LG Washing Machine E3 Error (Top Load)
Applies to top-load washers only. E3 is on LG's top-load list; the front-load drain code is OE.
What to check first
- Unplug the washer, reconnect it and try again — LG's reset for E3.
- In freezing weather, think ice before parts: LG notes E3 can also occur if the water inside the washer has frozen.
- If E3 repeats after the reset and freezing is not the story, LG says the drain motor may require inspection — book service.
Top loaders drain differently from front loaders: instead of a pump doing all the work, a drain motor operates the drain. E3 is that motor's error — LG's top-load list describes it as an issue with the operation of the drain motor, and gives the shortest procedure of any code on this site: unplug, reconnect, retry — and if it repeats, the drain motor may require inspection.
The one wrinkle is weather. LG's own note on this fault adds that E3 may also occur when the water inside the washer has frozen — an iced-up machine can present as a drain motor problem when the motor is fine and simply cannot move against ice.
Safety first
- Unplug the washer before the reset and before any inspection around the drain area.
- If freezing is suspected, do not force cycles against an iced drain — thaw first (the FF page has LG's procedure), then judge the code.
- 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
A drain motor operation problem
LG's definition of the code: the drain motor is not operating as it should. The list offers the reset first and inspection second; it does not offer a user-level motor test.
Frozen water inside the washer
LG's stated alternative: E3 may also occur if the water inside the washer has frozen. Ice immobilises the drain path and the fault reports as the motor's.
Step-by-step checks
- Reset at the plugUnplug the washer, reconnect it and try the cycle again — LG's specified first move for E3.
- Rule freezing in or outIf the machine has sat in freezing conditions, treat ice as the prime suspect: thaw the washer using the warm-water procedure on the FF page, then retry before concluding anything about the motor.
- Retry a drain or spinRun a drain/spin and watch whether the tub empties. A washer that drains normally after the reset (or the thaw) has cleared the fault.
When to call a technician
If E3 persists after the reset — or keeps returning in weather that rules freezing out — LG's top-load guidance says the drain motor may require inspection, and directs you to repair service. There is no further home step in LG's documentation for this code.
Model differences that matter
| Machine type | What changes |
|---|---|
| Top load | E3 lives here: drain motor operation error; unplug-reconnect-retry; freezing is a named alternative cause; a repeating E3 is a drain motor inspection. |
| Front load | No E3 for drain faults on LG's front-load list — the front-load drain code is OE, with its filter, hose and spin-test procedure. |
One-page checklist
- Washer unplugged, reconnected and retried
- Freezing considered — machine thawed first if it sat in the cold
- Drain/spin run and the tub seen to empty
- E3 repeats without a freezing explanation — service booked
Official LG references
Questions people ask about E3
Is E3 the top-load version of OE?
In spirit — both are drain failures — but not in mechanism. OE is the front-load drain code (pump, filter, hose). E3 is specific to the top-load drain motor: LG's fix path is a reset, a freezing check, then a motor inspection.
Why would freezing show as a motor error?
Because the motor cannot move: LG notes E3 may also occur if the water inside the washer has frozen. Ice in the drain path immobilises the mechanism the motor drives, so the fault surfaces at the motor. Thaw first, verdict second.
Can I test the drain motor myself?
LG's list does not publish a user test for it. Its path is reset, thaw if relevant, then inspection — this page follows LG rather than inventing a procedure.