What F0E1 is telling you
F0E1 lights up when the washer finds something where it should not be — a load left in the basket for the Clean Washer cycle, or a basket that is too full to start.
The meaning, from the source
Cactus Appliance's Whirlpool and Maytag washer error code guide gives this meaning for the top-loader code: "Items in the basket during Clean Washer (F0E1), or an overloaded basket (F0E3)." The front-loader table lists the same idea as "Items in the drum during Clean Washer, or an overloaded drum."
In other words, F0E1 is not a failed part. The machine is asking you to remove the load.
What to do first
The source's instruction is direct: "Take out the load or part of it and restart." If the washer still shows F0E1 with an empty basket, the code is no longer the simple explanation above — at that point the source's general advice applies: a code that returns after the basic checks is a fault that needs testing, not guessing.
Non-official repair reference — this page summarizes a technician's guide; it is not a Whirlpool or Maytag service manual.
Source and check date
Source: Cactus Appliance — Whirlpool and Maytag Washer Error Codes · Checked 2026-11-12.