Teknix E04 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 E04 actually means

The dishwasher has decided there is too much water inside it and has shut the cycle down to stop a flood.

E04 is the overfill/overflow warning on these Teknix machines, and the fault makes clear it outranks every other fault code — once E04 is showing, any other code is ignored and the machine will not carry on regardless of what else it thinks is wrong. The usual trigger is water continuing to enter the tub when the control board has told it to stop, which the documents put down to the water inlet valve being unable to close properly because it has corroded or become jammed with grit and scale. You may also hear the drain pump running on its own, as the machine tries to get rid of the excess water.

What E04 looks like on a Teknix dishwasher

Most people find this page having searched for what the machine is doing rather than the code itself. On a Teknix dishwasher, E04 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 stuck open by scale, grit or corrosion, so it keeps filling
A leak inside the machine tripping the overflow protection
Too much water in the base from a blocked or slow drain
Excess foam from the wrong detergent or too much of it lifting the water level
Faulty water level sensing or control board reading the level wrongly

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 it back on and see whether the code returns straight away or only once it starts filling.
Turn the water supply tap behind or under the unit off while you wait for it to be looked at — if the inlet valve is stuck this stops water carrying on into the machine.
Clean the filter in the bottom of the tub and clear any food debris from the sump area you can reach by hand.
Check the drain hose is not kinked, crushed behind the machine or pushed too far into the waste pipe.
If you have recently changed detergent or used washing-up liquid by mistake, that can cause enough foam to trip the level protection — go back to a proper dishwasher detergent at the normal dose.

Which Teknix models show E04

E04 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.

TBD605 · TBD606 · TFD455S · TFD455W · TFD616S · TFD616W

Common questions about Teknix E04

What does E04 mean on a Teknix dishwasher?

The dishwasher has decided there is too much water inside it and has shut the cycle down to stop a flood. E04 is the overfill/overflow warning on these Teknix machines, and the fault makes clear it outranks every other fault code — once E04 is showing, any other code is ignored and the machine will not carry on regardless of what else it thinks is wrong. The usual trigger is water continuing to enter the tub when the control board has told it to stop, which the documents put down to the water inlet valve being unable to close properly because it has corroded or become jammed with grit and scale. You may also hear the drain pump running on its own, as the machine tries to get rid of the excess water.

Can I fix Teknix E04 myself?

There are 5 checks you can safely do yourself first.

Turn the machine off at the wall for a minute, then switch it back on and see whether the code returns straight away or only once it starts filling.
Turn the water supply tap behind or under the unit off while you wait for it to be looked at — if the inlet valve is stuck this stops water carrying on into the machine.
Clean the filter in the bottom of the tub and clear any food debris from the sump area you can reach by hand.
Check the drain hose is not kinked, crushed behind the machine or pushed too far into the waste pipe.
If you have recently changed detergent or used washing-up liquid by mistake, that can cause enough foam to trip the level protection — go back to a proper dishwasher detergent at the normal dose.

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

How much does it cost to repair Teknix E04?

£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 E04?

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 Teknix dishwasher codes

All Teknix 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.

Teknix E04 error — dishwasher