Error code
GE dishwasher error code C3
GE dishwasher error code C3: The dishwasher will not drain. Which machines can actually raise it, where the number lives on this make, and what to do next.
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What we can confirm
Code C3, from the manufacturer's own documentation
A code is only meaningful together with the machine showing it — the same digits mean different things on different equipment.
The code
C3
The dishwasher will not drain. Where C1 and C2 describe a drain that is too slow, this one reports that the water is not leaving, and GE asks for a full power cycle before service.
or call (305) 306-2503
What it narrows down to
The dishwasher will not drain. Where C1 and
Diagnostic
From $95, credited to the repair
On the same appliance
What else belongs to the dishwashers
On this make a code belongs to the appliance rather than to a product line. These are the other conditions this machine can display, and the models that can show this one — a display often has more than one thing to say, and the model number decides what any of it costs to put right.
Other codes this appliance can display
The pump out during drain has exceeded two
The total pump out cycle exceeds seven minutes.
The machine filled twice after a power failure,
The pump out time is too short —
The water temperature is too low. GE is
The water temperature sensor circuit has become inoperative.
The detergent cup is blocked from opening fully.
Not an error. GE lists this as a
There has been a power failure to the
Failure to drain — GE lists it as
A possible leak has been detected, and on
Not an error. GE describes a number followed
The same digits mean different things on different equipment. Search the full code list
In more detail
About GE dishwasher error code C3
What C3 means, in the maker's own words
The dishwasher will not drain. Where C1 and C2 describe a drain that is too slow, this one reports that the water is not leaving, and GE asks for a full power cycle before service.
Where this code actually appears
On the control panel, and usually with a sound. GE describes their refrigerator codes as flashing green on the display and typically accompanied by a beeping, and the range, microwave and dishwasher tables all describe codes you can read from the front of the appliance. That is the opposite of some makes, where the number is written into a hidden log and never shown — here, if something is wrong, the appliance generally tells you. Photograph what it says before cutting the power, because a reset erases it and the code is most of the diagnosis.
What to do about it
- Disconnect the power at the circuit breaker for about 30 seconds, then reset the dishwasher. That is GE's documented step.
- Check the filter and the sump for debris. Glass, seeds and labels collect there and stop the pump without breaking it.
- Check the air gap, the hose and the disposer, as for C1.
- If it persists, the drain pump is tested for current and obstruction — a pump straining against a blockage is not a failed pump.
Where this goes next
The job this usually becomes is dishwasher drain repair, and every one of those pages carries a starting figure and the reasons that move it. If it turns out to be nothing — and on this make a real share of these are modes rather than problems — the visit ends there and you pay the diagnostic and nothing else, or call (305) 306-2503 and describe what the display is doing before booking anything.
This article is based on:
- Official manufacturer documentation
- Internal repair procedures
- Technician repair history
- Company quality standards