Sharp F02 dishwasher: what it means & what to check

Stop using it for now. Carrying on with this fault risks further damage or a leak. Switch it off at the wall until it has been looked at.

What F02 actually means

The dishwasher has tried to pump the water out and failed to empty within the time it allows, so it has stopped with water still in the bottom.

During the drain part of the cycle the control board expects the tub to be empty within a set period. When it isn't, the machine flags a drain timeout and halts rather than carrying on and filling again. You will normally open the door to find dirty water sitting over the filter and the programme frozen part-way through.

What F02 looks like on a Sharp dishwasher

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Sharp dishwasher, F02 usually shows up as one or more of these:

Dishwasher 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
Dishwasher not draining
Water left in the tub at the end of the cycle
Stops mid-cycle full of water

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

Blocked filter or debris caught in the sump under it
Kinked, crushed or trapped drain hose behind the machine
Blockage in the waste pipe, sink trap or the spigot on a waste connection (often a plastic blanking plug left in when the machine was fitted)
Something solid — glass, a fruit stone, a label — jammed in the drain pump impeller
Failed drain pump or a wiring fault to it

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, then scoop or sponge the standing water out of the tub so you can see what you are doing.
Take out the coarse and fine filters in the base, rinse them under the tap and clear any food or grit from the recess they sit in.
Look behind the machine and make sure the drain hose isn't kinked, crushed against the wall or pushed too far down into the standpipe.
If it drains into a sink waste, check the sink itself isn't slow to empty — a blocked trap will stop the dishwasher draining too.
Leave it off at the socket for a minute, switch back on and run a short programme to see whether the code returns.

Which Sharp models show F02

F02 means the same thing on all 13 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.

QW-D592X · QW-D692X · QW-G472W · QW-GD52I472X-EN · QW-GD53I443X-EN · QW-GT13F492W-EN · QW-GT21F472W-EN · QW-GT43F393I-EN · QW-GT45F444I-EN · QW-S486X · QW-T13F491W-EN · QW-T21F472W-EN · QW-T24F463W-EN

Common questions about Sharp F02

What does F02 mean on a Sharp dishwasher?

The dishwasher has tried to pump the water out and failed to empty within the time it allows, so it has stopped with water still in the bottom. During the drain part of the cycle the control board expects the tub to be empty within a set period. When it isn't, the machine flags a drain timeout and halts rather than carrying on and filling again. You will normally open the door to find dirty water sitting over the filter and the programme frozen part-way through.

Can I fix Sharp F02 myself?

There are 5 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall, then scoop or sponge the standing water out of the tub so you can see what you are doing.
Take out the coarse and fine filters in the base, rinse them under the tap and clear any food or grit from the recess they sit in.
Look behind the machine and make sure the drain hose isn't kinked, crushed against the wall or pushed too far down into the standpipe.
If it drains into a sink waste, check the sink itself isn't slow to empty — a blocked trap will stop the dishwasher draining too.
Leave it off at the socket for a minute, switch back on and run a short programme to see whether the code returns.

This sometimes clears with those checks. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly.

How much does it cost to repair Sharp F02?

£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 F02?

This sometimes clears with the checks above. If it comes back, it needs looking at properly. 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 dishwasher 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 Sharp dishwasher codes

All Sharp 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.

Sharp F02 error — dishwasher