---
title: "GE dishwasher error code C3"
description: "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."
url: "https://gemiami.support/error-codes/dishwasher-c3/"
date_modified: "2026-08-31"
Appliance type: "Dishwashers"
---


# 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](/services/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](tel:+13053062503) and describe what the display is doing before booking anything.

What this one means

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](tel:+13053062503) and describe what the display is doing before booking anything.

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