Maytag Dishwasher F9 Error Code Fix Guide

by

What This Error Means

F9 on a Maytag dishwasher = Drain fault / long drain.

The dishwasher tried to pump out the dirty water, couldn’t move it fast enough, and shut down to avoid flooding your kitchen.

Official Fix

Here’s the textbook, factory-style approach. Do it in this order so you don’t waste time.

  • Kill the power first.
    Flip the breaker or unplug the dishwasher. You’ll be sticking hands near sharp crap and water.
  • Get the standing water out.
    • Use a cup and a towel or a wet/dry vac to suck out the water in the bottom.
    • Gives you access to filters and keeps mess down.
  • Clean the filters and sump area.
    • Pull out the bottom rack.
    • Twist and lift out the filter(s) in the bottom (usually a fine screen + cylindrical filter).
    • Rinse under hot water; scrub off grease, seeds, glass bits, etc.
    • Look down into the sump opening with a flashlight. Remove junk: glass, bones, labels, twist ties.
  • Check the drain hose under the sink.
    • Find the gray/black hose from the dishwasher to the sink drain or garbage disposal.
    • Make sure it’s not kinked, crushed, or sagging in a low loop full of gunk.
    • If you just had a new disposal installed: confirm the small dishwasher knockout plug inside the disposal inlet was punched out. If not, F9 is guaranteed.
  • Check the air gap (if you have one).
    • Little cylinder on the sink or counter? That’s the air gap.
    • Pop the cap, pull the insert, clean out slime and food chunks, then reassemble.
  • Run a Cancel/Drain cycle.
    • Restore power.
    • Close the door and hit Cancel/Drain (or start then cancel, depending on model).
    • Listen: you should clearly hear the drain pump humming and water gushing into the sink drain.
  • If it still won’t drain, inspect the drain pump.
    • Kill power again.
    • Remove the lower toe-kick panel (couple of screws at the bottom front).
    • Find the drain pump: small motor mounted low on the sump with a hose attached.
    • Check the hose for clogs and make sure the wiring connector is fully seated and not burned.
    • If the pump is cracked, leaking, or dead-silent when you try to drain: the official fix is to replace the drain pump.
  • Call in service if:
    • Hose and filters are clear.
    • Pump gets power but just buzzes or does nothing.
    • F9 returns immediately even when there’s no water left inside.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s how a field tech usually wrestles an F9 without wasting half a day.

  • Shop-vac the clog out instead of fighting hoses.
    • Kill power.
    • Under the sink, pull the dishwasher drain hose off the disposal or drain stub.
    • Stick a wet/dry vac on the end of that hose, seal it with a rag, and turn the vac on suck.
    • Often you’ll yank out a nasty plug of grease, seeds, or broken glass in seconds.
    • Flip to blow for a couple seconds to push water back toward the dishwasher and break up anything still hanging on in the sump.
  • Manually free the impeller if it’s jammed.
    • With power off and water bailed out, remove the filter and any plastic covers over the sump.
    • On many Maytag units you can see or reach the drain impeller through the sump opening or from under the machine at the pump inlet.
    • Feel gently for glass or hard debris blocking the blades and pull it out.
    • Spin the impeller by hand; it should turn smoothly with light resistance.
  • Use the hidden tech sheet.
    • There’s usually a folded paper “tech sheet” taped behind the toe-kick or on the side panel.
    • It shows the exact button combo to start a diagnostic cycle on your model.
    • Run that test; it will force fills and drains and can clear a one-time glitch while confirming the pump actually runs.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Machine under ~10 years old, F9 clearly tied to a clog, kinked hose, or a single bad drain pump (part typically cheap enough to justify).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: 10–13 years old, needs a new pump and hoses, or you’re paying full labor rates and the total creeps over about $250.
  • ❌ Replace: Tub is rusty or cracked, you’ve had multiple other error codes or leaks, or it needs both control board and pump – better money goes into a new dishwasher.

Parts You Might Need

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

See also

More fast-and-dirty error code guides if you’re fighting other appliances too: