What is actually happening
This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
The Siemens fault codes that point at this
A Siemens washing machine will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to drum not turning:
- E01 — The machine can't confirm the door is shut and locked, so it won't start or carry on with the wash.
- E03 — The machine tried to pump the water out, didn't manage it in the time allowed, and stopped with a drum still full.
- E16 — The machine can't confirm the door is properly shut and locked, so it won't start the cycle.
- E18 — The machine couldn't pump the water out in the time it expects, so it has stopped with the drum still holding water.
- E36 — The machine tried to pump the water out, ran out of time and gave up — so it has stopped with a drum still holding water.
- E36-10 — The machine tried to pump the water out and didn't manage it in the time allowed, so it has stopped rather than carry on with a drum full of water.
- E43 — The machine has stopped because the drum motor isn't performing as the control board expects — on Siemens washers this usually points to worn motor brushes.
- F03 — The machine has not managed to get the water out of the drum in the time it expects, so it has stopped with a drum still full or part full of water.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a Siemens washing machine
- A snapped or dislodged drive belt
- Worn motor carbon brushes, leaving too little power to turn a loaded drum
- A seized drum bearing
- A failed motor or motor control board on direct-drive machines
- An item jammed between the inner and outer drum
What you can safely check yourself
- Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings
- Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement
- Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge
Still drum not turning?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £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 engineers work on Siemens machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my Siemens washing machine drum not turning?
The machine fills and the cycle runs, but the drum never rotates. This is different from a machine that will not spin: here the drum does not move at all, even at slow wash speed. On a belt-driven machine the belt has almost always come off or snapped, and the giveaway is that the motor can be heard running with nothing happening. On a direct-drive machine there is no belt, so the fault is the motor or its control.
Can I fix a Siemens washing machine drum not turning myself?
Turn the empty drum by hand — very free movement suggests a belt, stiffness or grinding suggests bearings. Listen during a cycle for a motor running with no drum movement. Check nothing is jammed at the drum edge. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What Siemens error codes mean drum not turning?
Siemens washing machines report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at drum not turning are E01, E03, E16, E18, E36, E36-10. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a Siemens washing machine repair cost?
£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.
Other Siemens washing machine faults
- washing machine not draining
- washing machine not spinning
- washing machine leaking water
- washing machine making a loud noise
- washing machine not heating the water
- washing machine door will not open