LG washing machine displays error LE - what does it mean?

#lg-washing-machine-errors

Published: 10 Jan 2021

You loaded the laundry, selected a program and pressed “Start”. The LG machine took in water, but did not turn the drum and gave an LE error. If you have a direct drive model, you may have noticed that the drum is jerking as it tries to turn.

Usually the LE error lights up at the beginning of the program, but occasionally it can appear during a spin or rinse.

Error interpretation

The LE error tells us that for some reason the motor has blocked. Typically, this error indicates that there are some problems in the electrical network (external or internal), which is why the motor is blocked.

LE and 1E errors should not be confused; they have completely different meanings.

See also -
What does the UE error mean on an LG washing machine?

Call the master

To troubleshoot your LG washing machine, you can contact a company that provides washing machine repair services. It is convenient to search for companies on the Internet by filtering the request by the name of your city.

In order not to fall for scammers and not to doubt the quality of the repairs performed, you should contact companies that have been operating for several years and have many positive reviews. The cost of work to restore the functionality of an LG washing machine depends on the complexity of the breakdown and the complexity of the repair.

The average price is as follows:
After the repair, the customer still has a guarantee for the work performed.

In what cases can you fix it yourself?

• The door is not closed tightly. An unlocked door does not complete the circuit, which tells the equipment that the program cannot start. Try opening the hatch again and pressing it firmly until you hear a characteristic click;
• UBL contacts have been sent. To check the serviceability of this element, you need to remove the top cover from the washing machine and check the wires and contacts. If they just move away, you can reconnect them yourself. However, if the wire breaks or is chafed, it is better to contact a specialist;
• Failure in the control unit. Sometimes it happens due to power surges or other reasons, which indicates possible equipment overload. To debug, you need to disconnect the washing machine from the power supply for about a quarter of an hour. During this time, the electronic controller must resume its functions;
• Machine overload. Most often it occurs when using the “Silk”, “Wool”, “Hand Wash” modes. The LE error appears during the spin period, when the appliance is unable to cope with the weight of the laundry exceeding the permissible limit. You can resume work by stopping the program, removing some of the laundry into a separate container, or restarting with the spin operation. The remaining items should be placed for the same operation in the second run;
• The drum is blocked by foreign objects. During the washing process, a button, bra wire, or other small hard part may come off, keys, keychains, and similar small items that were not removed from your pockets in advance may fall out. They can get between the drum and the housing close to it and mechanically block the drum. Turn off the machine and try turning the drum in different directions by hand. If the drum does not rotate, then it is necessary to disassemble the tank and remove the blocking object.
• Unstable voltage of the electrical network. For correct operation of the equipment, a stable voltage is required, so if it decreases for a short time, the machine may respond with an LE error. A voltage stabilizer will help fix the problem.

Important:

The PF error accompanying problems with the LE code indicates the presence of power supply failures. Even when eliminating errors by rebooting the machine, it is better to take care of purchasing a stabilizer.

What you can do yourself

Without professional help, you can carry out basic manipulations that will eliminate the possible causes of the code:

1. Open and close the door. If it is not closed tightly, the drum is automatically blocked. You need to close the door until it clicks.
2. Turn off the power for 10-15 minutes. Unplug the cord from the outlet and let the device stand unplugged. This will help eliminate potential system errors.
3. Remove some of the laundry. The drum blocks if there is too much laundry. Operating an overloaded drum will speed up engine failure.
4. Check for blockage in the drum. Sometimes small hard objects get stuck in it and mechanically interfere with rotation. You need to unload the laundry and inspect the inside of the device with a flashlight.

Codes appear under different circumstances. Even insufficient voltage in the network can affect the operation of equipment.

Malfunctions requiring repair

There are some types of breakdowns that will be technically difficult to fix using ingenuity and available tools, and it is better to entrust this work to a specialist. The table shows malfunctions that could cause the LE error to appear on the display of an LG washing machine.

Causes, diagnosis, solution to the problem

Before embarking on a serious diagnosis of the LV, you can try a reboot. To do this, unplug the washing machine for 20 minutes and then turn it on again. If there was a failure of the control module, then after switching on again the situation may level out.

Drum overload

When washing silk, wool and underwear, according to the rules, the load should not be “full .
But if a lot of things have been compacted, LE occurs during spinning. To eliminate the problem, you should reduce the number of things in the drum.

A similar situation can arise when all the laundry in the drum has bunched up into one lump, which the washing machine itself cannot distribute evenly. The appearance of an error code indicates that the engine is overloaded.

Foreign object

If a foreign object gets into the LG drum and it blocks movement, rotation does not occur. It needs to be eliminated. It could be a key forgotten in your pocket, a coin , or a popped-out bra wire.

If you cannot get a foreign object from the side of the drum, you will have to partially disassemble the washing machine.

Tachogenerator failure

With such a failure, the drum does not rotate, but a hum is heard - the engine is trying to start, but it never starts working. The tachogenerator is present in LG cars with both belt drive and direct drive. Its task is to measure engine speed and transmit a signal to the control unit.

Possible malfunctions with LE error

LG SMA blocks the motor with an overload code due to breakdowns in the electrical, control or mechanical parts. We have ranked the faults by their frequency.

Hall sensor (tachogenerator) is faulty - from RUB 1,800*

The Hall sensor in LG direct drive cars or the tachogenerator in conventional belt-driven models measures the rotation speed of the motor shaft and transmits the readings to the control unit, which issues further commands.

Major breakdowns of the commutator motor

Before determining a malfunction of the electric motor of washing machines, you should carefully inspect the components. But first you need to start the engine and see whether it will work or not.

To start the engine, you need to connect the stator and rotor windings in series, and then connect an alternating current source with a voltage of 220 Volts to the remaining connectors. If the engine starts to rotate, then everything is fine. At this time, you can determine how silently it works and identify sparkling brushes.

The main causes of failure of electric motors of commutator-type washing machines are:

• Worn brushes. If the washing machine is more than 10 years old, the brushes will be very worn, as indicated by strong sparks from the engine. When the brushes wear out, they will become small in size, this can be seen immediately. The whole part is long enough, without cracks or chips. A worn element should be replaced. It is better to choose original brushes for replacement, which will increase the service life of the engine after repair. This is not a complicated process, you can do it yourself;
• Breaks in stator and rotor windings. The best option to eliminate the problem is to replace the rotor or stator. The cost of rewinding a motor may be higher than the cost of a new element. This is due not only to rewinding, but also to the need to center the unit in order to eliminate its runout;
• Malfunction of the collector lamellas due to wear or short circuit in the windings. It is easy to diagnose the wear of the lamellas, as well as the brushes. In this case, you need to inspect the manifold after removing the rotor from the engine. The motor brushes begin to spark due to peeling of the lamellas, breakage of the supply contact, and the presence of burrs. Peeling of the lamellas occurs when the rotor jams or an interturn short circuit occurs. This leads to overheating of the unit. If the contact breaks at the junction with the lamella, it is quite difficult to return the wires.
• Bearing wear. If, after checking, runout or increased vibration of the housing during operation of the device is visible, the bearing should be replaced. The most unpleasant thing is when the armature touches the stator. In this case, you will need to change the armature, or replace the stator and armature at the same time.

Recommendations

When an LE error code appears on the display of an LG washing machine and is looking for solutions to the problem, the following tips will help:

1. There is no need to rush to call a technician when you detect LE on the display. First you should reload the machine and calmly inspect it. Sometimes the problem can be solved very simply. For example, when a foreign object is visible from the drum and can easily be removed independently, interfering with normal movement.
2. Some parts that have failed should not even be attempted to be repaired - it is better to replace them immediately. For example, a hatch handle.
3. When installing new spare parts, preference should be given to quality parts.
4. If you lack knowledge and experience, you should not begin serious repairs to the components of the washing machine - it is better to entrust such work to a specialist.

You will find a lot of important and useful information about error codes for LG washing machines in this section.

Causes of failure, diagnostics and repair methods

However, if the cause of the error is more serious, then a specialist inspection and repair will be required. If the procedures done do not help, then you need to know what to do next. Here are some serious reasons for displaying a code on the scoreboard:

It can be quite difficult to determine by eye what exactly is causing the breakdown. Therefore, you need to carry out diagnostics and pay attention to various signs; this must be done during the washing process.

If there is no characteristic click when closing the hatch or the door handle feels somehow weak, then most likely the cause is a breakdown in the lock or locking device. If the machine washes and then refuses to rinse, then the control device of the device is probably broken. If the machine hums, shakes and spins the drum slowly during washing, then the speed control sensors are not working correctly.

But to check the internal electrical circuit of the engine, you will need to remove the back wall of the unit and use a multimeter to check for breakdowns. It is possible that the winding has been damaged and is shorting.

It is best to entrust all these actions to professionals, because they will be able to accurately determine the cause of the breakdown and quickly and efficiently eliminate it. The solution to all these problems is the complete or partial replacement of damaged machine parts.

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