What E04 actually means
The machine thinks it has taken in more water than it should, so it has stopped the programme and gone into a protective drain.
On Willow washers, E04 is the overflow warning. The water level sensing tells the control board the drum has filled past the safe level, and rather than risk water coming out of the door or detergent drawer the machine cuts the fill, runs the pump and halts the cycle. You'll usually see it part-way through a wash with more water in the drum than normal, and often the pump keeps running even after the programme has stopped.
What usually causes it
- Too much detergent, so a wall of foam fools the level sensing
- A water inlet valve that keeps passing water after it should have shut
- A blocked or split pressure hose to the level sensor, giving a false high reading
- A faulty electronic pressure sensor or level switch
- Drain hose pushed too far down the standpipe, siphoning water back in
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 power it back up and start a short rinse and spin to see if it repeats.
- If the drum still has water, run a drain or spin programme first.
- Clean the pump filter at the bottom front and make sure the drain hose is not kinked or squashed behind the machine.
- Check the drain hose end sits at the correct height and is not pushed right down into the standpipe.
- Use a lot less detergent on the next wash — a full dose plus a small load causes a great deal of foam.
- Turn the water tap off and leave it a while; if water keeps trickling into the drum with the machine off, the inlet valve is at fault and needs an engineer.
When to call someone
This one usually needs an engineer once you have tried the checks above. We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, and it's £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it — £84 in total if it's repaired on the visit with no parts needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
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 Willow washing machine codes
- Willow E01 — The machine can't confirm the door is locked, so it won't st…
- Willow E02 — The machine isn't getting enough water in, so it has stopped…
- Willow E03 — The machine can't get the water out of the drum, so it has s…
- Willow E05 — The machine can't get a sensible reading from the temperatur…
- Willow E06 — The machine has lost the signal that tells it how fast the d…
- Willow E07 — The washing machine's control board has lost or mismatched i…
- Willow E08 — The control board can't drive the drum motor properly, so th…
- Willow E09 — The machine has stopped because the mains voltage reaching i…