My dwf70 hotpoint dishwasher is displaying the code al03 and will no longer function. It appears to have completed the wash but still contains about one inch of clean water. I can clear the code and select a program but when you press start the only thing that happens is the program timer counts down as though the machine is going through the cycle. When the timer gets to the end al 03 appears again. Hotpoints call centre dont know what the code is and have to send an engineer (chargeable but parts are free) They pass you from one person to the next but noone actually knows what the code is. Does anyone know what this is and how to fix it.

stuart, September 2005

Mine was a piece of china that got sucked into the pump. Had to take the pump apart to find it. I knocked a couple of lugs of the drain valve fastening though, so have had to order a new drain pump. £30 off espare, but easy to install in.

Andrew Dimelow, February 2010

we had al03 check your hose from pump to drain we had new pump fitted and still had problems turned out the hose was blocked.

cad, October 2008

i disassembled the pump and found a piece of glass and also a piece of plastic from the cutlery holder very easy to fix 15 minutes approx

shane, January 2008

It is indeed blocked drain pump - might be sorted with high pressure drain cleaner, but in my case it was piece of bone in pump. Had to disassemble unit. Got it working though...

Johann Jacobs, September 2007

After also getting this code, I checked on this site to get some info. We were just about to call out an engineer after trying drain unblockers and coat hanger wires etc to try to clear the block from the drain pump, when my husband bought some sort of high pressure drain unblocker from homebase and used that. It cleared the blockage immediately and our dishwasher has never worked so before.

alison m, April 2006

Stuart have you looked at related questions on this site? It has been answered I think.
I too had an AL03 whilst still in full service warranty. It was the drain pump being blocked by small piece of debris.
The engineer used a piece of stiff but bendy plastic strip and gently forced this through the drain hole below the filters. this pushes past the impellers of the pump and frees it, apparently a common problem. he also provided an improved filter which touch wood has stopped further blockages.

Alan, November 2005

Had this same problem - have just held down the power button and this seems to have cleared it. Another person on this site recommended powering off the dishwasher completely.

Laura, October 2005