The short answer
On an AEG dryer, a machine that will not start most often comes back to a latched base-tray flood switch, with a door switch that is not reporting closed close behind. AEG machines are current-generation European appliances: sensor-driven, code-reporting, and built around a base tray with a flood switch that will take the machine out of service the moment it sees water. That puts the first move in your hands rather than a technician’s: work the checks below in order and stop at the first one that explains what you are seeing.
What you are seeing
- What this fault looks like, and which observations point somewhere else.
- the panel lights and the machine ignores start
- the machine ran until the door was slammed and has not since
- it starts only when the door is held closed
- nothing happens at all when start is pressed
- Not this fault: if the machine runs but does not heat, read the heating page
- Not this fault: if it starts and stops part-way, read the cycle page
Ranked causes on this platform
- Ranked for an AEG dryer, which runs a sensor-driven controller that reports a fault code on the display. No measured frequency exists for this address, so the order is platform judgement rather than a share.
- A latched base-tray flood switch — Why: On this platform a trace of water in the base tray latches the machine into a protective state, and it presents as a machine that will not start at all rather than as a leak.
- A door switch that is not reporting closed — Why: It is operated on every load, it is the most common wear item in the start circuit, and it stops the machine completely.
- A child lock or delay start — Why: The machine is waiting or refusing input by design, and the indicator is easy to miss.
- The supply rather than the machine — Why: A tripped breaker or one lost leg of a two-pole supply leaves a machine that is either dead or heatless.
- A worn start switch — Why: The start button carries the motor start current on many machines and wears out where nothing else does.
What to check, in order
- The order follows the ranking above: most likely and cheapest first, nothing needing a meter until everything else is eliminated.
- A latched base-tray flood switch — Because: on this platform a trace of water in the base tray latches the machine into a protective state.
- A door switch that is not reporting closed — Because: it is operated on every load, it is the most common wear item in the start circuit.
- A child lock or delay start — Because: the machine is waiting or refusing input by design, and the indicator is easy to miss.
Checks you can safely do yourself
- Isolate the appliance before any panel comes off, and stop at the first step that explains the fault.
- Tip the machine gently backwards onto a towel to clear the tray, then restore it upright and retry. — Tools: a towel and a second pair of hands — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Press the switch by hand with the door open and listen for the machine to respond. — Tools: nothing — Time estimate: a few minutes
- Check for lock and delay indicators and clear them. — Tools: the owner documentation — Time estimate: a few minutes
- Reset the breaker fully off and on, and test the outlet. — Tools: a torch — Time estimate: a quarter of an hour
- Stop condition: Stop there: the next step means metering live terminals or opening a sealed system.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Clear lint from the filter, the housing and the duct: accumulated lint around a heat source is the recognised hazard of this appliance class. Never run the machine with a panel off or the door interlock defeated, and never vent it into the room.
When to call a technician
Call a technician when the supply is proven good and the machine stays dead, when the motor hums without turning, or when a protective device has opened. A motor that hums and does not turn should be switched off immediately rather than retried.
The fact bundle for this address was empty, so no warehouse figure appears. Every number on the page is a program safety constant, cited to its publisher. — Sources
General guidance- 1910.147 — The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, fetched 2026-09-06
Other faults documented for this brand and appliance. — Nearest pages of the same kind
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every AEG dryer family and model number: no family fault list, no model parts list, and no measured figure from the program warehouse. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it goes deeper, and it should be preferred over this one.
Links: - [Common AEG Dryer Problems](/blog/aeg-dryer-problems) - [AEG Dryer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/aeg-dryer-abnormal-noise) - [AEG Dryer: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/aeg-dryer-cleaning-performance)
Adjacent pages for what this one rules out. — Where to go next
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
