Frigidaire is a well-known brand that produces a wide range of home appliances, including washing machines. If you have one of these washers in your home and it’s showing you the E4 error code, you’ll want to continue reading.
The E4 error code on a Frigidaire washer indicates that the machine is out of balance. The code is triggered when the washer senses a shock happening three times during the same spin cycle. Overloading or underloading the washer is a likely reason. However, top-loading models might have a worn or broken suspension rod, while front-loaders might have a worn or broken shock absorber.
Let’s take a deeper look at the most likely reasons for the E4 error code and what you can do to fix them.
What The E4 Error Code Means On A Frigidaire Washing Machine?
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When your Frigidaire washer displays the E4 error code, that’s because the machine is out of balance. This code is triggered whenever the washer senses a shock happening three times within the same spin cycle.
The lack of balance in your Frigidaire washer can be caused by user error or a damaged component. Not to worry, though. We’ll explore the most likely reasons and their solutions in the following sections.
Does A Washing Machine Need To Be Balanced?
Yes, a washing machine must always be balanced when it’s being used.
Whenever you begin a new wash cycle, the drum inside will spin at various speeds to agitate the items inside and free them from dirt. Besides that, the drum will occasionally spin at high speeds to drain all the water from your laundry, as well.
When the washer is unbalanced, the drum will not be able to spin in equilibrium. Instead, the lack of balance will cause the drum to shake too much and even hit the insides of the washer.
In the long run, this can cause wear and damage to the washing machine and its components.
Possible Causes And Solutions
As mentioned earlier, both user error and faulty components can put the machine off balance and trigger the E4 error code. Here are the most likely causes of this problem and what you can do to fix them.
Load Too Small Or Too Large
How This Happens: When you begin a new wash cycle, and the drum turns, the clothing items inside will tumble, and the weight will spread itself out. However, that’s not possible when the load is too small (i.e., too few items) or too large (i.e. too many items, or huge items like blankets).
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So, as the drum spins at higher speeds, the weight will be focused on only one part of the drum causing it to swing wildly and potentially damage the washer from inside.
How To Fix It: Here’s what you can do to prevent this from happening:
- With laundry loads that are too small: Add in one or two towels to your small load. That will help the weight inside balance itself out during the spin cycle.
- With laundry loads that are too large: When washing large amounts of items, it’s best to spread them out into several smaller loads. As a rule of thumb, only load your washer ⅔ of the drum’s maximum capacity. That will give your clothes plenty of room to tumble and maintain a balanced load.
Worn Or Broken Suspension Rods (On Top-Loading Models)
What It Is: Top-loading Frigidaire washer models rely on suspension rods to keep the drum balanced throughout the wash program. In most models, you’ll find that there are four suspension rods inside the machine, with one at each corner.
How It Fails: As mentioned above, the E4 error code on Frigidaire washers can also be triggered by failed components. In the case of top-loading models, the suspension rods may have become worn out or broken entirely.
When this happens, you must replace the affected rod. At the same time, you’ll want to inspect the other three rods to see if they require pre-emptive replacement as well.
How To Fix It: The solution to this problem is to replace the affected suspension rod entirely. To do so, you must open the washer’s top panel and gain access to the washer’s internal parts. Once there, you’ll be able to identify which suspension rods are worn out or broken.
First, detach the affected suspension rod at its top, attached to the washer’s frame. Then, you’ll need to lay the washer on its back to free the bottom part, which is attached to the bottom of the drum.
Once that’s done, you’ll be working backwards. First, attach the new rod at the bottom of the drum, then access the top so you can attach the top hook onto the washer’s frame.
Worn Or Broken Shock Absorbers (For Front-Loading Models)
What it is: Front-loading Frigidaire washer models rely on shock absorbers to keep the drum balanced at all times. These are located at the bottom of the drum, close to the front of the machine.
When these shock absorbers are in good working order, they’ll prevent the drum from shaking too much as it spins. Doing so will prevent the drum from hitting the insides of the washer or causing excess wear onto the other components.
How it fails: Shock absorbers can wear out over time or break entirely. When this happens, the balance of the washer will be affected during each wash program. Unfortunately, these components cannot be repaired, so they must be replaced with a new set.
How to fix it: Firstly, you’ll need to remove your Frigidaire washer’s front panel to gain access to the inside. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to identify and locate the shock absorbers quickly, as they’re close to the front and bottom of the drum.
Each shock absorber is attached at two ends: the top is attached to the drum, and the bottom is attached to the washer’s base. Remove both and reattach the new shock absorbers the same way as the old ones.
How To Clear The E4 Error Code?
To clear the E4 error code from your Frigidaire washer, you must first resolve the root cause following the troubleshooting steps described above. Until that is done, the E4 error code will persist or return shortly after.
Once the root cause has been addressed, you can reset the washing machine to clear any persisting error codes.
How To Reset A Frigidaire Washing Machine?
You can reset your Frigidaire washing machine quickly by cycling its power using these steps:
- Firstly, disconnect your Frigidaire washer from its power source. That means removing the plug from the wall socket or switching off the dedicated circuit breaker if it has one.
- Next, leave the washer alone for 30 seconds. During this time, any retained electrical charge inside will dissipate.
- Lastly, reconnect the washer to its power source. Then, you can consider the machine reset and use it as you usually would.
How To Test A Frigidaire Washer After Fixing It?
There are two methods to test your Frigidaire washer after you’ve fixed it. The first method is to run a complete wash program from start to finish. That way, you’ll be able to witness your washer perform and see if the same error code appears.
At the same time, you can also lookout for any other error codes or problems that might appear.
Besides that, you can also choose to enter the washer’s diagnostic mode.
How To Enter Diagnostic Mode?
The diagnostic mode on your Frigidaire washer is sometimes referred to as the Service Test mode. This method is the same that a qualified technician would use to troubleshoot your washer for problems and read any error codes that might be present.
To enter the diagnostic mode on your Frigidaire washer, follow these steps:
- First, wake the machine by pressing its Power button.
- Then, wait for five seconds.
- Next, press and hold the Start and Pause/Cancel buttons together.
- As long as those buttons are held, the machine will display any error codes that are present.
Although most Frigidaire washers will use the same steps above, there are a few models that require you to press and hold the Options and Pause/Cancel button instead.
