What F03 actually means
The dishwasher has taken in more water than it should and has shut the cycle down to stop it overfilling.
The control board watches how much water comes in during filling. If water keeps arriving after the machine has had enough — or carries on when no fill was called for — it flags this fault, stops the programme and normally runs the drain pump to get rid of the excess. You may find water standing in the bottom of the tub and the machine refusing to carry on.
What F03 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, F03 usually shows up as one or more of these:
- Dishwasher not draining
- Water left in the tub at the end of the cycle
- Stops mid-cycle full of water
- Standing water in the bottom
- Not filling with water
- No water going in
- Takes for ever to fill
- Stops right at the start of the cycle
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
- Water inlet valve not closing fully, so the machine keeps filling
- Water level sensing in the tub reading wrongly
- Drain hose fitted or routed in a way that lets water siphon back into the machine
- Fault on the control board driving the fill valve
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 water supply tap off at the wall — Sharp's own instructions say to close the tap when this code appears.
- Cancel the programme and switch the machine off at the socket for a minute, then turn it back on. If it fills again on its own with the tap off, leave it off.
- Check the drain hose behind the machine is not kinked, crushed or sagging into standing water.
- If there is water sitting in the base, mop it out with a cloth before trying anything else.
Which Sharp models show F03
F03 means the same thing on all 15 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-C13F471W-EN · QW-C13F472W-EN · 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 F03
What does F03 mean on a Sharp dishwasher?
The dishwasher has taken in more water than it should and has shut the cycle down to stop it overfilling. The control board watches how much water comes in during filling. If water keeps arriving after the machine has had enough — or carries on when no fill was called for — it flags this fault, stops the programme and normally runs the drain pump to get rid of the excess. You may find water standing in the bottom of the tub and the machine refusing to carry on.
Can I fix Sharp F03 myself?
There are 4 checks you can safely do yourself first.
- Turn the water supply tap off at the wall — Sharp's own instructions say to close the tap when this code appears.
- Cancel the programme and switch the machine off at the socket for a minute, then turn it back on. If it fills again on its own with the tap off, leave it off.
- Check the drain hose behind the machine is not kinked, crushed or sagging into standing water.
- If there is water sitting in the base, mop it out with a cloth before trying anything else.
This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried them.
How much does it cost to repair Sharp F03?
£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 F03?
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 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
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