Bosch E-11 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The one microwave code Bosch name in their North American manual. The touch keys are not working properly, and condensation on the keypad is the cause they give.
Take care
What E-11 means
Bosch’s printed troubleshooting table for their North American built-in microwaves contains exactly two rows about display codes, and this is the one with a real meaning attached. None of the four UK manuals we read lists E-11 — they print a wildcard row and, between them, name E3, E0532 and E6501 instead — so a UK owner seeing it is reading a code Bosch document only for the other market. Their words: the touch keys do not operate properly, this may be due to condensation on the keypad, clean the control panel with a dry cloth, then disconnect the appliance at the fuse box and switch it back on after ten seconds. Their troubleshooting database publishes the same fault from the other direction — an entry reading "The buttons on the control panel are dirty or jammed", remedied by pressing all the buttons, cleaning the control panel with a dry cloth, and opening and closing the appliance door.
Two different parts of BSH describing one fault and reaching the same remedy, down to the dry cloth and the ten seconds, is about as much corroboration as this category offers. What is happening is worth understanding because it explains why a dry cloth rather than a damp one. These panels sense a change in the electrical field at their surface, so anything that changes that field reads as a finger.
Condensation is the version Bosch name, and on a built-in microwave it is close to inevitable: steam leaves the cavity the moment you open the door, rises across the fascia, and on an appliance fitted into a housing it has nowhere to go. Cleaning with anything wet adds to the problem you are trying to remove, which is why both BSH sources specify dry. The other detail with real diagnostic value is the door step. Opening and closing the door makes the interlock switches change state, and a controller that has latched a bad input often only releases it when it sees the door transition. That is why BSH ask for it, and why a reset that skips it sometimes appears not to work.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Condensation on the keypad | The cause Bosch name themselves. Steam from the cavity settles on the fascia and reads as a key being held down. | Common |
| Grease or residue on the buttons | BSH’s parallel entry calls the buttons dirty. A kitchen film accumulates slowly and eventually behaves like a press. | Common |
| A button mechanically jammed | On models with physical keys one can stick in its aperture, which is why BSH ask you to press each one individually. | Occasional |
| Poor ventilation around a built-in installation | A housing without the specified clearance recirculates warm damp air across the panel every time the door opens. | Occasional |
| Control panel or ribbon failing | The case where a dry clean and a ten-second isolation change nothing at all, and the fascia is the part. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Press every button on the panel individually, including the ones you never use. BSH ask for this first, and it releases a key that has stuck rather than one that is dirty.
Clean the control panel with a dry cloth. Both BSH sources specify dry, because the fault they are describing is moisture and a damp cloth adds to it.
Open and close the appliance door. This makes the door switches change state, which is often what lets the controller drop a latched input.
Isolate the appliance — at the plug, or at the fuse box for a built-in with no plug — and leave it for at least ten seconds before restoring power.
If the code returns on a clean dry panel, look at the installation before you book: a built-in without its specified ventilation gaps will keep producing this fault whatever you clean.
If it still returns, the panel or its ribbon is the part. That is front-of-appliance work and does not involve going near the high-voltage side.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Bosch E-11
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–£150
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing in the common case, which is a dry wipe and a ten-second isolation. A control panel or fascia fitted is around £90 to £150. If the cause is a badly ventilated housing, the fix is joinery rather than an appliance part.
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 Bosch fault codes
- ExxGet it checkedBosch’s own placeholder for every microwave code they have not defined. Their instruction is to note the number, isolate the appliance and call a technician.Related: controls and electronics
- E0532Usually simple to fixA button pressed too long or jammed. BSH publish one answer under three labels and it is the only microwave entry where they give the owner a real fix.Related: controls and electronics
- E-3Get it checkedA fault in the automatic door opening system, in Bosch’s own words. Their UK built-in microwave manual says switch off, wait ten minutes, switch on; their troubleshooting database files the code under ovens.Related: same brand
- Key symbolUsually simple to fixNot a fault. BSH publish this as the childproof lock, released by holding the key-symbol button until the symbol goes out — about four seconds in Bosch’s manuals; freestanding models show SAFE.Related: same brand
- Demo modeUsually simple to fixBSH’s own words are that in demo mode the appliance runs cold. It lights up, appears to work, and generates nothing at all.Related: same brand
- Temperature too highGet it checkedBSH’s database publishes this and "000" flashing against one answer: the appliance has not cooled down completely, wait. Bosch’s own UK manuals read three flashing zeros differently — a power cut, set the clock.Related: same brand
Own a Bosch microwave? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Bosch E-11
Why a dry cloth specifically?
Because the fault Bosch describe is moisture on a panel that senses electrically. Adding water to it, even a little, is the opposite of the repair. Both of BSH’s independent sources for this fault say dry, which is a strong signal that it is deliberate rather than a translation artefact.
Mine says E11 without the hyphen.
Same code. BSH print codes with and without hyphens and with and without leading zeros depending on the document, and their manuals give E0111 as an example of the same style. Do not go looking for a difference between E-11 and E11.
It happens every time I cook something wet.
Then it is condensation and the installation is contributing. Leave the door open for a minute after cooking so the steam clears the fascia rather than settling on it, and check the housing has the ventilation gaps the installation instructions call for.
What is the difference between this and Exx?
E-11 is the one microwave code Bosch define in their North American manual. Exx is that manual’s placeholder for everything else — a malfunction with no published meaning, where their instruction is to note the code, isolate the appliance and call a technician. The UK manuals print the same kind of wildcard, as "Exxx" or a "Malfunction" row, and separately name E3, E0532 and E6501.
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
- 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.