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Whirlpool F02 on a washing machine

The motor speed sensor is not reporting back to the control board.

The same code appears on Hotpoint, Indesit and Ariston machines — they share the same control platform.

Verdict

Needs an engineer

Mains electrical, gas or sealed-system work

Urgency
Urgent

About 30 min to work through

Typical cost

£90–£260

DIY: £8–£160 in parts

What F02 actually means

The tacho coil on the motor tells the board how fast the drum is actually turning. When that signal disappears the board stops rather than risk driving the motor blind. The drum often will not turn at all, or turns briefly and then stops with the code showing.

Before you start

  • Electrical safety: Motor work means working close to mains wiring and a capacitor that can hold charge. Unplug and leave the machine isolated before any panel comes off.

What causes it, most likely first

  1. Failed tacho coil

    Most likely

    The small coil on the end of the motor that generates the speed signal goes open circuit. A common and relatively inexpensive failure on this platform.

    Drive motor£60–£160 for the partEngineer

  2. Worn motor carbon brushes

    Common

    Brushes worn to the stub make intermittent contact, so the motor stutters and the speed signal becomes erratic enough for the board to fault out.

    Motor carbon brushes£8–£22 for the partDIY with care

  3. Loose or corroded motor connector

    Common

    The motor plug works loose with vibration or corrodes in a damp under-counter position, breaking the tacho signal path.

    Wiring loom / connector£10–£45 for the partEngineer

  4. Seized drum or jammed object

    Occasional

    A drum that physically cannot turn produces no speed signal, so a mechanical jam presents as a sensor fault.

    How to check: With the machine unplugged, turn the drum by hand — it should spin freely.

  5. Control board fault

    Occasional

    The board section that reads the tacho signal fails. Diagnosed by elimination once the motor and wiring test good.

    Main control board (PCB)£70–£220 for the partEngineer

How to fix it, step by step

  1. Unplug and turn the drum by hand

    Rotate the drum through several full turns. If it is stiff, grating, or will not move, you have a mechanical problem rather than a sensor one — mention that when you book.

    5 min

  2. Power-cycle and try an empty spin

    Switch off at the wall for a minute, restore power, and run a spin-only cycle with the drum empty. Note whether the drum moves at all before the code appears.

    10 min

  3. Book an engineer with the code

    F02 points straight at the motor, its brushes and its wiring. Quoting it means the engineer arrives with brushes and a meter rather than diagnosing from scratch.

    5 min

  4. Ask for the full quote before work starts

    Brushes are cheap; a motor or a board is not. On a machine over about seven years old, ask what the total will be and compare it against a graded replacement before agreeing.

    10 min

Need an engineer for this F02?

We list 83 washing machine repair businesses across the UK, 33 of which are Whirlpool-authorised. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.

Find washing machine engineers near you

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.

  • Motor carbon brushes

    Two sacrificial carbon blocks that carry current into a brushed motor. They wear down over years and are a cheap, planned replacement.

    £8–£22

  • Wiring loom / connector

    Chafed wires and corroded connectors mimic dead components. An engineer will always check continuity before condemning a part.

    £10–£45

  • Drive motor

    The motor that turns the drum. On most machines a genuine replacement costs enough to trigger a repair-or-replace decision.

    £60–£160

  • Main control board (PCB)

    The appliance brain. Genuine boards are expensive and often need configuring to the model, so this is rarely a DIY part.

    £70–£220

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.

Work out if it's worth fixingCompare graded washing machines

Related problems

Other Whirlpool washing machines codes

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