Grundig E03 on a washing machine
Drain fault — the machine could not pump the water out.
The same code appears on Beko and Blomberg machines — they share the same control platform.
You can fix this yourself
No special tools or qualifications needed
About 50 min to work through
Free to £130
DIY: Up to £40 in parts
What E03 actually means
The pump ran and the water level did not fall far enough in time, leaving the drum full and the door locked. The pump filter behind the bottom-front flap is where this nearly always ends.
Before you start
Electrical safety: Unplug the machine before opening the pump filter.
Water: The drum is full — several litres will come out. Towels and a shallow tray first.
What causes it, most likely first
Blocked pump filter
Most likelyCoins, hair grips and underwires accumulate until the pump cannot shift enough water.
Pump filter / trap£8–£20 for the partDIYKinked or silted drain hose
CommonCrushed behind the machine or narrowed by detergent scum.
Blocked sink trap or standpipe
CommonA blocked kitchen waste backs up and stops the machine draining.
Jammed or failed drain pump
OccasionalAn object stalls the impeller, or the pump motor fails. A hum with no flow points here.
Drain pump£15–£40 for the partDIY with care
How to fix it, step by step
Isolate and prepare for water
Unplug at the wall, towels down, shallow tray ready.
5 minTowels, Shallow trayDrain down
Open the bottom flap and use the emergency drain hose if fitted; otherwise unscrew the filter a quarter turn at a time and let it weep out slowly.
15 minClean the filter and free the impeller
Remove the filter, clear it under a tap, then check the impeller turns freely with a finger.
10 minTorchCheck the hose and waste, then test
Straighten the drain hose, confirm free flow into a bucket, clean the sink trap, refit the filter hand-tight and run a rinse-and-spin.
20 minBucket
Need an engineer for this E03?
We list 83 washing machine repair businesses across the UK, 1 of which is Grundig-authorised. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.
- 01903 779 334AngmeringSame day
- 01493 290698Appliance Maintenance LtdVerifiedGreat Yarmouth
- 0118 9420 145Reading
Parts you might need
Typical UK prices for the part alone, before fitting. Worth knowing before you accept a quote — the part is often a small share of what a repair is priced at.
Pump filter / trap
A removable mesh trap in front of the pump that catches coins, hair grips and buttons before they reach the impeller.
£8–£20Drain pump
The small electric pump that pushes waste water out of the drum and into your waste pipe at the end of a cycle.
£15–£40
Worth repairing, or replace it?
At the top of this range the repair costs a significant share of a graded replacement, which typically starts around £200. Worth getting the quote first, then deciding — on a machine under about five years old a repair usually still wins.