Grundig E11 fridge freezer: what it means & what to check

What E11 actually means

Grundig's control board watches a small temperature probe clipped to the evaporator in the multi-zone ("joker") compartment — the drawer section that can be switched between fridge and freezer settings. If the reading goes open-circuit, short-circuit or simply out of a believable range, the board flags it and displays this code rather than guess at defrost timing. In practice the appliance falls back on a fixed run pattern instead of proper temperature control, so cooling in that compartment becomes unreliable and frost can build up on the coil.

What E11 looks like on a Grundig fridge freezer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Grundig fridge freezer, E11 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Fridge freezer not draining
Water left in the machine at the end of the cycle
Stops mid-cycle full of water
Standing water in the bottom
Not heating the water
Washing coming out cold
Cycle takes far longer than it should
Not cooling

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 evaporator sensor itself has failed or gone open-circuit
A chafed or corroded sensor wire, or a connector that has worked loose behind the compartment
Water ingress or heavy frost around the sensor from a blocked defrost drain
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 socket, leave it a full minute, then switch it back on — Grundig's own notes say a sensor fault clears itself on power-up if the cause has gone, so a code that returns immediately is a genuine fault rather than a glitch
Check the flexible-zone drawer is closing and sealing properly, and that nothing is jammed against the back wall of that compartment blocking airflow
Move anything highly perishable into the main fridge or freezer section until the fault is dealt with, and use a fridge thermometer to see whether that compartment is actually holding temperature

Which Grundig models show E11

E11 means the same thing on this model. If yours is not listed, the explanation above still applies — the code is set by the control board, not the model number.

7278346313

Common questions about Grundig E11

What does E11 mean on a Grundig fridge freezer?

The fridge freezer has lost a sensible reading from the temperature sensor on the evaporator (the cooling coil) serving the flexible-zone compartment, so it can no longer control cooling or defrost in that section properly. Grundig's control board watches a small temperature probe clipped to the evaporator in the multi-zone ("joker") compartment — the drawer section that can be switched between fridge and freezer settings. If the reading goes open-circuit, short-circuit or simply out of a believable range, the board flags it and displays this code rather than guess at defrost timing. In practice the appliance falls back on a fixed run pattern instead of proper temperature control, so cooling in that compartment becomes unreliable and frost can build up on the coil.

Can I fix Grundig E11 myself?

There are 3 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the appliance off at the wall socket, leave it a full minute, then switch it back on — Grundig's own notes say a sensor fault clears itself on power-up if the cause has gone, so a code that returns immediately is a genuine fault rather than a glitch.
Check the flexible-zone drawer is closing and sealing properly, and that nothing is jammed against the back wall of that compartment blocking airflow.
Move anything highly perishable into the main fridge or freezer section until the fault is dealt with, and use a fridge thermometer to see whether that compartment is actually holding temperature.

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

How much does it cost to repair Grundig E11?

£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 E11?

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 Grundig fridge freezer codes

All Grundig 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.

Grundig E11 error — fridge freezer