What to check yourself
Step 1. Close the supply valve and unplug the machine
In that order. A valve that is letting water past will keep letting it past while you look at the rest, and the machine cannot stop it once the electronics are off.
If water has already reached the base tray, the machine may also show E15. Do not tilt or move it until the supply is closed and it is unplugged.
Step 2. Look for water where it should not be
Check the floor under and in front of the machine and the cabinet either side. Finding it early is the difference between a repair and a floor.
Step 3. Note whether it filled while switched off
Worth telling the technician. A machine that fills on its own overnight has an inlet valve that no longer closes, which is a different part from a float or level sensor that has stopped reading correctly.
What a technician will look at
Described so you know what you are paying for, not as steps to repeat.
Replace the inlet valve or the level sensor
Either the valve is not closing or the sensor is not telling the machine when to stop. Both are behind panels on a live appliance with water present, which is the combination to stay out of.
When to call a technician
Straight away. There is no owner-level fix for an overfill, and the failure mode is a kitchen floor rather than a wasted cycle.
What the repair costs
| Repair | Part only | Fitted by a technician |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | - | $75 to $150 |
| Inlet valve replacement | - | $150 to $300 |
| Level sensor or float replacement | - | $150 to $350 |
A new machine of the same class runs $500 to $1,500. Once a quote passes about a third of that on an older appliance, the repair stops making sense.
Codes people confuse this with
Questions people ask
- Can I just run it once more to finish the dishes?
- No, and this is the one place on the site where we would say that flatly. An inlet valve that has stopped closing does not fail politely: it keeps filling with nobody in the room.
Which machines this applies to
Applies to
All Bosch dishwashers. Bosch documents E16 and E17 together, and machines with newer electronics show E3300 or E3400 for the same condition.
Last checked
2026-08-04