Troubleshooting Bosch Dishwasher E09 Error Code

Why It Fails:

If the E09 error code is appearing on your dishwasher, it typically means that the heating element has somehow failed. To be precise, that means is that the heating element has burnt out for some reason.

The most common reasons for a burnt out heating element include water that’s found its way into the heater, a clogged drainage filter, or as the result of hard water and scaling.

In some cases, the heating element may have developed holes that allow water to flow inside. That could cause it to short out and burn.

Besides that, a clogged drainage filter could cause water to recirculate too slowly inside the dishwasher.

When that happens, it’s possible for the heating element to overheat, as there’s no water to help absorb that excess heat.

Lastly, if you live in an area that has hard water, scaling could occur on the heating element. That could lead to prolonged water heating and damage to the heating element.

If you have a multimeter at home, that could be very useful to diagnose the heating element and confirm whether or not it has failed.

A multimeter will help you test the continuity in the heating element, that is, to ensure that electrical current can indeed flow through the element as it should.

At first glance, it’s easy to assume that dishwashers only have parts that circulate water to wash dishes. While that’s true, Bosch dishwashers and many others also have heating elements inside to help with the drying process. That’s why your Bosch dishwasher might display an E09 error code.

The E09 error code on a Bosch dishwasher is caused by a burnt-out heating element. The element itself might have failed, or the control board has failed and isn’t supplying the heating element with any power. If the error code appears alongside the salt LED (on some models). In that case, it’s also possible that the root cause is a dirty salt sensor sending the wrong signals to the dishwasher.

In the following sections, we will look at the parts that cause the E09 error code on your Bosch dishwasher and what you can do to fix it.

Related: All Bosch Dishwasher Error Codes – How To Enter Diagnostic Mode?

On Bosch dishwashers, the E09 error code means that there’s a problem related to the dishwasher’s heating element. The code has the same meaning across all Bosch brand dishwashers, regardless of the model.

Suppose the E09 error code is on display at the same time as the salt LED. If that’s the case, then the problem might actually be a dirty salt sensor that’s mistakenly triggering the E09 code as well.

Related: 5 Common BOSCH Dishwasher Problems

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1. Failed Heating Element

Like most brands of dishwashers, those by Bosch also have an electrical heating element inside. Typically, you’ll find the heating element located at the bottom of the dishwasher inside the washing compartment.

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The heating element generates heat for several different reasons. Typically, the heating element helps to heat up the water that’s used to wash the plates, making the entire washing cycle much more effective.

Besides that, the heating element also helps to speed up the drying process once the dishes have already been cleaned.

As part of that, the heat generated by the heating element also helps to kill off any germs and bacteria, thereby sanitising the dishes before you take them out of the machine.

Why It Fails:

If the E09 error code is appearing on your dishwasher, it typically means that the heating element has somehow failed. To be precise, that means is that the heating element has burnt out for some reason.

The most common reasons for a burnt out heating element include water that’s found its way into the heater, a clogged drainage filter, or as the result of hard water and scaling.

In some cases, the heating element may have developed holes that allow water to flow inside. That could cause it to short out and burn.

Besides that, a clogged drainage filter could cause water to recirculate too slowly inside the dishwasher.

When that happens, it’s possible for the heating element to overheat, as there’s no water to help absorb that excess heat.

Lastly, if you live in an area that has hard water, scaling could occur on the heating element. That could lead to prolonged water heating and damage to the heating element.

If you have a multimeter at home, that could be very useful to diagnose the heating element and confirm whether or not it has failed.

A multimeter will help you test the continuity in the heating element, that is, to ensure that electrical current can indeed flow through the element as it should.

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