Flavel E03 fridge freezer: what it means & what to check

What E03 actually means

The fridge section's temperature sensor has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading, so the appliance can no longer tell how cold the fresh food compartment actually is.

Each compartment has a small air sensor that reports its temperature back to the main board. On these Flavel fridge freezers, E03 means the reading from the fresh food (fridge) compartment air sensor is out of range or absent altogether, and the board flags the fault rather than guessing. The freezer side usually carries on as normal, but fridge cooling falls back on a default pattern, so the compartment often ends up too warm or noticeably too cold, sometimes with food freezing at the back.

What E03 looks like on a Flavel fridge freezer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Flavel fridge freezer, E03 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Fridge freezer door won't open
Door won't lock or click shut
Door lock light flashing
Door stuck shut with the load inside
Won't start even with the door closed
Overfilling, or won't stop filling
Stops with water still inside
Fills and drains over and over

Recognise any of those? That is this fault, and the rest of this page explains what causes it and what you can check yourself.

What usually causes it

The fresh food compartment air sensor itself has failed
A loose or corroded plug on the sensor wiring
Damp or condensation getting into the sensor connection
A fault on the main control board reading the sensor

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 appliance off at the wall for a minute, then switch it back on — an intermittent glitch can clear, though a genuine sensor fault will bring the code straight back
Check the fridge door is closing fully and the seal isn't being held open by an overfilled shelf or a stray package
Move food away from the vents inside the fridge so air can circulate normally, and keep an eye on how cold things are actually getting

Which Flavel models show E03

E03 means the same thing on all 2 of these models. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

7248541919 · 7248741919

Common questions about Flavel E03

What does E03 mean on a Flavel fridge freezer?

The fridge section's temperature sensor has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading, so the appliance can no longer tell how cold the fresh food compartment actually is. Each compartment has a small air sensor that reports its temperature back to the main board. On these Flavel fridge freezers, E03 means the reading from the fresh food (fridge) compartment air sensor is out of range or absent altogether, and the board flags the fault rather than guessing. The freezer side usually carries on as normal, but fridge cooling falls back on a default pattern, so the compartment often ends up too warm or noticeably too cold, sometimes with food freezing at the back.

Can I fix Flavel E03 myself?

There are 3 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the appliance off at the wall for a minute, then switch it back on — an intermittent glitch can clear, though a genuine sensor fault will bring the code straight back.
Check the fridge door is closing fully and the seal isn't being held open by an overfilled shelf or a stray package.
Move food away from the vents inside the fridge so air can circulate normally, and keep an eye on how cold things are actually getting.

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried them.

How much does it cost to repair Flavel E03?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Tried the checks and it's still showing E03?

This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. Then it wants someone who can open it up.

What it costs, before you call: the price is the same whatever the fault turns out to be — £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our own engineers, not a call centre. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire — most fridge freezer faults are seen same day or next day.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

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 Flavel fridge freezer codes

All Flavel fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

Repairs we cover near you

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs, 0115 648 0929. We repair these machines for a living in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Flavel E03 error — fridge freezer