E23 on a Bosch dishwasher points at the drain pump. The machine stops, often without warning in the middle of a cycle, and on some models a red light appears on the floor beneath the door.
E23 appears on 5 jobs in our dishwasher records, from 2023 to this year, out of 369 Bosch jobs. It is the least common of Bosch's three drain codes — and the most consistent in what it turns out to be.
How customers describe it:
"Showing the E23 drain pump error code."
"E23 error — possible blockage. Light goes on, red light on the bottom, and it shuts off."
"Not coming on — error code E23."
One part, three times out of five
For a five-job sample this is as clear a pattern as our data produces: the same drain pump went into three of the five.
It is the Bosch drain pump — and it is the part we replace more than any other on a dishwasher of any brand, which is why we carry it on the van rather than ordering it in.
The two jobs where the tech's finding is recorded both say the same thing:
- "Drain pump has been replaced."
- "Drain pump needs to be replaced."
If your Bosch is showing E23, a drain pump is the likeliest single answer, and a tech arriving with one in the van is not guessing.
The job that explains the difference between E23 and E25
One of our E23 jobs is worth reading closely. The customer had a Silence Plus 46 dBA machine showing E23, and the tech's note reads:
"Checked the drain pump, found a broken rubber band, but it still [would not run]. Drain pump needs to be replaced."
A broken rubber band in the pump. Debris — exactly what E25 reports. The tech cleared it, and the pump still would not work.
That is the practical distinction. E25 says the pump is obstructed. E23 tends to show up when the pump has gone beyond an obstruction — when it has been running against something, or has failed electrically. Clearing the debris on this machine was necessary and not sufficient. The pump itself was finished, and the control board went with it.
It is also why you should not spend long on a filter clean for an E23. Do it, but expect it to be the start rather than the end.
When something else came with it
One job this April found a second fault alongside the pump: the tech recorded a leak from the inlet valve as well as a drain pump that needed replacing, on a Bosch Super Silence Plus 42 dBA. The customer had described it simply: "After beginning a cycle this evening, the dishwasher stopped with an error code of E 23."
A leaking inlet valve puts water into the machine when it should not be there, and the pump spends its life clearing it. The two faults are related, and fixing only the pump on a machine like that is how you get a callback.
The models we've seen it on
SHXM78W55N, SGE68U55UC, SHX5AVF5UC, SHP65T55UC and SHX878WD5N — across the 500, 800 and Benchmark lines, including the Silence Plus 44 and 46 dBA machines.
Thermador and Gaggenau owners: your dishwasher is Bosch-built and uses these same codes.
What you can safely check
- Scoop the standing water out of the tub.
- Clear the filter cylinder and the flat screen under it.
- Lift the pump cover beside the filter opening — a quarter turn on most models — and check the impeller for glass, grit or, as one of our jobs found, a piece of broken rubber. Use a cloth, not bare fingers. Make sure the cover clicks fully home afterwards.
- Check the drain hose, the air gap and the disposal knockout plug if the disposal was recently replaced.
- Power off at the breaker for ten minutes and run a rinse cycle.
Call a tech when E23 returns after that, when the pump is silent during the drain, or when there is any sign of water escaping underneath the machine.
Book Bosch dishwasher repair
We repair Bosch and Thermador dishwashers across the SF Bay Area and Peninsula, and we stock the common Bosch drain parts — including the one above.
Call (888) 993-5699 or book online.
Related pages
- Bosch Dishwasher E24 Error — the drain code we see most of all
- Bosch Dishwasher E25 Error — the pump blocked rather than failed
- Bosch Dishwasher E15 Error — water in the anti-flood tray
- Dishwasher Not Draining, Standing Water — by symptom instead of code
- Bosch Appliance Repair — every Bosch appliance we service
Frequently asked questions
What does E23 mean on a Bosch dishwasher? E23 is a drain pump fault. The control board has determined the pump is not doing its job and stops the cycle. On some models a red light also appears on the floor under the door.
Is E23 the same as E24 or E25? They are the same family but not the same message. E24 means the water is not draining and the cause could be anywhere in the drain path. E25 means the pump is blocked. E23 points at the pump itself, and in our records it is the one most likely to end in a replacement rather than a clean.
What part fixes a Bosch E23 error? The drain pump. The same pump went into three of our five E23 jobs, and it is the dishwasher part we replace more than any other across every brand — so it is one we keep on the van. The exact part varies by model, so it should be matched to the rating plate on the edge of your door.
I cleared debris from the pump and E23 is still showing — why? Because the debris may have been a symptom rather than the whole fault. On one of our jobs the tech found a broken rubber band in the pump, removed it, and the pump still would not run — it had to be replaced, along with the control board. Clearing the obstruction is worth doing but may not be enough on an E23.
Can I run the dishwasher with an E23 error? It will not finish a cycle, and running it repeatedly makes things worse if the pump is jammed — the motor sits there drawing current against an obstruction.
My Thermador shows E23 — is this the same page? Yes. Thermador and Gaggenau dishwashers are built by Bosch on the same platform and use the same error codes and often the same parts.