CDA dishwasher fault codes
CDA dishwashers are sold through kitchen showrooms rather than electrical retailers, so a lot of owners inherit one with the kitchen and never think of CDA as an appliance brand at all. They do publish a proper fault code table, and it is a good one — every code has an official meaning and CDA tell you plainly which of them mean turn the water off. One thing to check before you read on: CDA sell two families of dishwasher with two different code systems. This page is the F-code table, printed in the manuals for the CDI4121, CDI4251, CDI4320, CDI4420, CDI6121, CDI6132, CDI6241, CDI6242 and CDI6371. If your CDA shows E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, E7, EA, Ed or Ec — the current CDI4100, CDI4200, CDI6100, CDI6200, CDI6300 and CDI6400 — it is a different platform with a different table, and the meanings on this page do not apply to it.
Where the code shows on a CDA
On the F-code machines CDA use an F prefix throughout: FF, then F1, F2, F3, F5, F6, F7, F8 and F9 — there is no F4 — then FE, plus HI and LO for voltage problems. That last pair is unusual and worth recognising as a code rather than a status message. CDA describe the programme display as doubling up as a diagnostic display, so the code appears where the cycle information normally would. The E-code machines (CDI4100, CDI4200, CDI6100, CDI6200, CDI6300, CDI6400) are a separate platform: their manuals list E1 for overflow or leakage, E2 for a water inlet or supply fault, E4 for the water distribution valve, E5 fan, E6 abnormal heating, E7 thermistor, EA communication, Ed drain pump and Ec washing pump, and CDA’s instruction for E1 is to turn off the main water supply before calling for service. The SCD4509 and SCD6011 have no codes at all and flash programme indicators instead: Rapid for a long fill, Rapid with 90 min for not reaching temperature, ECO for overflow. None of those are on this page.
How to reset a CDA
CDA publish no reset sequence as such, but they do publish the programme cancel that their F2 advice relies on: open the door slightly to reduce the risk of water spilling, press and hold the Programme selection button for about three seconds until the display shows 1, then close the door. The machine drains for about thirty seconds, beeps five times and shows 00. Where a code is clearable the remedy is to fix the cause and cancel the programme; where it is not, their instruction is simply to contact customer care. On the two water codes they add an isolation step before that, and those are the ones to act on immediately.
Most common CDA faults
The CDA codes people look up most.
- F2Get it checkedCannot discharge water. CDA mention glass shards by name in their own remedy, which is a warning as much as a diagnosis.
- FFGet it checkedWater inlet system failure. CDA want the tap checked and the hose filter cleaned, and both are free.
- F1Stop — call an engineerOverflow. CDA tell you to unplug the machine and close the tap — power first, then water, and the order is worth understanding.
- F3Stop — call an engineerWater is still coming in and the machine cannot stop it. Close the tap now — this is the one CDA code to act on before reading anything else.
Every CDA fault code
6 published codes. Filtering happens in the page — every one is in the HTML.
Showing 6 of 6 codes
| Code | What it means | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| F2 | Cannot discharge water. CDA mention glass shards by name in their own remedy, which is a warning as much as a diagnosis. | Get it checked |
| FF | Water inlet system failure. CDA want the tap checked and the hose filter cleaned, and both are free. | Get it checked |
| F1 | Overflow. CDA tell you to unplug the machine and close the tap — power first, then water, and the order is worth understanding. | Stop — call an engineer |
| F3 | Water is still coming in and the machine cannot stop it. Close the tap now — this is the one CDA code to act on before reading anything else. | Stop — call an engineer |
| F7 | Overheating. CDA publish it as a distinct fault from their two heater codes, which tells you something about what it means. | Get it checked |
| F9 | Divisor position error. The machine has lost track of the valve that decides which spray arm gets the water. | Get it checked |
CDA models
Codes can differ between generations. Check yours.
Guides that help with CDA faults
How to reset a dishwasher, and why most codes have no reset
On a dishwasher, "reset" usually means cancel the programme. What each manufacturer actually offers, and the codes they deliberately give no reset for.Read the guideDishwasher not draining or not filling: what to check
Drain and fill codes are the biggest cluster in the category, and most end for nothing. The checks the manufacturers publish, in order, and where they stop.Read the guideDishwasher leak and flood codes: what to do right now
Every dishwasher code rated dangerous here means water where it should not be. What the machine is doing, what to do in the next two minutes, and what not to.Read the guide
Looking for CDA’s own support? www.cda.co.uk. We are not affiliated with CDA.