Montpellier E18 tumble dryer: what it means & what to check

What E18 actually means

The temperature sensor that watches the drying air has given a reading the control board doesn't believe, so the machine has abandoned the drying side of the cycle.

These Montpellier machines are washer-dryers, and the drying circuit has its own NTC temperature sensor. The board reads that sensor's resistance and expects a sensible room-ish figure — the service test looks for something between 0°C and 50°C. If the value falls outside that window, or the sensor reads erratically, the board treats it as a faulty reading, skips the heating stage and puts up E18. In practice you'll usually find the wash side still works and it's the drying that either doesn't heat or stops early.

What E18 looks like on a Montpellier tumble dryer

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Montpellier tumble dryer, E18 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Not drying
Blowing cold air
Clothes still damp at the end
Takes hours to dry
No function at all
Dead — nothing lights up
Lights flashing and nothing happening
Programme won't start

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 dryer NTC temperature sensor has drifted out of tolerance or failed
A loose or corroded plug where the sensor connects to the main control board
The machine standing somewhere very cold, such as an unheated garage or outbuilding
Damaged or chafed sensor wiring in the drying circuit
A fault on the main control board itself reading the sensor incorrectly

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, switch back on and try a drying programme again — a one-off misread will sometimes clear.
If it's in a garage, outhouse or anywhere near freezing, let the room warm up before trying again. The sensor reading has to sit inside a sensible range or the board rejects it.
Equally, if the machine has only recently finished a long hot cycle, leave it an hour to cool before restarting.
Try a wash-only programme. If that runs normally, it confirms the fault is on the drying side and helps whoever attends.

Which Montpellier models show E18

E18 means the same thing on all 6 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.

MWD8514W · MWM1014BLW · MWM814BLC · MWM814BLK · MWM814BLS · MWM814BLW

Common questions about Montpellier E18

What does E18 mean on a Montpellier tumble dryer?

The temperature sensor that watches the drying air has given a reading the control board doesn't believe, so the machine has abandoned the drying side of the cycle. These Montpellier machines are washer-dryers, and the drying circuit has its own NTC temperature sensor. The board reads that sensor's resistance and expects a sensible room-ish figure — the service test looks for something between 0°C and 50°C. If the value falls outside that window, or the sensor reads erratically, the board treats it as a faulty reading, skips the heating stage and puts up E18. In practice you'll usually find the wash side still works and it's the drying that either doesn't heat or stops early.

Can I fix Montpellier E18 myself?

There are 4 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, switch back on and try a drying programme again — a one-off misread will sometimes clear.
If it's in a garage, outhouse or anywhere near freezing, let the room warm up before trying again. The sensor reading has to sit inside a sensible range or the board rejects it.
Equally, if the machine has only recently finished a long hot cycle, leave it an hour to cool before restarting.
Try a wash-only programme. If that runs normally, it confirms the fault is on the drying side and helps whoever attends.

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

How much does it cost to repair Montpellier E18?

£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 E18?

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 tumble dryer 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 Montpellier tumble dryer codes

All Montpellier fault codes and repairs →

What this looks like when it happens

tumble dryer not heating

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.

Montpellier E18 error — tumble dryer