- Appliances
- Washing machines
F16
Bosch F16 on washing machine: door not locked properly
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Low
Quick answer
Your Bosch washer shows F16 (or F34) because the door has not locked properly. Close it until it clicks, check that no item is caught between the door and the housing, and restart the programme.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Do not force the door or tamper with the lock to make it start. The door lock is internal and mains connected: service checks it.
Safe checks you can perform
- Close with an audible click
- Load and seal edge
- Restart the programme
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Door lock diagnosis
- Do not attempt this professional task: Lock test after repair
What a technician must be able to justify
A technician is coming
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Door lock diagnosis
What they doService checks the door lock and its connection to the control, with the washer unplugged before anything is opened.
They must show youthe fault reproduced with the door properly closed.
In writingthe cause found, the reference of any replaced part and why.
Lock test after repair
What they doThe technician closes the door and completes a programme to check the lock works.
They must show youthe door locked and the programme finished without F16.
In writingthe test result.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Checks and evidence, step by step
Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
- 1
Close with an audible click
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- open the door and close it firmly until it clicks, as Bosch instructs.
- Result that matters:
- hearing the lock click.
- If the programme starts after a restart:
- a badly closed door was the cause.
- If F16 returns:
- move on to the load and the seal.
- Evidence to keep:
- a note of whether you heard the click.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
- 2
Load and seal edge
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- take some laundry out if the drum is very full and check nothing is caught between the door and the housing, as Bosch instructs.
- Result that matters:
- a door that closes without laundry pressing on it.
- If an item was caught or the load was too big:
- that was the cause; restart the programme.
- If all was fine:
- the load is ruled out.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the seal edge.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
- 3
Restart the programme
No special tools
Procedure
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- with the door properly closed, restart the programme, as Bosch instructs.
- Result that matters:
- whether F16 returns.
- If it does not:
- watch the next washes.
- If it returns with the door properly closed:
- it points to the door lock; call Bosch service with the exact code.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the code and the model from the rating plate.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Appliances
- Brand
- Bosch
- Product type
- Washing machines
Known code variants
- Bosch F16 lavadora
- Bosch F16 washer
- Bosch washer F16 error
- code erreur F16 lave-linge Siemens
- codice E16 Siemens
- código E16 Siemens
- E00-16
- E34
- erreur E16 Siemens
- error F16 lavadora Bosch
- error F16 lavadora Siemens
- errore F16 lavatrice Siemens
- F16 Siemens
- F34
- Siemens E16
- Siemens F16
- Siemens Fehlercode E16
- Siemens Waschmaschine Fehler F16
- Siemens washer F16
- Siemens washing machine E16
What it means
Bosch groups E16, E34, F16 and F34 as door not locked properly: the control does not confirm the lock and will not start the programme. Bosch documents it on its US washer page. According to Bosch, a full load may prevent the door from closing properly, as can something jammed between the door and the housing. Its fix is to close the door until it clicks audibly and restart the programme. If the code returns with the door properly closed, the lock needs a technician; the code alone does not prove it is faulty.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Loweditorial warning
Do not force the door or tamper with the lock to make it start. The door lock is internal and mains connected: service checks it.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Door not fully closedCommon
The door was closed without the audible click Bosch asks for. The code clears when it is closed properly and the programme restarted.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
- Load too fullPossible
The drum is very full and the laundry pushes on the door. Bosch says a full load may prevent it from closing properly.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
- Item caught in the sealPossible
An item is trapped between the door and the housing. You see it when you open the door and check the seal edge.
Evidence: Bosch Washer Error Codes
Virtual technician
Does F16 still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Bosch · 2026 · official_doc
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