Samsung tE: Temperature Sensor Error
Low severity
A lowercase tE on a Samsung display isn't the heater itself complaining — it's the thermistor watching the water, reporting a number the control board considers implausible.
Applies to: Most Samsung DW-series dishwashers with digital displays
What it means
Samsung's documentation calls this an inaccurate-temperature-reading fault, distinct from HE's broader heating complaint. The temperature sensor (thermistor) inside the dishwasher is sending a reading the control board considers out of range, so it can't reliably manage wash and dry temperatures.
The thermistor is a small, inexpensive part, but the control board leans on it constantly through a cycle to decide when the water is hot enough to move to the next phase and when the dry phase can safely end. A reading that's stuck, drifting, or simply implausible — far too high or too low to be real — gives the board nothing reliable to act on, so it raises tE instead of guessing.
Common causes
- A failed or drifting thermistor
- A loose or corroded connector on the sensor's wiring
- Heavy mineral scale coating the sensor
What you can check yourself
- Run a normal cycle to see if tE clears on its own after a reset
- Power-cycle the unit at the breaker
- Run a descaling treatment if hard water buildup is visible inside the tub
Call a professional when
If tE returns consistently, the thermistor itself typically needs to be tested and replaced, which is a technician-level repair.
Related
- Samsung dishwasher codes — full list of Samsung fault codes
- Samsung HE — the broader heating-error code tE is often mistaken for
- Samsung 1E / IE — an overheating variant on rotary-arm models
- Dishwasher Not Heating, Drying, or Sanitizing — symptom guide across brands