Error 3e in a Samsung washing machine

On Samsung washing machines, error 3e is not found as often as all others, but, nevertheless, it can create a lot of difficulties for a user who suddenly loses his “home assistant” at the moment when he needs it so much. When this error occurs, like all other errors, the washing stops and does not resume until the cause of the problem has been eliminated. Let us establish the causes of error 3e, and at the same time we will decode it.

The moment of appearance of the code and its analogues

Error 3e rarely appears arbitrarily. More often it “pops up” at certain stages of the execution of the washing program, revealing a certain pattern. Imagine Samsung washing machine starts washing clothes. Water collects, the drum gradually begins to spin up and suddenly, it hangs, the machine stops the rotation of the drum and at the same minute an error 3e appears on the display. It happens differently.

• You start a program on a Samsung automatic washing machine.
• The machine draws water and launches.
• Next, the washer drains dirty water, collects clean rinse and starts rinsing.
• The spin phase should follow, but there is no spin. The machine, twisting the drum a little, freezes, giving an error code 3e.

After rinsing, the machine tries to spin the drum to a more or less decent speed, but this does not happen.

If you are faced exactly with the above symptoms, but a different code is displayed, remember that error 3e has analogues that have a similar decoding. It may very well be that you come across codes: 3C, 8E, EA, 3e1, 3e2, 3e3, 3e4, 3s1, 3s2, 3s3, 3s4, 8e1, 8s, 8s1. Quite a lot of analogues, it's easy to make a mistake, so be careful. The EA code is typical for washers that were released before 2008, but codes 8E, 8e1, 8s, 8s1 are typical for washers younger than 2013.

Another question arises: how does the 3rd error code appear on Samsung washing machines that do not have a display? In the picture below you will see an answer to it. When a similar error occurs, two lights 40 light up on the display.⁰C and then Bio 60⁰C. But that’s not all, indicators indicating washing programs will start to flash quickly.

How is it decrypted?

As always, start by literally decrypting the 3rd error. It means problems with the tachometer or engine. Such a broad description of the error can hardly suit us, so we will try to decipher it in more detail. First of all, we will decipher the twin errors that are found on some models of Samsung washers instead of code 3e.

1. The error with the EA code is decrypted in exactly the same way as 3rd, it’s just that this code was used on older Samsung washing machines, however, we already talked about this above.
2. Codes 8e, 8c, 8c1, indicate problems with the vibration sensor, which is installed on the most modern models of washing machines.

A vibration sensor is a device that allows you to control the movement of the drum in different planes, while a conventional tachometer can only control its speed.

3. Error 8e1 indicates serious malfunctions in engine control, in fact, a complete loss of communication with the vibration or tacho sensor.
4. Well, the errors of the 3C series may appear due to the loss of engine power of the Samsung washing machine.

Why does the code appear?

Conditionally, the problems that “symbolizes” this error can be divided into two categories. The first category includes malfunctions that do not entail the breakdown of parts and components of the Samsung washing machine, and the second category includes more serious failures that give rise to the need for serious repairs to the “home assistant”. So, let's start with simple problems.

At first glance it may seem ridiculous, but such trivial things as overloading the drum with linen can lead to an error with the code 3e or 3C. If you put too little laundry, a 3C error may appear. The indicated codes can also symbolize jamming of the drum due to the ingress of foreign objects between the tank and the drum in the event that the engine does not have enough power to overcome jamming. Any of the above errors may pop up due to a short-term malfunction in the self-diagnosis system, and if so, you are very lucky - you do not need to fix anything.

Let's move on to the second category of faults. Error 3e can result from the complete combustion of the tacho-sensor and the complete disconnection of communication with it. If the Samsung washing machine has a vibration sensor instead of a tachometer, it can cause similar troubles. With the engine, too, not everything is going smoothly. If a 3C error occurs, you can judge the loss of engine power due to worn out brushes or a broken winding.

The tachometer may give incorrect signals due to oxidation of the magnetic ring or motor shaft. Also, dirt gets between the motor shaft and the tacho ring, which causes the same problems. The weakening of the tacho signal, or its periodic disappearance, may be due to poor attachment of this sensor to the engine, all this can also cause an error with code 3e.

One of the rarest causes of error 3e and its analogues is a weakened drive belt. Due to a similar problem, the engine cannot gain momentum and spin the drum, which is sometimes perceived by the self-diagnosis system of the washing machine as a problem with the motor, which is why it issues the code 3e.

As you can see, there are quite a few cases of the appearance of code 3e and its analogues, so be extremely careful not to mix anything up, this will delay the time for troubleshooting.

Eliminate the causes

Well, we have listed the causes of the 3rd Samsung washing machine error, now let's figure out how to fix them. Let's go in order.

• If you decide not to put things into the drum of the washing machine or, on the contrary, reload it and this leads to error 3e, you will correct yourself. Disconnect the machine from the power supply, remove extra items or report additional items if they are not enough, and then restart the washer –– the problem will be solved.
• With jamming the drum, the situation is worse. If a foreign object gets into the tank, you will have to remove it through the heater opening, and to remove the heating element, you will have to remove the front wall of the Samsung washing machine. How to do this is described in the article. Samsung washing machine gives an HE2 error. As soon as it is possible to remove the ten, it will be possible to put your hand in the hole and remove from the bottom of the tank what accidentally got there.
• In case of a short-term malfunction of the washing machine, you just need to restart it, disconnect it from the mains for 5 minutes, and then turn it on again. Error 3e or similar should disappear.
• If the tachometer burned out, you need to replace it with a new one. We unscrew the back wall of the washer, remove the drive belt so as not to interfere, remove the wiring from the engine and unscrew it. We remove the old tachometer from the motor and put a new one.

To verify that a part is malfunctioning, check it with a multimeter.

• The engine that has lost power must be checked and brushes replaced. On the side of the housing are small screws that need to be unscrewed to remove spring-loaded graphite rods. They are called brushes due to the fact that they rub against the moving part of the collector motor and can be erased. If this happened with at least one brush, change both at once.
• Breakage of communication with the tachometer is treated by a detailed check and cleaning of this element. It is necessary to carefully clean the inner magnetic ring from oxide and dirt, after which the contact will be restored. Along the way, we also check the integrity of the wire supplying the sensor and its contact.
• If you still encounter a 3e error that is caused by a loosened drive belt, you must immediately replace such a belt. Continuing to operate the washing machine with such a belt is unacceptable. Read about how to replace this part in the article. How to put a belt on a washing machine?

To summarize, we note that error 3e is not only multifaceted in itself, but it still has many analogues that are not always decrypted in the same way. To understand all this in more or less detail, read the publication again, and we wish you good luck and patience!