The reading in two sentences
Read E9240 as this: the filter is blocked and needs cleaning. It will run, but wash results will be poor and the blockage gets worse with every cycle, so clean it before using it again. You can settle whether this is a one-off or a real fault yourself; naming the failed part is not owner work.
Error codes
Reference| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E9240 | The dishwasher filter is blocked. The filter is the area where food particles get caught and it needs to be cleaned regularly. |
What else is happening when this shows
- Water standing in the base of the tub at the end — The filter is in the drain path, so a blocked one holds water in.
- The pump runs on and on without the level dropping — The control is trying to drain and getting nowhere, which is what it eventually reports.
- NEAR MISS — the pump is silent and no water moves at all — That is a pump or its circuit rather than a restriction, and the checks below separate the two.
What triggers E9240, most likely first
- The filter has not been cleaned for some time — First because the code says exactly this: the filter is a maintenance item, it fills gradually with food particles, and the machine reports when it can no longer work through it.
- A fragment jammed in the coarse filter or the trap below it — Glass, a label or a seed sits across the mesh and blocks far more of it than its size suggests, which is why a filter that looks fine can still be blocked.
The order to work through
- Look into the recess the filter sits in — Debris collects in the sump below the filter and it stays there when the filter is lifted out.
- Take the filter assembly out and hold it up to the light — Both stages: the coarse cylinder and the fine mesh around it.
- Look at the whole visible run of the hose — A kink behind the appliance is the single most common cause, and it is found by eye in a minute.
The reset and the checks that follow it
- Pull the appliance out enough to see the hose and straighten it — Look for a crush behind a foot, a tight bend against a wall and a loop that has dropped.
About 15 min
- Remove both filter stages, rinse them under a running tap and refit them locked home — A soft brush on the fine mesh, and check the filter turns to its locked position when it goes back.
Tools: soft brushAbout 15 min
- Clean the filter and trap and refit them squarely — Expect standing water: have a shallow tray and a towel ready before opening anything.
Tools: shallow tray, towelsAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the path is clear and it still will not empty — The pump and its valve sit inside the machine, behind a panel and next to standing water.
Before a panel comes off
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before any panel comes off — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Expect hot water: let a heated cycle cool before opening the door or lifting the filter, and never work round the door interlock to start a cycle.
Where an owner check ends
Call straight away if water is leaking onto the floor, if the appliance is silent through the drain phase, or if it fills and never empties.
Other codes on a Bosch dishwasher
What is deliberately not here
Treat this as the general Bosch dishwasher reading. It stops short of anything model-specific — part numbers, harness colours, connector layouts and service-mode entry — because those differ by family and a technician takes them from the rating plate rather than from a code. A family- or model-specific page, where one exists, is linked from the code index below and is the closer answer.
Links: - [Bosch dishwasher error codes](/blog/bosch-dishwasher-error-codes)
Next steps
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
