The short answer
F10E4 is documented as a diverter valve error. The diverter is the motorised valve that sends wash water to the upper rack, the lower rack or both in turn, and this code means the control asked for a position and did not get the confirmation back. The dishwasher often still runs; what suffers is which rack actually gets washed.
Error codes
Reference| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| F10E4 | Potential Cause: Diverter Valve Error |
What you observe, and what to record
- One rack comes out clean and the other does not — The most telling symptom of all, and the one people notice weeks before the code.
- Whether anything else about the appliance changed first — A noise, a smell, a slower cycle or a poorer result in the weeks before the code usually dates the fault better than the code does.
- Whether the code is steady or intermittent — A fault that is present every time is far quicker to find than one that comes and goes, and the two are diagnosed differently.
Causes, most likely first on this dishwasher
- Debris jamming the diverter — First, and by a wide margin: glass chips, a fruit pip or a shard of plastic in the sump will hold the valve part-way and produce exactly this. It is also the only cause an owner can reach.
- The diverter motor or its position sensor has failed — Second: the motor is small, it works in hot detergent water, and its position feedback fails more often than the motor itself.
- A wiring or connector fault at the diverter — Third: the connection is under the tub in a wet area, and corrosion there is a real failure mode.
Check in this order, and why
- Check which rack is being left dirty — It tells you which position the diverter cannot reach, which is genuinely diagnostic.
- Pull the filter and look in the sump for debris — The commonest cause, and it is reachable without tools.
- Listen at the start of a cycle for the diverter moving — A click and then nothing is different from silence.
What an owner can safely check
- Switch the dishwasher off at its breaker before reaching into the sump — The wash motor and the diverter can both start on their own if a cycle resumes.
About 5 min
- Check the breaker for the appliance, fully off and on — A breaker that has tripped partway does not look tripped. A definite off, then on.
About 5 min
- Remove the filter assembly and clear the sump — Glass chips, pips and shards of plastic are the usual finds. Check the filter mesh itself as well.
Tools: cloth, torchAbout 20 min
- Find the manual, or download it for your model number — Model-line documentation frequently says something the general code index does not.
About 10 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Water in the tub after a cycle is hot and carries detergent; bail it out rather than reaching through it, and keep children and pets away from an open machine that has not drained.
When to call a technician
Call once the sump and the filter are clean, the spray arms turn freely, and the code still appears. At that point the diverter motor or its wiring is the candidate, and both are reached under the tub with the dishwasher pulled out. That is a technician's job rather than an owner's.
Nearest Jenn-Air dishwasher codes
What this page does not cover
This page reads F10E4 for Jenn-Air dishwashers in general, from the manufacturer's shared code index. A code can be documented differently for one family, so where a model-line page exists for your unit it is the more specific answer and is linked below. Not here: wiring colours, connector positions and part numbers, which differ by family.
Links: - [Jenn Air Dishwasher Error Codes](/blog/jenn-air-dishwasher-error-codes)
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.
