Grundig E16 washing machine: what it means & what to check

What E16 actually means

The sensor that checks how clean the rinse water is has stopped giving a sensible reading, so the control board has flagged a fault with it.

Grundig machines in this series use a rinsing sensor to judge how much detergent is still in the water and adjust the rinses accordingly. E16 is logged when the board sees that sensor as either open circuit or short circuit — in other words no usable signal at all. The fault notes that the customer generally cannot tell anything is wrong from the wash itself, so it often shows up as a stored fault rather than a cycle that stops dead, with the machine falling back on its standard rinsing.

What E16 looks like on a Grundig washing machine

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Grundig washing machine, E16 usually shows up as one or more of these:

No function at all
Dead — nothing lights up
Lights flashing and nothing happening
Programme won't start
Machine tripping the electrics
E16 flashing on the display
Beeping and showing E16

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

A loose or partly unseated plug on the control board where the sensor connects
Damaged or chafed wiring between the sensor and the board
The rinsing sensor itself having failed
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 machine off at the wall for a minute, then switch back on and run a short cycle to see whether the code returns — an intermittent connection sometimes clears
Run a cycle with the correct dose of detergent, as heavy foaming can make rinsing behaviour look wrong when the sensor is fine

Which Grundig models show E16

E16 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.

7129141100 · 7129141400

Common questions about Grundig E16

What does E16 mean on a Grundig washing machine?

The sensor that checks how clean the rinse water is has stopped giving a sensible reading, so the control board has flagged a fault with it. Grundig machines in this series use a rinsing sensor to judge how much detergent is still in the water and adjust the rinses accordingly. E16 is logged when the board sees that sensor as either open circuit or short circuit — in other words no usable signal at all. The fault notes that the customer generally cannot tell anything is wrong from the wash itself, so it often shows up as a stored fault rather than a cycle that stops dead, with the machine falling back on its standard rinsing.

Can I fix Grundig E16 myself?

There are 2 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then switch back on and run a short cycle to see whether the code returns — an intermittent connection sometimes clears.
Run a cycle with the correct dose of detergent, as heavy foaming can make rinsing behaviour look wrong when the sensor is fine.

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

How much does it cost to repair Grundig E16?

£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 E16?

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 washing machine 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 washing machine 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 E16 error — washing machine