What E08 actually means
The control board can't drive the drum motor properly, so the machine stops rather than carry on.
E08 is logged as a motor triac fault ">main control board" " — the triac is the switching device on the main control board that feeds power to the motor. When the board sees that switch behaving incorrectly, it shuts the cycle down, usually as the drum is being asked to turn or spin. One of Willow's service flowcharts also has the engineer check that the mains supply at the socket sits between 170 and 265 volts before condemning the board, so a poor or unstable supply can trigger it too.
What usually causes it
- Failed triac on the main control board
- Unstable or low mains voltage at the socket (extension leads, poor wiring)
- Motor wiring loom chafed or a connector worked loose
- Motor itself drawing too much current, often after a bearing has gone stiff
- Water or damp having got to the control board
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 knob to off, wait a few seconds and restart — that resets the machine and clears a one-off fault
- Switch off at the wall for a minute, then power up and try a short cycle
- Plug the machine directly into a wall socket rather than an extension lead or adaptor
- Listen when you restart: if the drum makes a harsh rumble or won't turn by hand, mention that when you book the repair
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 E04 — The machine thinks it has taken in more water than it should…
- 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 E09 — The machine has stopped because the mains voltage reaching i…