections | Resistance in ohms |
| 1 & 2 | 104 to 124 |
| 1 & 3 | 52 to 62 |
| 1 & 4 | 52 to 62 |
| 2 & 3 | 52 to 62 |
| 2 & 4 | 52 to 62 |
| 3 & 4 | 0 |
Below is a picture to guide you better on the numbering of the terminals:
If your heating element seems to be fine, proceed to test the temperature sensor.
If it is healthy, you will get a reading of between 6,000 and 50,000 ohms depending on the current surrounding temperature.
A good way to test if the sensor is working is to cover it with the palm of your hand or dip it in warm water.
Upon doing so, the resistance reading should start dropping.
If it doesn’t change, then it is an indication that the sensor is bad – replacing it is inevitable.
Finally, it could be a problem with the control board.
With that in mind, disassemble the washer and start by confirming that all wire connections in the control board are properly connected.
If you see a loose connection, be sure to reconnect it properly.
Other than that, if you note that your control board appears to be charred, it is an indication that it is bad.
P.S: Be sure to purchase an OEM Bosch washer control board to ensure compatibility.
Bosch washing machine not spinning / Bosch washing machine won’t spin / Bosch washing machine is not spinning / Bosch washing machine stopped spinning
Now, this is among the most common faults with Bosch washing machines.
You see, it has almost a dozen potential causes with each having its own solution(s).
Now, for a comprehensive Bosch washing machine troubleshooting guide for spinning problems, read our previous article: How to fix spin cycle problems in Bosch washers.
Bosch washing machine won’t spin with one item
As you might know, washing machines usually rely on sensors to detect the load size.
It is these sensors that regulate the amount of detergent and water to be used during the wash cycle.
Now, if the item that you have put inside the washer is small (such as a t-shirt), these sensors might not sense it.
As a result, the washer will not start a wash/spin cycle.
To fix this, simply throw in some additional items.
This will not only enable the washer to sense the load but it will also help in balancing the washer during tumbling.
Common faults with Bosch washing machine – additional fixes for typical problems with Bosch washing machine
Moving on…
Bosch washing machine not opening door / Bosch washing machine won’t unlock / Bosch washing machine won’t open / Bosch washing machine is locked / Bosch washing machine can’t open door
Typically, this is a safety feature designed to prevent washers from opening when they are running.
As a result, you will need to wait for the cycle to end.
Alternatively, you can press the Start/Pause button.
This will pause the washer and after a couple of minutes, you can proceed to open it (once it drains).
Does the control panel display a key icon (or CL)?
If yes, it means that childproof lock has been activated hence your washer cannot be opened.
To resolve this, start by deactivating childproof lock by following one of the following steps (depending on your model):
- Press and hold the Start button for 3 to 5 seconds.
- Press and hold the rpm and finished in buttons together for 3 to 5 seconds.
- For touchscreen models, press and hold the square button with a key symbol for 3 seconds.
Upon successful deactivation of childproof lock, the washer will beep and you can proceed to unlock it.
Bosch washing machine not dispensing detergent
Even though Bosch washing machines do come with a self-cleaning detergent drawer, at times, there may be some stubborn detergent residue that might have gotten trapped inside the nozzles.
So, take out the detergent drawer and soak it in water.
Next, use a toothbrush to scrub off any detergent that might be trapped in there.
Once done, rinse the drawer and airdry it before reinserting it into the washer.
Something else: It could be that your washer isn’t getting enough water.
Pro tip: Bosch washers should be connected to a water outlet that can deliver at least 10 liters of water per minute. If you have a water pressure gauge, confirm that the pressure is between 100 and 1,000 kPa (1 to 10 bars).
So, if the pressure is lower than this, be sure to increase it.
Bosch washing machine won’t wash
To fix this, start by checking for spinning problems as we’ve seen above – Bosch washing machine not spinning.
Something else: Confirm that your washer is able to heat the water as we’ve seen above – Bosch washing machine not heating water.
Finally, confirm that it is dispensing detergent as we’ve seen above – Bosch washing machine not dispensing detergent.
Bosch washing machine troubleshooting – Bosch washing machine is leaking
To make troubleshooting your leaking Bosch washing machine easier, we will fix it depending on where it is leaking from…
Bosch washing machine is leaking from the front
If the leak seems to come from the door, start by confirming that the door is closing fully.
Here, it could be pointing to a faulty door seal – so, be sure to clean the seal.
And, if the seal appears to be damaged, you can either patch it up or replace it (depending on the extent of the damage).
Bosch washing machine is leaking from the back
Start by confirming that the water hose is properly connected in place.
Also, confirm that the hose is not torn. If it is torn, you can either patch it or get a quality replacement hose.
Something else: It could be that the water inlet valve is cracked.
From what I have seen, this tends to occur mostly during winter.
You see, water might freeze inside the valve thereby leading to cracks. In turn, this will result in any water flowing to the washer leaking from the back.
With that in mind, be sure to confirm that the valve is not cracked.
And finally, confirm that the drain/waste hose is not cracked or full of clogs.
If there are any clogs in there, be sure to remove them.
And, if the hose is damaged, you ought to replace it.
Bosch washing machine is leaking from the bottom
If your model has a drain filter, start by confirming that it is not full of clogs as this might result in some water escaping through the filter housing.
Another thing that you might want to check on is if the drain pump is full of clogs.
Of course, if it is, be sure to remove the clogs.
Bosch washing machine not finishing cycle / Bosch washing machine stopped midcycle
In the course of my Bosch washing machine troubleshooting gigs, I have noted that several reasons might cause this.
That being so, to know how to troubleshoot and fix this problem, check out our other article: Bosch washing machine not finishing cycle (Fixed).
Bosch washing machine stops at 1 minute
This is yet another common Bosch washing machine fault that I have had to fix for several of my clients.
Typically, this might be a normal occurrence but it could also be a fault – depending on how it occurs.
To resolve this issue, read our previous article on the same: Bosch washing machine stuck on 1 minute [Solved]
Bosch washing machine stopped midcycle no power / Bosch washing machine stopped working no power
From what I have seen with most clients’ washing machines, this is usually due to the circuit breaker tripping.
That being so, reset the circuit breaker and test to see if this fixes the issue.
If it does not, confirm that the power outlet still works (by trying to charge your phone).
Now, if the phone does not charge, plug in your washer to another working outlet and have an electrician have a look at the current outlet.
Having done that, you will also need to pinpoint what might have caused your washer to trip the circuit breaker.
For the most part, this is usually due to a wire shorting or water leaking onto an electric part of the washer.
So, disassemble the washer and try to see if you can see water leakage in there (or any other potential source of shorting) and fix it as necessary.
However, if you cannot pinpoint the cause and the washer continues to trip the circuit breaker, you ought to have a Bosch washer engineer have a look at the unit as it might be faulty.
Bosch washing machine end error
To start with, when End is flashing together with E32, it means that the load has unbalanced.
This will result in the spin cycle being interrupted.
To fix this, evenly distribute small and large items inside the drum and run the spin cycle again.
However, if End is being displayed on its own, it means that the washer has finished running and it’s time to take out the load.
Fixing common problems with Bosch washing machine – final thoughts
By following these troubleshooting steps, you can quickly and easily address many issues and get your machine back in working order.
However, if you’re feeling stuck or uncertain about a particular problem, do not hesitate to turn to YouTube tutorials for guidance.
ALSO READ
Bosch washing machine control panel not working [Solved]
How to fix Bosch washing machine spin problems
Bosch washing machine not finishing cycle [Solved]