The short answer
F10E5 on this dishwasher means the published table gives this code a potential cause rather than a diagnosis: a diverter leak — that is what the manufacturer published for it, and no more. Stop using it. A leak inside the cabinet reaches the electrical parts and the floor, and neither improves with another cycle. One of the checks below is an owner check, and the rest of the work is behind a panel.
Error codes
Reference| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| F10E5 | Potential Cause: Diverter Leak |
What the machine does alongside the code
- The cycle stops part-way and will not resume — Leak protection latching deliberately, which is what it is for.
- The appliance stops mid-cycle and will not restart — Leak protection latches deliberately: it is designed not to let you carry on.
What triggers F10E5, most likely first
- A seal or connection at the diverter weeping under pressure — It goes first because the published entry names the diverter and because seals are what leak: a hardened seal or a loosened joint weeps while the pump is running and dries between cycles.
- A cracked or split component in the water path — It ranks here because it is a real failure, it worsens rather than recovers, and it is the reason a leak protection exists.
- A false trigger from condensation or a wet sensor — Last: it is possible, but a leak protection has to be treated as real until a technician has proved otherwise, because the cost of being wrong is a floor.
Check in this order, and why
- Note where the water appears and at which stage of the cycle — That observation is worth more to a technician than the reading itself.
- Look for water under and behind the appliance — Where the water is tells a technician which half of the path to open.
- Check the visible hose connections by hand — A weeping fitting is often dry by the time you look, so feel as well as look.
- Body: Locate before you open anything — where and when the water appears decides which half of the path a technician opens.
The reset, then the owner-safe checks
- Dry the floor and put paper down to find the source — A dry floor with paper on it shows where the water comes from far better than a wet one.
Tools: towels, paperAbout 15 min
- Turn the water off, switch the machine off at the breaker, dry the floor and put paper down — Paper on a dry floor shows where the water is coming from far better than a wet floor does.
Tools: towels, paperAbout 20 min
- Check the visible connections and the hose runs — Feel along each fitting for damp and look for mineral trails, which mark a slow weep.
Tools: torchAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE — do not reset a triggered leak protection and carry on — A protection that has acted has a reason. Overriding it is how a contained leak becomes a flood.
Before anything is opened
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.
When this is a service call rather than a reset
Call at once, and do not reset the protection to get one more cycle out of it.
Neighbouring codes on KitchenAid dishwashers
What this page does not cover
This reading applies to the KitchenAid dishwasher line as a whole, not to one family or model. It does not cover what differs between model lines — wiring colours, connector positions, part numbers and service-mode sequences — which are in your own model manual and which a technician matches to the rating plate rather than to this code. Where a family- or model-specific page for this code exists, it is linked from the code index below and it is the more specific answer.
Links: - [KitchenAid dishwasher error codes](/blog/kitchenaid-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.
