GE Profile Dishwasher F13 Fix (Error Code Guide)

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What This Error Means

F13 on a GE Profile dishwasher is a control communication fault. The main control board and the touch panel in the door stop talking, so the dishwasher locks up, cancels the cycle, or refuses to start.

Official Fix

  • Kill power to the dishwasher. Turn off the breaker or unplug it for at least 2–5 minutes. This forces a hard reset of the control boards.
  • Restore power and run a quick rinse or light cycle. If the code does not come back, it was a one-time glitch and you are done.
  • Check the door. Make sure it closes cleanly, you hear a solid latch click, and no tall dishes are pushing on the inner door or hitting the top.
  • Try another start. If F13 pops back up immediately or the machine dies mid-cycle again, the official guidance is to stop using it and disconnect power.
  • Per GE documentation, F13 is treated as an electronics fault: they tell you to have an authorized tech check wiring between the main control and user interface and replace any failed board or harness.

The Technician’s Trick

  • First rule: power off. Flip the breaker off or unplug the dishwasher before you touch a screw. No exceptions.
  • Pop the toe-kick off (bottom front panel). Usually a couple of screws. This exposes the main control box under the tub on many GE Profile units.
  • Open the door and pull the inner-door screws around the perimeter. Support the outer panel as you remove the last few so it does not drop.
  • Carefully separate the inner and outer door just enough to see the touch panel (user interface) and its wiring harness. Do not yank the wires.
  • Find the harness plugs on the touch panel board. Unplug each connector, then plug it back in firmly. You are scraping oxidation off the pins and making a clean connection. Same idea on the main control board under the tub: open its cover and reseat the plugs there too.
  • Look where the door wires bend at the top hinge area. If a wire jacket is cracked or a wire feels stretchy or broken inside, that harness is suspect. A broken conductor here can throw F13 even if the boards are fine.
  • Check for moisture at the top of the door and around the control panel. If you see damp foam, water tracks, or light corrosion on the touch board, dry it out completely before powering back up. Leave the door panel open and use a hair dryer on low from a distance, not blasting right on the plastic.
  • Reassemble the door, snap the toe-kick back on, restore power, and try a short cycle. If F13 is gone, you likely had a bad connection or minor moisture issue. If it returns instantly, you are probably looking at a bad main control or user interface board.
  • If you replace a board, always match by full model number and the exact part number printed on the old board. Close is not good enough on these.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Dishwasher under about 8–10 years old, interior and racks in good shape, and the problem tracks to a single harness, latch, or one control board within roughly 150–250 dollars in parts.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Unit 10–12 years old, needs a control board plus maybe a latch or harness, and you will be paying a tech for both diagnosis and install.
  • ❌ Replace: Tub or racks are shot, pump is noisy, and F13 diagnosis points to multiple boards; if the quote is near half the price of a new mid-range dishwasher, put the money into a replacement.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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