KitchenAid F7E2 Error Code: Wash Motor Fault
High severity
A cycle that goes quiet partway through and won't restart, paired with F7E2 on the display, points at the circulation pump that's supposed to be pushing water through the spray arms the entire time.
Applies to: KitchenAid dishwashers with electronic controls.
What it means
A wash motor error. The control board isn't seeing the circulation pump/wash motor perform the way it should during a cycle.
The wash motor is the one part of a dishwasher that has to spin continuously, at speed, for the entire length of a cycle, and most control boards keep tabs on it through a feedback signal reporting whether the motor is actually turning the way the software commanded. F7E2 fires when that feedback doesn't match the command, which can mean the motor was told to spin and isn't, or that something downstream is loading it down enough to look like a failure to the board. Because this involves a mains-voltage motor circuit rather than a low-voltage sensor line, it's one of the KitchenAid codes worth treating with a bit more caution than a routine reset code.
Common causes
KitchenAid's troubleshooting for this code moves from the easiest fix to the least convenient, starting with a mechanical jam before ever assuming the motor itself has failed:
- An object jamming the wash pump impeller in the sump
- A locked or failing wash motor
- Damaged or loose motor wiring
- A control board fault
What you can check yourself
Only one of these three checks involves getting your hands near a mechanical part, and it's worth doing before assuming the motor itself is bad:
- Power-cycle the dishwasher at the breaker for about 10 seconds, then restart
- Remove the filter and check the sump area for glass, bones, or other debris jamming the pump impeller
- Inspect any accessible motor wiring for obvious damage or a loose connector
A jammed impeller is by far the best-case version of F7E2, since clearing debris out of the sump costs nothing and takes a few minutes. A motor that's actually seized, or a control board that's misreading a healthy motor, are both parts-replacement jobs, and neither is something worth diagnosing further by repeatedly restarting cycles once the sump has already checked out clean.
Call a professional when
If clearing debris from the sump doesn't resolve it, the wash motor or control board likely needs professional diagnosis and replacement.
Related
- KitchenAid dishwasher codes — full list of KitchenAid fault codes
- KitchenAid F9E1 — long-drain fault
- KitchenAid F8E4 — water detected in the drip tray
- Dishwasher Stuck or Stopped Mid-Cycle