Hobart LXi/AM15 dishwasher Error Codes
Applies to: LXi/AM15 door dish machines. The LX-family rows (E0/E2/E3/E4, E5, E6, E7, P1/P2/P3, dr oP) and the whole LX40 plain-text set (FILL1/2/3 PRBLM, DR1 PRBLM, PRBLM DR2, OP J1, PROBE, CLEAN PROBE) are from Hobart's own LX Series Installation, Operation and Care manual, FORM 18615 Rev. I (July 2000), covering LX18, LX18C, LX18H, LX30, LX30C, LX30H, LX40C and LX40H. AM Select rows (E2, E6, Ed, EE, and the wrench-icon behaviour on P-codes) are from Hobart's AM15/AM15F/AM15T technical manual, FORM 35320 Rev. C (Oct 2009). The remaining rows are compiled from Hobart service documentation and technician references for LXi and AM Select machines. Code sets differ across Hobart families and generations, and the LXi is a later machine than the LX documented above even though it shares the E-code style, so always confirm against the manual for your exact model and ML number. Table last updated Aug 14, 2026.
How to read the codes
Hobart calls these dish machines and most operators call them dishwashers; the codes below are the same either way, and Hobart's own service literature uses both terms. These are SERVICE CODES shown on the control display. Hobart code styles differ by machine family, and this is the thing that most often sends people to the wrong table: LX, LXi undercounter and AM Select door-type machines (like the AM15) show E-codes and P-codes; the LX40 family shows the SAME FAULTS as plain-text messages such as FILL1 PRBLM and CLEAN PROBE; newer LXe models and CL/CLe conveyor machines show plain-text alerts like DOOR OPEN or CLEAR CONVEYOR JAM; and Ecomax models use two-digit numeric codes. The equivalences are given in the rows below, so a plain-text message can be read across to its E-code. One behaviour worth knowing before you start: on any E-code the machine ends the cycle, turns off ALL heat sources, and holds the message until OFF is pressed, and it will NOT power-drain when switched off that way. So a machine sitting on an error still has a full tank of standing water in it. Match the table to your family, and record exactly what the display shows before pressing anything.
The codes
| Code | Meaning | Likely causes | Operator-safe steps | Technician work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E0/E2/E3/E4 | Machine will not fill, or will not fill high enough. The cycle stops and the machine will not run | Hobart's own list, in its order: low water pressure from a clogged hose strainer or site pressure below the minimum; water level probes fouled with scale or grease; no water pressure at all because a main supply valve is shut; a drain valve held open by debris, so the tank empties as fast as it fills; and lime scale needing a delime. On an AM15 showing E2 specifically, see the dedicated E2 row below, which carries Hobart's exact definition for that machine | Check the supply valve is fully open and clean the inlet hose strainer, then wipe the water level probes clean (a Scotch-Brite pad until the metal is shiny; never steel wool). For a suspected stuck drain valve Hobart publishes a specific test: turn the machine OFF to drain, then ON, twice, which helps clear the valve. Then wait for READY, press WASH, and open the door slowly a few seconds later to note the water level. Close it, wait 30 seconds, and open slowly again. If the level has dropped, the tank is not holding water and it is a service call | Fill solenoid, level probe circuit and drain valve. Confirm flowing pressure is 15 to 25 psig at the machine; below 15 psig Hobart says the machine will not operate properly and above 25 psig requires a pressure reducing valve with a relief bypass |
| E2 | Fill did not complete: water failed to reach the tank float within 2.5 minutes (AM Select) | Debris obstructing the standpipe so fill water drains away as it enters, water supply valve closed, a dirty line strainer choking flow, or a worn or torn drain O-ring letting the tank empty | Confirm the supply valve is open and the door fully closed so the drain seats, then press OFF, wait 5 seconds, and press ON to retry the fill; if flow is weak, shut off the water and clean the line strainer screen | Fill valve, tank float, and drain seat service if an open supply and a clean strainer do not cure it |
| Ed | Slow leak: the tank is losing water (AM Select) | Drain lever not fully closed, standpipe not seated, or food soil and debris on the drain O-ring holding it off its seat | Reseat the standpipe, close the drain lever firmly, and wipe any debris off the drain O-ring, then rerun | Drain O-ring and seat replacement if the leak persists with a clean, seated drain |
| EE | Final rinse never reached temperature: the booster did not hit setpoint within 8 minutes after initial fill (AM Select) | Booster heater failure, a dirty line strainer or low supply pressure starving the rinse, heavy lime through the wash and rinse system, or incoming water below 110F. Below 110F the machine also quietly extends the wash cycle until the booster catches up, so a cycle running long is the same condition before it becomes a code | Press OFF, wait 5 seconds, and press ON; check the line strainer and confirm incoming water to a booster machine is at least 110F. A machine that washes far longer than its normal 57-second cycle is usually short on inlet temperature, not broken | Booster element and thermostat diagnosis; delime the wash and rinse system if deposits are visible |
| E6 | Control fault with no operator remedy published (AM Select) | Hobart's AM15 manual gives no cause for E6; its entire published guidance for this display is to contact Hobart service | Record the code and call for service; nothing in the manufacturer's operator literature clears it | Hobart service diagnosis. Third-party pages circulate specific meanings for E6 that do not appear in the manufacturer's manual; trust the machine in front of you and the technician, not those pages |
| P1/P2 | Tank temperature probe out of range | A tank or booster temperature probe is out of range. The display flashes the code every 10 seconds and the affected heaters shut down, while all other functions keep operating normally, which is why a machine with this fault can look like it is working. On LX18 and LX30 machines a wrench icon lights alongside it | Record the code; check for visible scale on probes. On AM Select machines the wrench icon lights with P-codes and Hobart’s published action is a service call | Thermistor testing and replacement |
| P3 | Rinse temperature probe out of range | The rinse or booster probe is out of range. Same behaviour as P1 and P2: flashes every 10 seconds, that heater shuts down, the rest of the machine carries on. The LX40 family shows PROBE with CALL SERVICE instead | Record the code; do not run sanitizing cycles until checked. On AM Select machines the wrench icon lights with P-codes and Hobart’s published action is a service call | Rinse sensor, thermostat, and high-limit diagnosis |
| DRAIN ERROR | Drain fault | The machine detected a drain problem and stops; it will only power down | Check for visible drain blockage; power down | Authorized service on the drain system |
| SUMP LEVEL SENSOR | Sump pressure switch out of range | Sump water level sensing fault; the machine stops and will only power down | Power down and record the message | Authorized service on the sump level sensor |
| BOOSTER LEVEL SENSOR | Booster pressure switch out of range | Booster heater level sensing fault; the machine stops and will only power down | Power down and record the message | Authorized service on the booster sensor |
| DOOR OPEN / CLEAR CONVEYOR JAM | CL/CLe conveyor text alerts | An inspection door is open, or a rack has jammed the conveyor | Close all inspection doors; for a jam, remove the rack, press START, and rerun it | Door switch service if the alert persists with doors closed |
| E5 | Machine will not drain, or is filling too high and leaking from the door | Hobart pairs these two symptoms because they share causes: the machine not sitting level, a fill solenoid valve leaking water in continuously, or a restricted drain line. On the LX40 family the same fault reads PRBLM DR2 | Check the machine is level front-to-back and side-to-side, and check the drain hose for kinks. To test the fill valve, turn the dishwasher OFF: if water keeps coming in (through the rear fill air gap on LX18 models, or the rinse arms on LX30 and LX40), the valve is leaking and needs service. Otherwise turn it OFF, wait several seconds, and back ON, up to twice | Level the unit, then fill solenoid and drain line. A leaking fill valve and a restricted drain present identically to an operator |
| E7 | Water sensors need cleaning | The control cannot read the tank water sensors reliably. This is the one E-code on these machines with a published operator remedy that is not a service call. LX40 machines show CLEAN PROBE instead | Clean the water sensors inside the tank, including the probe under the fine strainer, with a damp cloth. If it returns after cleaning, call service | Probe condition and continuity. Recurrence after a proper clean points at the sensing circuit rather than fouling |
| dr oP / DOOR OPEN | Door is open or not registering as closed | Shown as "dr" then "oP" on LX18 and LX30 machines, and as DOOR OPEN on the LX40 family and LXe. The machine has a display but will not run | Open the door fully and close it again. If the message stays with the door plainly shut, the door switch is not making and it is a service call | Door switch and harness |
| FILL1 / FILL2 / FILL3 PRBLM | Fill fault on the LX40 family, equivalent to E0/E2/E3/E4 | The LX40H and LX40C show plain-text messages rather than E-codes. FILL1, FILL2 and FILL3 PRBLM are the fill faults; DR1 PRBLM is the drain fault that accompanies them. Causes are the same list as the E-code row above | Same checks as the E-code fill fault: supply valve, hose strainer, probe cleanliness, and the OFF-ON drain valve test | Fill solenoid, level probes, drain valve |
| PRBLM DR2 | Drain fault on the LX40 family, equivalent to E5 | The machine is not draining, or is filling too high and leaking from the door. Same causes as E5: not level, leaking fill solenoid, or a restricted drain | Check level and drain line, then the OFF-ON test twice | Level, fill solenoid, drain line |
| OP J1 | Control fault on the LX40 family, equivalent to E6 | Hobart publishes no operator remedy for this one. Its instruction is to contact the service office | Nothing to try. Record the model and ML number from the data plate before calling | Control-level diagnosis |
| PROBE / CALL SERVICE | Temperature probe fault on the LX40 family, equivalent to P1/P2/P3 | The display flashes PROBE and lights CALL SERVICE. The affected heaters shut down while everything else keeps running, so the machine looks usable but is not sanitising to temperature | Stop using it for sanitising and call service. A machine that washes but does not reach rinse temperature is a health-inspection problem, not an inconvenience | Probe resistance and heater circuits |
If this needs a dish machine technician
25 companies in this directory name Hobart 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.