What F42 actually means
The machine has detected something wrong with the motor or its speed control, and it has stopped the drum rather than carry on.
F42 sits in the group of Bosch faults tied to the drive motor and its control circuit, alongside F21, F43 and F44. The control board watches the motor's speed while the drum turns; when the feedback doesn't match what it asked for, it halts the programme and logs the code. On these Bosch-built machines that most often traces back to the motor's carbon brushes or the control of the motor rather than the drum or bearings.
What usually causes it
- Worn motor carbon brushes (very common on older Bosch machines with a brush-type motor)
- Fault in the motor itself or its speed feedback
- Control module problem driving the motor
- Wiring or connection fault between board and motor
- A stored code left behind after an earlier motor fault, which needs clearing
What you can safely check yourself
Work through these in order. Anything beyond this — panels off, testing parts, anything to do with the wiring — is an engineer's job, and not one to attempt with the machine plugged in.
- Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then switch back on and try a short programme — this clears a one-off glitch.
- Check nothing is jamming the drum: turn it by hand with the door open and feel for anything trapped, such as a coin or wire from a bra.
- Make sure the load isn't heavily unbalanced — one soaked bulky item can make the motor labour. Redistribute or remove some of the load and retry.
When to call someone
This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and it's £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it — £84 in total if it's repaired on the visit with no parts needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Outside our area? The explanation above still stands — take it to a local engineer and tell them the code. Knowing it saves them time and you money.
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