What does Berkel code 1 flash mean?

Berkel X13 code 1 flash means: High temperature detected on the control board. Common causes include control board overheating or a failed temperature sensor on the board.

What does Berkel code 2 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 2 flashes means: Overcurrent detected in the control board. Common causes include a shorted dc motor, or a control board malfunction.

What does Berkel code 3 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 3 flashes means: Knife motor over temperature. Common causes include motor working too hard, a dull knife, a binding carriage, or a failing motor. the thermal switch shuts the slicer down to protect it.

What does Berkel code 4 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 4 flashes means: Automatic motor internal hall effect malfunction. Common causes include failure inside the dc drive motor.

What does Berkel code 5 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 5 flashes means: Automatic motor hall effect transition malfunction. Common causes include failure inside the dc drive motor.

What does Berkel code 6 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 6 flashes means: Encoder input not active. Common causes include the control cannot read drive position from the motor.

What does Berkel code 7 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 7 flashes means: Unable to find home position. Common causes include malfunctioning carriage switch, damaged plate flex cable, or no magnet in the base.

What does Berkel code 8 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 8 flashes means: Carriage moving too fast or too slow. Common causes include j9 cable or flex cable problem, or a dirty round rail.

What does Berkel code 9 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 9 flashes means: Clutch disengaged while running. Common causes include auto mode dropped out mid-stroke, or the eccentric pin is out of adjustment.

What does Berkel code 10 flashes mean?

Berkel X13 code 10 flashes means: Slide bar guide switch not engaged. Common causes include the product table is not properly seated, or the slide bar switch is out of adjustment.

Berkel X13 slicer Error Codes

Applies to: X13 slicers. Compiled and paraphrased from the Berkel X13 Slicer Service Manual, form F25332 Rev. A, published by Berkel, a product line of ITW Food Equipment Group. Berkel states this manual is written for trained Berkel service technicians. Confirm against the manual for your model. Table last updated Aug 13, 2026.

How to read the codes

There is no display on an X13. THE CODE IS THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE RED PILOT LIGHT ON THE KEYPAD FLASHES, so count the flashes, wait for the pause, and count again to confirm. Press STOP to reset. Four models share the manual: X13 manual and X13A automatic have interlocks, while X13E and X13AE do not, so an interlock-related code applies only to the first two. Codes 4 to 10 concern the automatic drive and cannot occur on a manual machine.

The codes

Code	Meaning	Likely causes	Operator-safe steps	Technician work
1 flash	High temperature detected on the control board	Control board overheating or a failed temperature sensor on the board	Press STOP to reset and note whether it returns under load. Do not keep resetting it and slicing on	Berkel's remedy is control board replacement
2 flashes	Overcurrent detected in the control board	A shorted DC motor, or a control board malfunction	Stop using the machine and call for service. This is a current fault, not a nuisance trip	Berkel specifies replacing BOTH the control board and the DC motor, because a shorted motor commonly takes the board with it
3 flashes	Knife motor over temperature	Motor working too hard, a dull knife, a binding carriage, or a failing motor. The thermal switch shuts the slicer down to protect it	Let it cool. Then ask whether the knife is dull or the carriage is stiff, because both make the motor work harder and this code is often the machine warning you before the motor fails	Knife motor ohm test, 1.21 to 1.33 ohms at 115V/60Hz across the motor leads, plus carriage travel and knife condition
4 flashes	Automatic motor internal hall effect malfunction	Failure inside the DC drive motor	Manual slicing may still work; automatic will not	Berkel's remedy is DC motor replacement
5 flashes	Automatic motor hall effect transition malfunction	Failure inside the DC drive motor	As above, manual operation may be unaffected	DC motor replacement
6 flashes	Encoder input not active	The control cannot read drive position from the motor	Automatic slicing will not run	DC motor replacement
7 flashes	Unable to find home position	Malfunctioning carriage switch, damaged plate flex cable, or NO MAGNET IN THE BASE	Worth mentioning if the machine has recently been stripped for cleaning, because a missing magnet is a reassembly fault rather than a failure	Carriage sensor test at J4, flex cable inspection, and magnet presence and polarity, which the manual specifies as north out for home position
8 flashes	Carriage moving too fast or too slow	J9 cable or flex cable problem, or a dirty round rail	A dirty or dry rail is the cheapest cause and the one an operator can prevent. The rail carries an oil wick that needs Berkel oil	Check J9 and flex cable, clean the round rail, and replace the wick if dry
9 flashes	Clutch disengaged while running	Auto mode dropped out mid-stroke, or the eccentric pin is out of adjustment	Re-engage the auto lever. If it keeps dropping out, it is an adjustment rather than a fault	Eccentric pin adjustment: correct when pulling the clutch engage rod meets resistance in the last quarter to eighth of the stroke
10 flashes	Slide bar guide switch not engaged	The product table is not properly seated, or the slide bar switch is out of adjustment	Remove and refit the product table, making sure the dowel pin engages the actuator arm interlock. This is a common fault after cleaning	Slide bar switch test at J4-4 to J4-5, expecting 5VDC released and 0VDC squeezed to unlocked

Refrigerant-side work legally requires an EPA Section 608 certified technician, and opening electrical panels is technician work. When in doubt, record the code and the cycle behavior; that detail alone shortens the service call.

If this needs a slicer technician

22 companies in this directory name Berkel on their own site: that page shows who has been phone-confirmed, who publishes 24/7 cover, and what each puts in writing. Start there if the brand matters more than the city.

Two questions worth reading before you ring anyone: what to do first when a code appears and how to tell whether it is yours to fix.

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Related: the PM checklist that prevents the most common codes outright, and the operator guides for symptom-first diagnosis.

Not sure this is the right make? The lookup by code shows every make that uses a given code, and flags the ones that mean different things depending on the machine in front of you.