KitchenAid Stand Mixer F29 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F29 on a KitchenAid stand mixer with a digital display usually means a motor speed feedback or overload fault.

In plain language: the control board thinks the motor is stalled, out of range, or unmonitored, so it shuts the mixer down to protect the motor and gears.

Common symptoms:

  • Mixer stops mid-batch and starts flashing F29.
  • Mixer will not start, just beeps or shows F29 as soon as you try a speed.
  • Happens more with heavy doughs or high speed, then sometimes clears after the mixer cools down.

Exact wording in the manual may differ by model, but it all points to the same thing: the electronics are not happy with what the motor is doing.

Official Fix

What KitchenAid wants you to do (and what they put in the user manual):

  • Unplug the mixer from the wall. Do not just turn it off.
  • Let it sit for 15–30 minutes so the overload protector and control board can fully reset.
  • Remove the bowl and attachment. Make sure:
    • No dough or food is jammed around the beater or dough hook.
    • The beater is not hitting the bowl or bottom (check clearance if adjustable).
    • The bowl is locked properly into the base or lift arms.
  • Check that the mixer is not covered or pushed tight against a wall. It needs airflow around the motor housing.
  • Plug it back in with the speed lever at 0 (OFF).
  • Start on the lowest speed (STIR) with an empty bowl. If it runs normally with no F29, add your ingredients in smaller batches and avoid overloading.
  • If F29 pops up again with an empty bowl or light load, stop using the mixer and contact an authorized KitchenAid service center for motor/control diagnostics.

Official line: anything past basic cooling-off and load checks is a “service-only” repair. Opening the housing can void the warranty.

The Technician’s Trick

Out of warranty and handy with a screwdriver? Here is what a real tech actually checks when F29 keeps coming back.

  • Safety first. Unplug the mixer. Wait a minute before touching anything metal inside.
  • Pop the rear cover. Usually one or two screws at the back. Slide the chrome cap or plastic cover off to expose the motor brushes and wiring.
  • Check the motor brushes.
    • Unscrew both brush caps (one on each side of the motor).
    • Pull the brushes out and inspect them. If they are very short, chipped, or stuck, they can cause F29-style speed faults.
    • Blow out carbon dust (outside, not over your counter).
    • Reinstall brushes in the same orientation they came out; wrong orientation can arc and trip the control.
  • Reseat the connectors.
    • Find the small plugs going to the control/speed board and the speed sensor (if your model has a separate sensor).
    • Unplug and firmly replug each one. Loose connections cause phantom speed errors.
  • Test for a binding gearbox.
    • With the mixer still unplugged, try to turn the beater shaft/planetary by hand.
    • If it is very stiff, grinds, or has “dead spots,” the worm gear or grease may be causing the motor to stall and throw F29. That is a gear/grease job, not just electronics.
  • Quick functional test.
    • Reinstall the rear cover.
    • Plug the mixer in with no attachment, no bowl.
    • Run from STIR up through the speeds for 10–20 seconds each.
    • If it runs clean with no F29, your issue was likely brushes or a flaky connection. If it still throws F29 light or empty, you are looking at a weak motor or failing control board.

Most pros will swap brushes first (cheap), then the control/speed board. Only after that do they quote a new motor or full gear rebuild.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Mixer under about 10–12 years old, no burning smell, only throws F29 under heavy loads, and the housing/gearbox are intact. Brushes or a control board are way cheaper than a new KitchenAid.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Heavy commercial use, mixer already noisy, and a shop quotes you for both control board and motor or gear work. If the repair is more than half the price of a new equivalent mixer, think hard.
  • ❌ Replace: Strong burnt-electrical smell, visibly cracked case, blue arcing from the motor, or stripped gears plus F29. At that point you are pouring money into a dead motor and worn gearbox—better to replace the whole mixer.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Got other appliances throwing mystery codes at you? These guides can save you some time: