LG Dryer CL — Child Lock
CL is the joint-most-misreported “fault” on LG dryers (with Check Filter): a lock indicator doing exactly what it was designed to do.
What to check first
- CL = Child Lock active. Not a fault — a safety feature doing its job.
- Release: press and hold the Child Lock key for 3 seconds (UK: 3–5).
- It survives power-off until released (LG UK) — that is why it “comes back”.
- It can only be set while a cycle is running.
A CL display means the Child Lock — the control lock — is active. LG's US list states the consequence plainly: the control panel will be disabled, and for most models the settings cannot be adjusted or changed while CL is active. It is a safety feature for households with small hands, not a fault code — and the release is one gesture: press and hold the Child Lock button for 3 seconds to disable it. LG's UK list adds the two behaviours that confuse owners: the lock can be enabled only when a cycle is in progress, and it stays enabled even after the dryer is powered off, until someone turns it off — which is why CL “comes back” on a machine nobody remembers locking.
Safety first
- CL needs no safety box of its own — it is the safety feature. The one caution is the reverse case: if small children use the room, turn the lock back on the same way (hold 3 seconds, mid-cycle per the UK list) rather than treating it as a nuisance to defeat.
- Stop condition: stop using the machine and unplug it — and do not run it again until it has been checked — if you smell burning, see smoke, find damaged electrics (a scorched plug, a melted or cut cable), or water is leaking in quantity.
Common causes
Someone enabled it — possibly weeks ago
LG UK's persistence rule explains the mystery cases: the lock stays on after the power is turned off, until it is switched off again. A CL discovered today may have been set during a cycle long past, by any hand that found the button.
It can only be set mid-cycle
LG UK: the child lock can be enabled only when a cycle is in progress. So a CL on a running machine was set during that run — a leaning hand, a curious child, a cleaning wipe across the panel at the wrong moment.
Step-by-step checks
- Press and hold the Child Lock key for 3 secondsLG US's instruction: to disable Child Lock, press and hold the Child Lock key for 3 seconds. (LG UK gives 3–5 seconds; hold until the CL display clears.)
- Confirm the panel respondsWith CL gone, the panel accepts settings again — LG's definition of the lock is the disabled panel, so a responsive panel is the confirmation.
- To re-enable it laterStart a cycle, then press and hold the Child Lock key for 3 seconds (UK: 3–5) while the cycle runs — the lock can only be enabled with a cycle in progress.
When to call a technician
There is no technician case for CL itself — it is a feature state, with a published release and no fault behind it. If the panel stays dead after CL is properly disabled, the fault is a different one (and if a power code shows instead, start at PF).
Model differences
| What you have | What changes |
|---|---|
| “For most models” | LG US qualifies the lock's effect: for most models settings cannot be adjusted while CL is active. A model that allows some adjustment under CL is behaving per LG's qualification, not malfunctioning. |
| Washer showing CL | The same feature exists on LG washers with its own release gesture — the washer CL entry lives in the washer collection. |
One-page checklist — CL
- Display recognised as Child Lock, not a fault
- Child Lock key held 3 seconds (UK: 3–5) — CL cleared
- Panel responds to settings again
- Household with small children: lock re-enabled mid-cycle, deliberately
Official LG references
Frequently asked questions
Is CL an error code?
No. LG files CL among its dryer display explanations as the Child Lock indicator: the feature is on, the panel is disabled by design. Hold the Child Lock key for 3 seconds to release it — there is no fault to repair.
CL keeps coming back after I turn the dryer off and on. Why?
LG UK's persistence rule: the child lock remains enabled even after the power is turned off until the feature is turned off again. Cycling the power does not clear it — the 3-second hold does.
Who turned it on? Nobody uses Child Lock here.
LG UK's enabling rule points at the moment: the lock can be enabled only when a cycle is in progress. A hand steadying itself on the panel, a sleeve, a cleaning wipe mid-cycle — any 3-second press during a run sets it, and it then persists across power cycles until released.