Toshiba 01 - 11 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
An indoor fan motor problem on the RAS domestic range. Read as a pair — initial code 01, detail code 11.
Take care
What 01 - 11 means
This is a fan motor fault on the indoor unit, published by Toshiba in the RAS N Series table under initial code 01. Before anything else, note how it is written. Toshiba domestic codes come in two parts: an initial code, which is 01, 02 or 03, and then a detail code. Searching for the detail code alone will find you tables from other manufacturers where the same two characters mean something entirely different, which is one of the commonest ways people end up with the wrong diagnosis. Quote both. The indoor fan is what makes the system useful. The refrigerant circuit can be working perfectly and the compressor running happily, but if no air is being drawn across the indoor coil then no heat is being moved into or out of the room.
So this presents as a system that appears to be running — the outdoor unit is going, there may be noise, everything looks alive — while the room does nothing. Sometimes there is no airflow at all; sometimes the fan turns slowly or intermittently, which is worse in a way, because the machine appears to be working. There is a link back to airflow that is worth drawing, because it works in both directions. A fan that is struggling produces the same consequences as a blocked filter: the coil gets too cold, ice forms, and the system may trip a freeze protection before it ever reports the fan itself. And a filter that has been left long enough loads the fan, because it is working against a restriction. So the honest first check is the filter, not because it causes this code, but because it is free, it is yours to do, and a system with clean filters that still reports a fan fault has given you a much cleaner diagnosis.
Beyond that this is inside the indoor unit. Toshiba are explicit that high voltages are present when access covers are removed, and the fan motor sits alongside the control board and the mains wiring. Their current service manual describes the same fault in its own terms: the indoor fan motor has failed, locked, short-circuited or become disconnected, or the circuit that drives it on the board has a problem; every lamp goes off and the unit flashes when the error is detected; and the engineer’s first step is the motor and its connection, with the board only if those are sound.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| A failed indoor fan motor | The direct meaning of the code. Toshiba’s service manual lists failure, a locked rotor, a short circuit and a disconnection. The motor has stopped, is drawing wrongly, or is not reporting the speed the board expects of it. | Common |
| A control board or drive fault | The board drives the motor and reads back what it is doing. A fault at that end produces an identical code with a perfectly good motor. | Occasional |
| A mechanical obstruction | Something fouling the fan barrel, or bearings that have stiffened with age and dust. The motor is fine but cannot turn as it should. | Occasional |
| A wiring or connector fault | Vibration and heat work connectors loose over years. Often intermittent, which is a useful clue and worth reporting if it comes and goes. | Occasional |
| A long-blocked filter loading the motor | Not the code’s cause, but it makes the fan work against a restriction for years. Cheap to eliminate and worth doing before anyone attends. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Read and note the full code before you do anything else. Toshiba’s technical handbook warns that switching the power off clears the diagnostic memory.
This is the opposite of the usual advice. Toshiba’s current service manual says the codes survive a power cycle on the latest units, but you cannot tell from the room which behaviour yours has, so read first regardless.Write down both parts — the initial code and the detail code. The detail code alone is ambiguous and matches other manufacturers’ tables.
Take the filters out and check them. A restricted filter loads the fan and produces overlapping symptoms, and it is free to eliminate.
Listen to the indoor unit. No sound at all, a hum without movement, and a fan that turns then stops are three different pictures and all are worth reporting.
Check nothing has fallen into or against the outlet grille that could be fouling the fan.
Call an engineer with the full code and what you heard.
Do not remove the access covers. Toshiba state plainly that caution must be taken because high voltages are present, and the fan motor sits alongside the control board.
Get an F-Gas certified heat pump engineer to look at your Toshiba 01 - 11
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book an F-Gas certified heat pump engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£150–£450
Time on site
1h 30m
A fan motor with labour. A connector or obstruction is cheaper; a control board can be more, particularly on an older unit where the part is harder to source.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Toshiba fault codes
- 01 - 04Get it checkedIndoor to outdoor communication on the RAS range. Toshiba’s own list starts with the connecting cable and includes the outdoor unit’s protectors — and read the code before you switch anything off.Related: same brand
- 03 - 1EGet it checkedHigh compressor discharge temperature. Toshiba group it with the locked rotor and overcurrent codes, and it points at the refrigerant circuit.Related: same brand
Own a Toshiba air conditioner? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Toshiba 01 - 11
I already turned it off and the code has gone.
That is what Toshiba’s technical handbook warns about — powering down clears the diagnostic memory on the units it covers. On the current range the service manual says the code stays in memory through a power cycle, so it may still be there through the remote’s service mode; try that before assuming it is lost. Either way the fault will usually reappear, and next time read it before cutting the power.
Why is the code written as two parts?
Because Toshiba structure the domestic table that way: an initial code of 01, 02 or 03 identifies the group, and the detail code identifies the fault within it. Quoting only the detail code is how people end up reading another manufacturer’s table by accident, since the same two characters recur everywhere.
The outdoor unit is running fine, so surely the system works?
The outdoor unit can run perfectly while the room stays exactly as it was. All the heat exchange with your room happens across the indoor coil, and that needs air moving over it. No indoor fan means no effect, however healthy everything outside sounds.
Is it worth repairing?
Usually yes. An indoor fan motor is a considerably smaller job than anything involving the refrigerant circuit or the compressor, it does not require the system to be opened up, and it does not need refrigerant handling. It is one of the more economic faults on a split system.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.