CELG · Washer, front-load and top-load · Washer

LG Washer, front-load and top-load error code CE

Motor current error

Needs attention soon

Also written as CE1

Which models this applies to. This page covers the LG front-load and top-load washer codes.

What is specific to the Washer, front-load and top-load platform

Top-load and front-load use different codes for the same fault, so they are listed separately below.

Your control board prints the code as text, for example F01 or EE3, so you read it off the display rather than counting blinks. The printed number is the fault itself, not a position in a table.

Quick answer

On LG Washer, front-load and top-load (2000s onward), CE is a fault. It means motor current error. A first thing to check: Motor or drive module failure.

Applies to: LG Washer, front-load and top-load; LG front-load and top-load washer codes · Washing Machine · 2000s onward
Type of code: Fault; Urgency: Needs attention soon
First safe check: Turn the drum by hand with the machine unplugged. It should spin freely with a smooth, slightly heavy feel.

Checked 2026-09-26

What CE means on this model

The control measured a motor current outside what it expects, usually an overload or a drive fault. A genuinely overloaded drum and a failing drive module both produce it, so the load is worth checking before parts are ordered.

Symptoms you will notice

Drum does not turn or turns only in one direction
Machine hums without moving and then shuts down
Code returns as soon as a spin or wash step begins
Laundry stays locked in the drum with the door shut

Common causes

The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:

Motor or drive module failure
Hall effect position sensors inside the motor failing, so the control never gets feedback
Drive module burned out after an overcurrent or a blocked drum
Bearing drag from a failed bearing or a dented spider
Mains board losing the motor enable signal
On a belt-drive washer, a broken belt or a seized pulley

What you can safely check

These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.

Turn the drum by hand with the machine unplugged. It should spin freely with a smooth, slightly heavy feel.
If it will not turn, look for a belt on a belt-drive model and for laundry wrapped around the spider or the pulley.
With the back or base open, look for scorching on the motor or the drive board.
Check that the drum is not jammed against a defrost, a coin, or a dropped garment.

Do not do these

×Do not turn a motor that has a burnt smell or visible damage back on. That risks the inverter board and the harness.
×Do not spin a drum that is locked by hand. Forcing it can damage the drive end and the bearing.

When to call a technician

Book a technician, do not keep resetting it

This fault will not clear on its own. Every power cycle gives the control one more failed attempt, and repeated attempts are what turn a cheap part replacement into a seized or contaminated system.

If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.

A belt is a good owner job. An inverter motor or bearing set means removing the tub and belongs with a technician.

What it costs to fix

Parts

Inverter motor $180 to $380. Drive module $90 to $200. Belt $15 to $35. Bearings $60 to $150 with labour.

Labor

Two to three hours for a motor replacement. Bearings on a front loader are closer to four.

DIY or technician