What FAE4 or F10E4 Means
Dishwasher: KitchenAid prints this one as "FAE4 or F10E4" on a single page, because different control generations render the same tenth family either as a hex-style A or as the number 10. The potential cause given is a diverter valve error, with a power cycle as the troubleshooting. The diverter is what sends circulating water to one spray arm rather than another - upper, lower or a zone - so the machine can concentrate pressure where it is needed instead of spraying everywhere at once. When the control cannot confirm the diverter moved to the position it asked for, it raises this code.
Common Causes of FAE4 or F10E4
- The diverter failing to reach the position the control asked for
- The position sensing on the diverter no longer reporting correctly
- Debris in the diverter housing holding it part-way
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
This page ends at a power cycle. If the dishwasher is on a cord, unplug it for thirty seconds and plug it back in; if it is hard-wired, switch the breaker that feeds it off at the household panel, leave it off for thirty seconds, then switch it back on. Before you restart it, take the lower rack out and turn each spray arm by hand to confirm nothing is fouling it, then check that the arms are properly clipped in - an upper arm that has come off its mount will not produce the pressure pattern the control expects. Run a short empty cycle afterwards and listen: a diverter normally makes an audible change partway through a wash, and silence where that change should be is worth reporting.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- The diverter is part of the pump assembly under the tub, so reaching it means draining the machine, drawing it out and breaking into the sump seals.
- Everything in that assembly is below the water line, and a seal remade imperfectly leaks slowly under the cabinet run where it soaks the floor structure long before anybody sees a puddle.
- KitchenAid publishes no way to test the diverter from the outside, so any owner-side attempt at this is part-swapping with a wet machine pulled out on the kitchen floor.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.