The short answer
An integrated AEG that lights but never runs is usually failing to close its door latch, because the furniture panel has settled on its hinges. Press firmly at the latch side and listen. A machine that only pumps has found water in its base tray instead. A child lock or a delayed start is third, and a supply or board fault last.
What you observe
- The display lights, a programme is accepted, nothing runs — The door has not closed its switch.
- The door needs a hard push at one corner to click — The furniture panel has dropped on its hinges.
- It runs the drain pump and then stops — The anti-flood float has lifted in the base tray.
- A padlock symbol, or a delay indication showing — Child lock or a delayed start, set by accident.
- NEAR MISS — the display is completely dark — Supply or breaker, not the machine.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Door latch not closing its switch — First on an integrated machine because the fitted panel is heavy and the hinges settle over time. The door feels shut, the catch misses the latch by a fraction, and the machine waits.
- Anti-flood float lifted in the base tray — Second, and unmistakable once you know it: the machine will not wash, runs only its drain pump, and is telling you there is water underneath it.
- Child lock or delayed start set — Third, and free to clear. Both are easy to set by accident on a flat console behind a furniture door, and both refuse quietly.
- Supply fault, or a failed latch switch or board — Last. A dark display means the socket or the breaker, usually a spur behind a cabinet, and a board failure behind a lit display is genuinely uncommon.
Check in this order, and why
- Note whether the display lights at all — One observation that splits the fault list in two.
- Push the door firmly at the latch side and listen — The top cause on an integrated machine.
- Note whether it pumps and stops — That behaviour names the base tray immediately.
- Clear any lock or delay and try again — Left until here because both are quick eliminations.
What an owner can safely check
- Close the door pressing firmly at the latch side — Listen for a clean click rather than a soft thud.
About 10 min
- Check the furniture panel sits level against the frame — A dropped panel can often be adjusted at its fixings.
Tools: screwdriverAbout 30 min
- Select a programme and watch whether the pump runs alone — Pumping and stopping means water in the base tray.
About 15 min
- Clear any child lock or delayed start, then restart — Hold the button marked with a padlock until it clears.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if it pumps and refuses to wash — There is water under the machine and it needs a technician.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before moving it or opening any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and an integrated machine is often fed from a switched spur hidden behind a cabinet. Never defeat the door latch switch or the anti-flood float to force a cycle: one stops the machine spraying near-boiling water into the room, the other stops a slow leak destroying the kitchen.
When to call a technician
Call when the door latches cleanly, no lock or delay is set and the machine still refuses — the latch switch or the board is then the answer. Call promptly if it only pumps, because the base tray holds water and the source is inside the cabinet. Call an electrician instead if the spur or the breaker will not hold with the machine connected.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the appliance class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and you should start there. Deliberately absent: latch and board part identifiers, panel fixing dimensions, console button sequences and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the integrated, freestanding and slimline families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
