LG tE fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
LG have published three different meanings for tE. Their UK manual calls it a control error and says unplug the machine and call for service.
Take care
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your LG tE
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 tE means
tE is the code where LG’s own documentation is least settled, and knowing that saves you from trusting the first table you find. Their UK owner’s manual gives it as CONTROL ERROR, describes it as "this is a control error", and instructs the owner to unplug the power plug and call for service. Their UK help library, in a top-load article, calls the same string a temperature sensor error. Their global front-load material calls it a heating error caused by a faulty thermistor.
Three published meanings for one display string, all on LG hosts. The three are not as far apart as they look, which is probably how it happened: a thermistor is the part that reports temperature, temperature is one of the things the control board reads, and a board that cannot read its sensor reports a control fault. But they lead to different repairs and different prices, and no owner can tell which they have from outside the machine.
What all three versions agree on is that this is not an owner job. LG’s manual instruction — unplug and call — is the strictest of the three and the one to follow, and it is worth quoting the exact string when you book so the engineer arrives expecting either a sensor or a board.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature sensor or thermistor failed | The cause LG name in two of their three published versions. A modest part, and the cheapest of the possible outcomes here. | Common |
| Control board fault | What the UK manual’s own naming points at. The board cannot complete a check it depends on and stops rather than continuing blind. | Common |
| Heating circuit or its wiring | The reading in LG’s global material. Connectors at the element run hot for years, and a poor joint there reports as a sensing failure. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£90–£280
A temperature sensor is a cheap part and most of a £90 to £180 bill is the visit. A control board is the expensive end, £180 to £280 fitted, and is where the age of the machine starts to matter.
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 LG fault codes
- dHEGet it checkedWasher-dryers only. The drying side has failed and LG publish no owner remedy — their manual says call for service.Related: heating and temperature
- OEGet it checkedThe machine could not drain the water it used. LG point at the drain filter and the drain hose, and both are owner-accessible.Related: same brand
- IEGet it checkedThe drum did not fill to the level it wanted in the time allowed. LG treat IE and 1E as the same code, so you do not need to tell them apart.Related: same brand
- UEUsually simple to fixThe load is heaped on one side of the drum. LG describe it as laundry piled to one side, and it is normal behaviour rather than a breakdown.Related: same brand
- LEGet it checkedThe drum failed to turn. LG name overloading and a foreign object first — and if it is the motor, the ten-year warranty may cover the part but not the labour.Related: same brand
- FEGet it checkedLG publish two different answers for FE. Their manual says close the tap and call an engineer; their UK website says clean the filter and change detergent.Related: same brand
Own a LG washing machine? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about LG tE
Which of the three meanings is right for my machine?
For a UK front-loader, the owner’s manual is the document that came with your machine and it says control error, unplug, call for service. The temperature sensor version is from an LG article about top-loaders and the thermistor version is from LG material outside the UK. In practice all three point at the same short list of parts, so quote the code and let the engineer measure.
Is the washing coming out cold a clue?
It is a useful one and worth mentioning when you book. Cold washing with tE showing fits the sensor and heating readings of this code. A machine that stops without heating at all, or that will not accept a programme, fits the control reading better. Neither is conclusive, but it is free information and it may save a second visit.
Should I try a reset?
The UK manual’s instruction is unplug and call, not unplug and retry, which is a distinction LG make deliberately on some codes and not others. Their global list does allow one attempt: unplug for 10 seconds, plug back in, set the spin to no-spin so the machine drains, then restart the cycle, and if tE returns close the taps and unplug. One power cycle at the socket to be sure the code is not a one-off is reasonable; repeating it on a control fault achieves nothing.
Could this be covered by the Direct Drive warranty?
No. That warranty covers the motor and, in LG’s own wording, specific parts only, with labour chargeable after the standard two years. Nothing in the three published readings of tE is the motor. Budget for this as an ordinary out-of-warranty repair.
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.