Bosch E04 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
You have put too much in. Bosch give the most practical loading test in this whole category — a hand’s width above the washing.
Before you start
What E04 means
Bosch open this one by telling you not to worry, which is unusual enough to quote: "If your tumble dryer is displaying the E04 error, don’t panic. The problem is usually something that can be easily fixed."
The cause they give, under the heading Incorrect loading, is that "often a load too big will disrupt the drying cycle and prompt an E04 error." And then they give the single most useful piece of practical guidance any manufacturer offers on dryer loading: "make sure you can get a hand’s width in above the line of your clothes." That is worth more than a stated kilogram capacity, because nobody weighs their washing and because a kilogram of towels occupies nothing like the volume of a kilogram of shirts. Put the load in, level it off, and see whether your hand fits flat in the gap above it.
If it does not, take something out. The reason overloading matters on a dryer more than on a washing machine is that drying is entirely about air reaching the fabric. A packed drum cannot tumble — the load moves as one lump instead of falling through the airstream — so the outside dries, the middle stays wet, and the machine either runs for hours or gives up. Neither is a fault.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Too much washing in the drum | Bosch’s stated cause. A full drum cannot tumble properly, so air never reaches the middle of the load and the cycle cannot progress as expected. | Common |
| Bulky items filling the drum by volume rather than weight | A single duvet or a couple of pillows can fill a drum while weighing very little. Capacity in kilograms is misleading here, which is exactly why Bosch give a physical test instead. | Common |
| A load that has balled up during the cycle | A duvet cover can swallow the rest of the wash and turn it into one solid mass. The drum was loaded correctly and is now effectively overloaded, which is why shaking items out before loading helps. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Open the door and take the load out. Spread it rather than leaving it heaped.
Shake each item loose as you put it back, particularly duvet covers and anything that other items can get inside.
Apply Bosch’s test: level the load off and check you can fit a hand’s width in above the line of your clothes. If you cannot, take something out.
Split the wash into two loads if it will not pass that test. Two properly loaded cycles finish faster and cheaper than one overloaded one that runs for hours.
Restart. If E04 appears with a drum that clearly passes the hand test, the fault is not the loading and it is worth a call.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Bosch E04
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
Time on site
10 minutes
Nothing. This is a loading problem with a loading solution, and there is no circumstance in which it should cost you anything.
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
- E01Get it checkedA blockage in the filter or heat exchanger. Bosch publish an eleven-step fix for it that most of their current machines cannot accept.Related: same brand
- E03Usually simple to fixThe condensate tank is full. Bosch attach their own scope warning to this one, which is unusual and useful.Related: same brand
- E06Get it checkedBosch say the lint filter is blocked. Their own page for this code then reprints the text for a different code, so their summary line is all the description that exists.Related: same brand
- CrEUsually simple to fixNot a fault. The machine is asking you to run its care programme — and it is spelled two different ways depending on your model, which is why it is hard to look up.Related: same brand
- HotUsually simple to fixExplicitly not a fault. The machine is cooling your washing on purpose, and Bosch ask you not to interfere with it.Related: same brand
Own a Bosch tumble dryer? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Bosch E04
But my dryer is 9 kg and I have not put 9 kg in it.
Capacity in kilograms is a poor guide for drying, because bulk matters more than weight. A duvet weighs very little and fills the drum. Bosch’s hand’s-width test measures the thing that actually matters, which is whether there is room for the load to tumble.
Why does overloading matter more in a dryer than a washing machine?
Because drying depends entirely on air reaching the fabric. A packed drum moves as one lump rather than letting items fall through the airstream, so the outside dries and the middle stays wet. A washing machine can still get water everywhere in a fuller drum.
Is there any harm in running it overloaded?
Not immediate harm, but it is wasteful — long cycles, high bills, damp washing — and it works the motor and the bearings harder than necessary. The machine flagging it is doing you a favour.
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.