KitchenAid Stand Mixer F45 Error Code Guide (Fast Fix)

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What This Error Means

F45 on a KitchenAid stand mixer means the control board has flagged a motor overload or speed-control fault.

In plain talk: the mixer thinks the motor is working too hard or spinning wrong, so it kills power to save the motor and electronics.

Official Fix

  • Unplug the mixer from the wall. Wait 1–2 minutes so the electronics discharge.
  • Let it cool down 20–30 minutes if you were running heavy dough or thick batter. Overheat trips the internal overload and can throw F45.
  • Strip the load: remove the bowl and attachment, scrape off any stuck dough from the beater, hook, or whisk.
  • Check for a jam: spin the planetary hub by hand. It should turn smoothly. If it feels gritty, locked, or very stiff, stop—internal gears may be binding and you’ll need service.
  • Check bowl/attachment clearance. With the mixer off, fit the beater and do the “dime test”: a dime on the bowl should move slightly, not get pinned hard or sit dead still. If it’s too tight (beater scraping the bowl), back off the bowl height per your manual and try again.
  • Test it empty. Plug back in and run on speed 1–2 with no bowl or ingredients. If it runs cleanly with no F45, your real problem is overloading or too-stiff dough—run smaller batches or lower speed for heavy doughs.
  • Check the power source. Plug directly into a wall outlet—no power strips, surge bars, or extension cords. If you’re seeing F45 on a smart plug or strip, that’s its overload code; plug the mixer straight into the wall.
  • Retest under light load. Mix a small, easy batter on low speed. If F45 only appears on very heavy mixes, you’re simply pushing the mixer past its design limit.
  • If F45 comes back immediately even with no load, stop. The official move now is an authorized repair: they’ll test and replace the motor assembly and/or speed-control board.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Mid- to high-end KitchenAid (Pro, Artisan, Bowl-Lift), under ~8 years old, first time seeing F45, and no burning smell or grinding from the head.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Mixer is 8–12 years old, you barely use it, and a shop quotes you close to half the price of a new unit for motor/control-board work.
  • ❌ Replace: Budget tilt-head that’s 10+ years old, smells burned, makes gear noise, and needs both motor and gear work or any repair that’s over ~60–70% of a new mixer.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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