What E42 actually means
The dryer's main control board has spotted a fault in its own circuitry for the door lock, and has stopped the cycle rather than carry on.
The board doesn't only switch the door lock coil on and off, it also monitors that switching to confirm it worked. E42 means that monitoring ("sensing") circuit is reading back something impossible, so the board can no longer trust that it knows whether the door is locked. It halts the programme immediately, which is why the drum stops and the machine won't restart into a normal cycle.
What usually causes it
- A fault on the main electronic control board itself \u2014 by far the most common finding
- Damp or corrosion on the board from long-term condensation
- A power surge or supply disturbance that has damaged the board's switching circuit
- Rarely, a wiring or connector fault to the door lock that confuses the sensing signal
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 dryer off at the wall for a minute, then switch back on and try the programme again \u2014 occasionally the alarm clears if it was a one-off glitch
- Close the door firmly and check nothing (a sleeve, a towel corner) is trapped in the catch
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.
Other Electrolux tumble dryer codes
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- Electrolux C06 — The dryer has been running an automatic (sensor) drying prog…
- Electrolux C07 — The dryer isn't getting hot — it checked for a rise in air t…
- Electrolux C08 — The dryer has stopped because its temperature sensor is givi…
- Electrolux C10 — C10 isn't a fault at all — it's one of the service test posi…
- Electrolux E20 — The dryer has stopped mid-cycle because the fan that cools t…
- Electrolux E21 — The dryer has lost control of the pump that moves condensed …
- Electrolux E22 — The dryer's control board can no longer tell whether the wat…