There are many reasons for resetting your Maytag washing machine. We will get into all of those reasons later, but first, here’s how to reset a Maytag washing machine:
To reset your Maytag washing machine, press and hold the start/pause button for 3 seconds until all indicator lights go off, then rotate the cycle-selection dial to the left < with 5 seconds.
This is the most common reset method. However, If that doesn’t work, there are other methods that I will walk you through in this article.
Table of Contents
How to Reset a Maytag Washing Machine
To reset your Maytag washing machine, press and hold the start/pause button for 3 seconds until all indicator lights go off, then rotate the cycle-selection dial to the left < with 5 seconds.
This is the most common reset method – but I’ve listed more below. If you can’t get any of these to work, you can do a hard reset by turning the machine off at the mains power for 3-5 minutes before turning it back on again. This will remove any settings and let the machine start fresh.
The Lid Lift Method
If you have a top-load washer, this might work. You need to power off the machine for 1 minute at the mains, then within 30 seconds of turning it back on, open and close the lid 6 times within 12 seconds.
Resetting a Maytag Coin-Operated Washing Machine
If it’s a commercial coin-operated style machine, you can unlock the lockbox, find the ‘Delicates & Knits’ wash button on the screen then press and hold it for 5 seconds, or until the display starts flashing. The machine should be reset, but it’s best to run an empty test cycle to be sure.
How to Reset Maytag Centennial Washing Machine
On some models, you can use the ‘power-start’ technique, where you turn off the machine using the power button, unplug the washer from the mains, start a new cycle and hold the start button for 10-15 seconds, then plug the washer back in and turn it on.
How to Reset Maytag Commercial Washing Machine
The only way to reset this type of washer is using a hard reset; turn the machine off at the mains power for 3-5 minutes before turning it back on again.
How to Reset Maytag Bravos Washing Machine
The final method is mostly used for the Bravos-style washer, but you can try it with any. Simply press the power/cancel button, select a cycle, and then finish by pressing the start/pause button.
When to Reset a Maytag Washer and When Not to
If you’re resetting the machine due to an error code – it’s worth noting the code and checking what it means before you actually do the reset.
In essence, all the reset does is erase the code and try again, but if the code is telling you that water can’t get into or out of the machine – it’s not going to fix this.
On the other hand, if you have fixed the fault – resetting will let you clear the error and restart the machine to try again.
Bear in mind it’ll likely jump back to the start of the washing cycle, so if your machine is loaded with water – don’t be tempted to open the door!
When Resetting Doesn’t Work
In most cases, resetting your Maytag washing machine is unlikely to help, unfortunately. Because you do need to fix the source of the error to get your machine back up and running.
Drainage problems
Error codes: drn, E1, F9
If your machine got the water in – but can’t get it back out, there might be a blockage somewhere, or a kink in the drainage hose.
How to Fix
- Check the filter – especially if you wear PPE masks, hair bobbles, or trainer socks as these are the most common culprits in my house. You’ll need to look out 3-4 large towels to prevent a minor flood as when you remove the filter, you’re also going to release all the water from the machine.
- Check all your hoses at the back for any obvious kinks or blockages. If there’s nothing glaring, try either removing the drainage hose completely to flush it through, or disconnecting one end and checking for a blockage.
Water Supply Issues
Error codes: E1, F8, LF, LO FL
Your machine might not be able to get the water in; this is most common if you’ve just plugged in the appliance, or if you’re experiencing low water pressure due to a burst pipe in the area.
How to Fix
- If your appliance has been plugged in and worked before, check that there’s not something wrong with the water in the rest of your house – just run a cold water tap and see whether the pressure is what you’d think is normal. If the tap is dry, or trickling, it’s more likely a problem with the local water supply than the machine. Hang fire until the supply is back to normal, then try starting the washing machine again.
- If your appliance is new, double-check all the supply hoses, make sure hot-hot and cold-cold lines match up where needed, that there are no kinks in the lines, and that all the water valves are open.
Reversed Hot & Cold Supplies
Error codes: HC
If the water coming from the cold supply is too hot to be deemed ‘cold’, this is likely due to a mix-up with the lines.
How to Fix
Double-check your supply lines, and make sure the cold (C) supply is matched to the cold (C) inlet and the hot (H) supply is matched to the hot (H) inlet.
Here’s the full Maytag guide on how to diagnose and fix the problem.
Power & Voltage Problems
Error codes: PF
If you’ve had a power cut mid-cycle, your machine might throw an error because of the irregular electricity supply.
How to Fix
Once the power is back on, check the circuit breaker and electric panel within your house to make sure nothing’s tripped, then reset the machine by turning off at the mains for 3-5 minutes – then turn it back on.
The Door or Lid Isn’t Closed, Won’t Lock, or Can’t Unlock
Error codes: E2, F5, LdL, LdU
If the machine doesn’t believe that the door is closed – either because it’s not, or because there’s a problem with the door or latch mechanism, then there might be an error code, or the machine just might not start.
How to Fix
Check that the door is closed, and the latch is securely fixed with no rogue socks stuck in the door jam. If it’s nothing obvious, you will need to check the seal and latch, and potentially replace one or both.
Unbalanced Load
Error codes: Ofb
If the load is somehow unbalanced, either because heavy items have become tangled, or the machine’s just slightly overloaded (although that’s more likely to cause an OL error code), you might think a reset would help – but try this first!
How to Fix
Try to untangle and rearrange the load if you can so that it’s more balanced, then restart the machine. If this doesn’t work, remove a few items and try again.
Water level problems, or a leak
There might be water or moisture somewhere it shouldn’t be… OR the moisture sensor could be broken and sending off faulty signals.
If you see FE – this is essentially the worst-case scenario and you need to turn off the water supply immediately to prevent long-term damage to the machine.
How to Fix
- Have a look around the machine for any rogue water drops. If you find any, tighten up the hoses and connections nearby.
- Check that all your hoses are free-flowing, with no kinks or obvious blockages.
- Remove everything from the washer – prepping the floor with towels if the washing machine is full of water – and run it on a completely empty cycle with no clothes or detergent. If soapy suds appear, it’s likely you’ve used too much detergent at some point. The only way to fix this is to keep running empty cycles until the soap is all cleared out.
Sticky Buttons
If you’ve got an older appliance or kids with sticky fingers, one of the buttons on your washer might be stuck in / jammed / constantly depressed.
How to Fix
Quite a quick fix for this one – turn the machine off, then give the buttons a good clean. Press them individually until you find the stuck one, then give that some extra attention.
A small co*cktail stick or interdental brush might help you release it if it’s proving tricky.
FAQs
How do I force my Maytag washer to reset?
If the soft reset method doesn’t work, you can do a hard reset by turning the machine off at the mains power for 3-5 minutes before turning it back on again. This will remove any settings and let the machine start afresh.
Where is the Maytag washing machine reset button?
There is no reset button per say on as Maytag washing machine, because you just use the main dial. Press and hold the start/pause button for 3 seconds until all indicator lights go off, then rotate the cycle-selection dial to the left < with 5 seconds.
Related: How to Reset Indesit Washing Machine
