What E13 actually means
The washing machine's main control board has lost contact with the display board, so it stops rather than run a cycle it can't show or control.
Willow lists E13 as an LCD communication error. The two circuit boards inside the machine — the main control and the display/touch panel — talk to each other constantly, and if that link goes quiet or comes back garbled, the machine halts. Typically the panel goes blank, freezes, or lights up but won't accept a programme selection.
What usually causes it
- A loose or corroded ribbon connector between the display and main board
- A failed display (LCD) board
- A failed main control board
- Damp or a steam leak getting into the control area
- Software mismatch between the boards after a part has been changed
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 programme knob to the off position, wait a few seconds, then switch off at the wall for a minute and try again — the fault is sometimes a one-off glitch.
- Check the machine is on a normal wall socket rather than an extension lead or adaptor.
- If the panel is wet or you have been cleaning around it, let it dry fully before trying again.
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.
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