Bosch SMS Series Dishwasher Fault Codes

These are the most common fault or error codes used in what we refer to as Bosch SMS dishwasher and most of them use the same fault or error codes when they have a problem or a spare part fails. These codes are used on dishwashers from around about 2005-2010 to the best of our knowledge.

These fault codes for Bosch dishwasher SMS Range models will displayed as a digital code, exactly as you will see below, in an LED or LCD panel or display on the front of the dishwasher.

Before you start any investigation of the fault or even remove the lid of your Bosch dishwasher please read and fully understand this article in full and pay particular attention to the safety and information notices at the bottom of this page as they contain extremely important information!

Please remember to support our site by buying Bosch dishwasher spares from our spare part store and, if you decide that you really need a dishwasher engineer please support the local dishwasher repairers that help make this site possible, you can look for a local Bosch dishwasher repairer using our engineer search.

  Bosch SMS Series Dishwasher Fault Codes

Like other fault codes these written for dishwasher repairers and not for the general public by Bosch and they assume a certain level of competence on the part of the user in diagnostic routines. We have added some notes to try to assist you in determining the nature of the fault you have but, you will still need to investigate each failure on its own merits. For more help and advice on fault finding on a dishwasher please refer to our dishwasher fault finding guide from this link before you begin.

Information around the faults on these dishwashers is pretty sketchy at best as Bosch have gotten more and more protective over other people having access to any information, including their fault codes.

Please check that any Bosch dishwasher spares recommended are suitable for use on your particular model and production code or serial number. If you are unsure about the suitability of any spare part please ask to ensure that you get the correct spares for your Bosch dishwasher. Please, don’t guess or assume as spares can be altered on a production run with the same model number having several different alternative components used.

E01

Power module failure!

All codes E01, E02, E03, E04 and E05 all indicate a power module failure.

This is not a fault that can be repaired by the owner as the modules have to be configured in order to operate, please see the information notes below.

As far as we are aware many models of Bosch either are or, will be set up this way in order to eliminate the possibility of DIY or third party repairs to these appliances.

E06

Door switch fault

This fault code will usually do what it says and be telling you that the door switch, the one used to tell if the door is closed and the lock engaged, is faulty. However, this series of Bosch dishwashers also do get the handles broken from time to time and this could be a cause, you can find a commonly used door handle here.

E07

Dryer fan faulty 

Essentially this error code states that the dryer fan, used for fan drying in some models, is faulty or not operating for some reason.

E08 

Heat pump has detected too low a water level in the tub

By heat pump we assume the water heating element as that’s al that makes sense. Assume that a new heating element will not be a cheap item to buy and they are pretty specific to production within the series and it is better to check with us for the correct element.

E09 

Heating circuit fault

As above, this is most probably going to be an issue with the heating element as the thermistors have their own fault codes below.

E10 

Heat pump scaled up

Quite how the dishwasher senses this is not known but it would seem to indicate a poor flow of water through an instantaneous heater in the dishwasher as that would seem the only logical way in which this could be detected. This would assume that the inside of the heater was choked with limescale or, blocked in some other way, preventing the correct flow of water through the heater. A poor flow of water could cause the element to overheat and fail.

E11 

NTC thermistor fault

This error code can be caused by the thermistor or the wiring to it being faulty.

E12 

Not used

Seek engineer if displayed.

E13 

Hot water inlet temperature too high, greater than 75˚C

Generally seen if connected to a hot water supply, if not it could indicate a sensor or board failure.

E14 

Reed switch flow sensor fault

Please check with us for these parts but we would suggest that you seek a profession engineer if this error code is displayed.

E15 

Water in base

Float sensor in the base has been activated. You can try to empty the base and restart the dishwasher as you will find noted many times in the forums but, if there is a leak this error code will simply be displayed again, you must find the cause of the leak.

E16 

Inlet valve fault

This would indicate the lack of incoming water, which will ordinarily be caused by a water inlet valve having failed.

Bosch dishwasher inlet valves are not cheap and are often quite unique to Bosch, the popular SMS valve we use is this one but, do check with us and have the ENR number from the rating plate of the dishwasher so we can identify the correct water valve for your dishwasher.

E17 

Water level too high – flow sensor

The dishwasher has, for some reason detected an overfill and is reporting that through this error code. The flow sensor note is there as that can cause this fault code to be displayed.

E18 

Water level too low – valve

As above only in reverse, the machine has not filled with enough water and this can be caused by the water valve.

E19 

Not used

Seek engineer if displayed.

E20 

Winding resistance of circulating pump fault

The electronic controlled has detected a short or a break in a winding in the main recirculation pump or main motor of the dishwasher.

E21 

Circulating pump blockage

This would be caused by a blockage or a poor water flow from the main motor of the dishwasher. This can be caused by a capacitor failure or for other reasons.

E22 

Not used

Seek engineer if displayed.

E23 

Winding resistance of drain pump fault

The controlled has detected a break or short in the drain pump wiring. Many of these dishwashers use this pump which is a cheap compatible one.

E24 

Drain filters blocked

Clear the filters. Generic instructions to clean your dishwasher filters is available from here.

E25 

Drain pump blocked or pump cover missing

This can be caused by the above or by, as the fault code indicates, a blocked drain pump.

E26 

Water switch fault 

There is little details on this error code.

E27 

Not used

Seek engineer if displayed.

E28 

Turbidity sensor fault

We would strongly advice seeking an engineer for this fault as well as it is often not easy to understand or diagnose issues with turbidity sensors.

Please note that it has been stated that (all) “Future supplies of programme and power modules will no longer be preconfigured therefore only approved BSH engineers or their agents will be able to configure them (on site) using a suitably equipped laptop computer”.At the time of writing to pre-configure a replacement PCB Bosch will charge you approximately £39 plus VAT on top of the cost of the module and it is not possible to do this without equipment from Bosch. Likewise, independent engineers are not allowed access to this equipment.

  More Bosch Dishwasher Help, Advice And Guidance

Should you need more help and guidance please use the links from this article as most of them will help you to understand your Bosch dishwasher a lot better and probably very much help you in diagnosing the fault you have. Of course there are many other articles on the site that will also help you do this.

In addition you can post in our dishwasher forum after registering but please do pay heed to the information below before doing so and read the guides, they are there to help you. But if you are in any doubt at all or don’t think you are up to diagnosing the fault yourself please use the engineer search to find a local dishwasher machine engineer.

You must understand certain things before you begin or attempt any repairs on your own and we want to make these points very, very clear to anyone that decides to investigate one of these or any other dishwashers:

• We are not responsible for your safety, you are and by using this guide you accept that and accept that any damage that you may cause and work undertaken is entirely at your own risk.
• We will advise the common causes of the fault codes but we cannot guarantee that any parts or work recommended will resolve the issue. It is entirely your responsibility to diagnose your particular problem and resolve it.
• We are not responsible for you buying spares that do not resolve the problem, this is down to your own diagnosis not ours.
• No warranty is inferred, implied or given.

You also have to be aware that Bosch dishwasher fault or error codes are not a “magic bullet”, they will not tell you what the problem is, they will only offer you an indication of where the problem lies and they are no substitute for diagnostic skills. You can find out more about what fault codes actually tell you in this article. So please be well aware that, even with this new found knowledge you will still have to actually be capable of investigating and diagnosing the problem and this means adhering to basic appliance safety for working on them. 

Please do note that manufacturers can and do change fault codes without notice and we cannot guarantee that these error codes will apply to your particular model as all codes apply to a wide range of appliances and not normally any one specific model. To determine if these fault codes do apply to your particular Bosch dishwasher model please post a request to confirm this in the forums.

  Applies To Bosch Dishwasher Models

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may not be 100% accurate as Bosch do not publish the models that fault codes apply to. It is therefore not possible to say with complete certainty that these codes will apply to every model number listed nor is it possible to say categorically that they may apply to more models than are listed.

Bosch Dishwasher 

SMI2011GB/20, SMI2012GB/20, SMI2032GB/15, SMI4040GB/20, SMI4042GB/20, SMI4702GB/09, SMI4705GB/07, SMI4705GB/09, SMI4706GB/02, SMI4706GB/03, SMI4706GB/07, SMI4706GB/09, SMI5081GB/20, SMI5082GB/17, SMI5082GB/20, SMI5084GB/17, SMI5084GB/20, SMI5502GB/03, SMI5502GB/05, SMI5502GB/07, SMI5505GB/03, SMI5505GB/05, SMI5505GB/07, SMI5506GB/03, SMI5506GB/05, SMI5506GB/07, SMI6702GB/03, SMI6702GB/07, SMI6702GB/09, SMI6706GB/03, SMI6706GB/07, SMI6706GB/09, SMS2012GB/15, SMS2012GB/20, SMS4042GB/14, SMS4042GB/20, SMS4452GB/20, SMS4472GB/14, SMS4472GB/20, SMS4482GB/14, SMS4482GB/20, SMS5032GB/20, SMS5058GB/19, SMS5058GB/20, SMS5082GB/20, SMS6012GB/14, SMS6012GB/20, SMS6032GB/16, SMS6032GB/19, SMS6032GB/20, SMS6702GB/02, SMS6702GB/03, SMS6702GB/04, SMS6702GB/07, SMS6702GB/09, SMS9022GB/20, SMV4403GB/19, SMV4403GB/20, SMV5503GB/01, SMV5503GB/03, SMV5503GB/05, SMV5503GB/06, SMV5503GB/07, SPI5430GB/03, SPI5430GB/04, SPI5430GB/06, SPI5432GB/03, SPI5432GB/04, SPI5432GB/06, SPS2432GB/03, SPS2432GB/04, SPS2432GB/06, SPS2462GB/18, SPS2462GB/19, SPS5432GB/03, SPS5432GB/04, SPS5432GB/06, SPS5432GB/07, SPS5442GB/04, SPS5442GB/06, SPS5462GB/18, SPS5462GB/19, SPS6432GB/03, SPS6432GB/04, SPS6432GB/05, SPS6432GB/06, SPS6432GB/07, SPS6462GB/06, SPV4503GB/05, SPV4503GB/06, 0730100621, SMS41025/00, SMS41025/01, 0730102784, SMS21005/00, SMS21005/01, SMS51005/00, SMS51025/00, SMS51025/01, SMS61005/01, SMI2021GB/01, SMI9022GB/01, SMI9022GB/11, SMS3452GB/03, SMS3452GB/0, SMI2011GB/11, SMI2011GB/13, SMI2011GB/14, SMI2011GB/15, SMI2012GB/11, SMI2012GB/13, SMI2012GB/14, SMI2012GB/15, SMI2021GB/03, SMI2021GB/08, SMI2021GB/11, SMI2022GB/01, SMI2022GB/03, SMI2022GB/07, SMI2022GB/08, SMI2022GB/11, SMI2022GB/13, SMI5021GB/03, SMI5021GB/05, SMI5021GB/08, SMI5022GB/01, SMI5022GB/03, SMI5022GB/05, SMI5022GB/08, SMI5081GB/08, SMI5082GB/08, SMI6021GB/01, SMI6021GB/03, SMI6021GB/08, SMI6022GB/01, SMI6022GB/03, SMI6022GB/08, SMI7071GB/08, SMI7072GB/08, SMS2011GB/01, SMS2011GB/03, SMS2012GB/03, SMS2012GB/08, SMS2012GB/14, SMS2012GB/15, SMS2012GB/20, SMS3042GB/01, SMS3042GB/03, SMS3057GB/03, SMS4012GB/01, SMS4012GB/03, SMS4042GB/11, SMS4052GB/01, SMS4072GB/01, SMS4452GB/03, SMS4452GB/08, SMS4452GB/11, SMS4452GB/14, SMS4462GB/03, SMS4462GB/08, SMS4462GB/11, SMS5011GB/01, SMS5011GB/03, SMS5012GB/01, SMS5012GB/03, SMS5012GB/08, SMS5012GB/11, SMS5018GB/01, SMS5018GB/03, SMS5018GB/11, SMS5032GB/03, SMS5032GB/08, SMS5058GB/01, SMS5058GB/08, SMS6011GB/01, SMS6011GB/03, SMS6032GB/03, SMS6032GB/08, SMS6032GB/11, SMS6032GB/14, SMS6052GB/01, SMS7052GB/01, SMS9022GB/01, SMS9022GB/08, SMS9022GB/11, SMS9022GB/14, SMU2011GB/01, SMU2011GB/03, SMI2031GB/11, SMI2031GB/13, SMI2031GB/14, SMI2031GB/17, SMI2031GB/20, SMI2032GB/11, SMI2032GB/13, SMI2032GB/14, SMI2032GB/17, SMI2032GB/20, SMI4706GB/01, SMI5081GB/11, SMI5081GB/13, SMI5081GB/14, SMI5082GB/11, SMI5082GB/13, SMI5082GB/14, SMI5084GB/08, SMI5084GB/11, SMI5084GB/14, SMI5086GB/08, SMI5086GB/11, SMI5086GB/13, SMI5086GB/14, SMI5086GB/17, SMI5086GB/20, SMI5502GB/01, SMI6702GB/02, SMI6706GB/01, SMI6706GB/02, SMI7071GB/11, SMI7071GB/14, SMI7072GB/11, SMI7072GB/14, SMI9022GB/08, SMI9022GB/14, SMS2012GB/11, SMS3042GB/08, SMS3042GB/11, SMS3042GB/12, SMS3042GB/14, SMS5032GB/11, SMS5032GB/14, SMS5032GB/19, SMS5058GB/11, SMS5058GB/14, SMS5082GB/11, SMS5082GB/14, SMS5082GB/19, SMS5092GB/11, SMS5092GB/12, SMS6502GB/01, SMS6502GB/03, SMS6502GB/05, SMS6502GB/06, SMS6502GB/07, SMS6702GB/01, SMI4040GB/11, SMI4040GB/13, SMI4040GB/14, SMI4042GB/11, SMI4042GB/13, SMI4042GB/14, SMI4702GB/01, SMI4702GB/02, SMI4702GB/07, SMI5506GB/01, SMI6702GB/01, SMS5092GB/14