Miele Dishwasher F13 Error Code Troubleshooting

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What This Error Means

On a Miele dishwasher, F13 means a “water inlet fault” — the machine isn’t getting enough water during the fill stage.

The control board opens the fill valve, doesn’t see the expected water flow in time, and shuts the cycle down with F13.

Official Fix

This is basically a “no water / weak water” problem. Do the easy checks first, in this order:

  • Kill power and water first. Switch the dishwasher off, unplug it if you can, and close the water shutoff (usually a small valve under the sink).
  • Make sure the house water is actually good. Open the same tap the dishwasher uses (usually the cold side at the sink). The stream should be strong, not just a sad trickle. If the whole house has low pressure, F13 is just a symptom.
  • Confirm the dishwasher valve is fully open. The little angle valve feeding the dishwasher gets bumped half‑closed all the time. Turn it fully clockwise to close, then fully counter‑clockwise to open.
  • Check the inlet hose for kinks or crushing. If the machine was pushed back too hard, the hose flattens and starves the unit. Pull the dishwasher out a bit and make sure the hose runs in a wide, smooth loop.
  • Clean the mesh filter at the water connection.
    • Put a towel and a shallow tray under the shutoff valve.
    • Unscrew the dishwasher hose from the valve.
    • Inside the hose end or the valve you’ll see a tiny metal or plastic screen. Hook it out gently with a pick or small screwdriver.
    • Rinse the screen under running water and brush off grit or limescale.
    • Reinstall the screen and reconnect the hose snugly (hand‑tight, then a small tweak with a wrench).
  • Restart and test. Turn the water back on, plug the machine in, and start a normal cycle. If it fills quickly and runs, you’re done.
  • If F13 comes back, you’re into “call Miele service” territory per the manual. At that point Miele expects a tech to check the internal inlet valve, flow meter, and control electronics.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s what we actually do on real jobs when all the obvious stuff above looks fine but F13 won’t go away.

  • Pull the machine and pop the left side panel.
    • Unplug it and shut off water first. No exceptions.
    • Slide the dishwasher out a bit, remove the screws holding the left side sheet metal, and lift the panel off.
  • Clean the side water intake / heat exchanger.
    • That big flat plastic tank is where incoming water runs through channels.
    • If the lower channels are full of sludge or heavy limescale, flow drops and the control sees F13 even though the tap is fine.
    • We disconnect the inlet hose, drain the tank into a tray, then flush those channels with hot water and a bit of descaler or vinegar.
  • Free up the flow meter wheel.
    • Most Miele units use a tiny turbine/flow meter on that same side assembly.
    • If the little wheel is stuck or gritty, the board thinks no water is entering and throws F13.
    • We pop the sensor off, clean the wheel and bore with a toothbrush, rinse, and make sure it spins freely before refitting.
  • Swap the inlet valve if it chatters or runs weak.
    • When the coil is dying, the valve opens only part‑way. You’ll hear a buzzing valve and see a thin trickle into the side tank.
    • Replacing the inlet valve or Aquastop hose assembly usually fixes stubborn F13 errors.

If opening panels and handling water lines sounds sketchy, stop at the “Official Fix” level and call a pro. Cheaper than flooding the kitchen.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Machine under ~10–12 years old, interior in good shape, and the issue is just filters, hose routing, or a single inlet valve/flow meter replacement.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Unit 10–15 years old, already had other repairs, or needs multiple water parts (inlet valve + heat exchanger) that together creep toward a few hundred in parts and labor.
  • ❌ Replace: Tub rusting, heavy leaks, control board faults plus F13, or any repair quote that’s over ~50% of a solid mid‑range new dishwasher.

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