Siemens E06 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Siemens report a faulty door sensor or faulty electronics. The door switch is what tells the machine it is safe to throw water about, so nothing runs until it is happy.
Take care
What E06 means
Siemens give E06 as the dishwasher having detected a faulty door sensor or faulty electronics, and the two halves of that sentence are worth separating because they carry very different prices. The door sensor is a small switch operated by the catch, and its job is a safety interlock rather than a convenience: the machine will not start a programme, and will not keep running one, unless that switch confirms the door is shut. It has to work that way, because a dishwasher at full tilt is throwing near-boiling water around under pressure.
So a failed switch presents as an appliance that appears completely dead or that stops the moment it starts, which owners reliably read as a control board failure when it is very often a mechanical part in the door. The thing to check before assuming anything electrical is the door itself. These machines are heavy, and an integrated one is carrying a cupboard door bolted to the front of it. If the hinges or the springs have worn, or the furniture has been refitted slightly out of line, the door closes and looks shut without pressing the switch far enough to make contact. That is a door adjustment rather than a fault. The second half of Siemens’ sentence is the harder one: the same code covers the electronics reporting themselves faulty, which is a board rather than a switch.
Siemens offer no way to tell the two apart from the display, and their instruction for this code is to contact service. There is one thing worth doing first, which they publish for the electronics codes generally: switch the machine off, wait a few minutes and switch it on again. A code that clears and does not return was a glitch. A code that comes straight back is real.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Door not fully latching | Worn hinges, tired springs or a decor panel refitted out of line. The door looks closed and the switch never closes, and no part has actually failed. | Common |
| Door switch or interlock failed | The switch itself no longer making contact. A cheap part, and the outcome you want from this code rather than the one people fear. | Common |
| Catch or striker worn on an integrated machine | The plastic catch wears where a cupboard door adds weight and leverage to every closing. More common on integrated machines than freestanding ones. | Occasional |
| Wiring to the door switch chafed | The loom runs to a moving part, so a broken core inside intact insulation is a real failure mode and an intermittent one. | Occasional |
| Control electronics faulty | The other half of what Siemens describe, and the expensive half. Reached after the door and the switch have been eliminated rather than guessed at first. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Close the door deliberately and listen for the catch. If it does not click positively, or you have to lift or press the door to make it engage, you have found something worth pursuing before anything electrical.
On an integrated machine, check the cupboard door fitted to the front. If it has dropped or been rehung, it can stop the appliance door seating properly even though both appear closed.
Look at the catch and the striker plate for wear, and check nothing in the top basket is fouling the door as it shuts — a tall utensil is a common and completely invisible culprit.
Do the reset Siemens publish for the electronics codes: switch the appliance off at the on/off switch, wait a few minutes, then switch it back on. If the code has gone and stays gone, it was a glitch.
If it returns, book a repair and say specifically that the door latches properly and the reset did not hold. That is the information that stops the visit starting from scratch.
Do not defeat or tape a door switch to get a cycle to run. It is the interlock that stops the machine spraying water at scalding temperature with the door open.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Siemens E06
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance 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
£0–£300
Time on site
25 minutes
Free if it is a door out of adjustment. A door switch or interlock is typically £70 to £130 fitted. A control board is £180 to £300, which is why it is worth eliminating everything else first.
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 Siemens fault codes
- E20Get it checkedThe rinsing circuit has reported a fault, and Siemens point at the circulation pump. This is the pump that drives the spray arms, not the one that empties the machine.Related: same brand
- E08Usually simple to fixThere is too little water in the machine for it to rinse properly, and Siemens’ first suggestion is not a repair at all — it is how you loaded it.Related: same brand
- E09Get it checkedA fault in the heating system. On these machines the element is usually built into the pump housing, which is what makes this a bigger job than it sounds.Related: same brand
- E07Get it checkedA fault in the drying system. Worth knowing what your machine uses to dry before you spend anything, because on BSH machines there are three quite different answers.Related: same brand
Own a Siemens dishwasher? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Siemens E06
The machine is completely dead. Can a door switch really do that?
Yes, and it is the usual surprise with this code. The interlock sits upstream of the programme, so a machine that cannot confirm its door is shut will not light up or start, which looks exactly like a power fault. Check the door before assuming the worst.
How do I tell a switch from a board?
From the display, you cannot — Siemens put both in the same sentence and offer no way to separate them. What you can do is eliminate the cheap end yourself: a door that does not latch cleanly, a worn catch, or a code that clears on a power cycle and stays clear. What is left after that is the board.
Is there a reset for this?
Siemens publish one for the electronics codes and it is worth trying: off at the on/off switch, wait a few minutes, back on. If the code persists their instruction is to close the water tap, disconnect from the power supply and contact Siemens Service. Note that they put the tap first.
My Bosch shows E06 too. Same fault?
Probably, since the three badges share the numbering — but only Siemens publish a meaning for it. It is not in the Bosch or Neff manuals, which cover this part of the range with a single catch-all, so there is no Bosch document to point you at.
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 support portal
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.