The pump cap (inside the service flap) cannot be opened - it's stuck fast. Have considered breaking it to remove, but cannot find a replacement on spare parts websites. The machine is a couple of years old so it must need cleaning out by now

Jo W, September 2008

Thank you Mr. Yeates for your solution!

I had previously found a youtube video on how to open the front etc., but I can't tip my machine back because our dryer is on top. When I saw the tools at the link that you provided (http://images.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&q=Water+pump++pliers&btnG=Search+Images), I remembered that I have a trojan one of those. I used WD-40 too. The rest was so easy (I had a wrench too and this had proved useless). There was so much lint stuck beneath the cap. I will be checking that area regularly now to ensure it stays clean. Your solution saved me so many $$$ - I am so relieved to have solved this - thank you so much!

budget-fixer, November 2022

I found that leaning the machine back quite a bit and twisting the cab back and forth a lot got it to work loose. Twisting at level didn't work for my 3 coins, and the twig that caught the lint.

John, October 2016

I had the same problem today - cap would only turn about 90 degrees. Any amount of toing and froing didn't release it so I thought I'd lay it on its side to see if that helped. It didn't help to dislodge the blockage, but it did give me a good view into the underside of the machine. By having the machine on its side I was able to remove the large hose from the pump housing (releasing the wire spring clip with some pliers) and get to the blockage that way (it was a couple of bra wires and a mass of fibre which were never going to move without being physically removed).

Rob, March 2015

A lot of excellent advice above - The wooden handle piece is good. However if, as in my case, none of this works you can first get a replacement part from espares (better designed than the original anyway) and then break through the thin section in the middle at the rear of the 'filter' behind the fragile handle. You can then reach through the hole with long-nosed pliers and twist and extract the obstructing debris (I found a selection of short collar stiffeners, bra supports and hair grips!). Then the now broken filer will unscrew and can be replaced.

Note that it is not an ordinary filter - there is no membrane to get blocked - it is just a sinuous-flow object trap; so it is unlikely to obstruct fluid flow.

Will Stewart, August 2014

We had the same problem today. The cap simply wouldn't budge more than about 1/4 circle.

We followed the advice above and quietly turned the cap back and forth to its available movement - without forcing it - and it finally came free.

Like the one above with just a few good turns the sound changed and then then changed again…the object shifted and the cap came off… A twisted shirt collar stay, 5 coins and a whole lot of beach sand emerged!

The brochure implies that that the cap does not turn 180 degrees - it does and takes in fact a couple of turns to come free.

Stoked, June 2014

Just had the same problem with a Bosh Exxcel 1400. The cap would only turn about 45 degrees. It turned out to be cocktail sticks and a tangled mass of whatever. Tried laying it on its left side and "tapping" with big hammer but that didn't work. Had to remove the front panel. Unplug the machine first then open the door and remove the retaining spring around the door seal. Unclip the seal and push it back inside the drum. Remove the drop down access cover to the pump on the bottom right of the machine and one screw on the bottom edge of the kick plate. Tap it on the left hand side to free the clips. Remove kick plate. Undo 2 screws securing the front panel. Pull out the soap drawer and remove the bottom right screw. Pull the panel away from the machine slightly and pull down. It may just drop down when you remove the last screw. You may have to remove the door lock but I managed to swing the front panel to the right without breaking any wires. You will now see the large hose from the drum to the pump. Squeeze the clip together with a pair of pliers and push the clip over the end of the hose onto the plastic housing of the pump. Remove the hose from the pump and feel inside the pump for sticks, coins, dead animals and remove. The cover should now unscrew. Water everywhere but less if you remembered to use the drain hose first. Replace cover and hose then front panel. You do have to push the front panel up very hard to align the screw holes. Otherwise you may have to remove the top and the front switch panel. There are plenty of videos on how this is done. Took about three quarters of an hour the first time. Good Luck

Barry, July 2013

Turning on the side worked a treat. Many thanks. used a screwdriver to push it round as the main bit was broken.

Jonathan a, April 2013

The instructions seem to indicate that only a quarter turn is necessary. In fact you have to keep unscrewing till the unit comes out. A large monkey-wrench over the central bar worked for us. Inside we found a fairly substantial piece of twig. Must have come ot of a pocket!

Terry, February 2012

Thanks for the good advice - fixed my problem of the pump cap only turning out about a quarter turn. In my case the cap turned fairly freely till it hit the resistance. From the feel and sound it was clear it had hit something solid. So I didn't want to use extra leverage such as long handled pliers.
Instead, I kept turning it to and fro quite vigorously till the feel of of the jam changed. That let it move a little more and so I repeated the process.
In the end the jam was a £1 and two 5p coins.
It seems odd that Bosch would make a coin trap which itself gets jammed by coins! Still, "Vorsprung durch Technik" as we say in Ireland

derryvolgie, September 2011

If the filter cap is stuck fast it may be due to limescale build up, not a coin or clip. The solution then is to remove the pump from the machine and then detach the motor from the pump housing. It either unscrews or is a bayonet fitting. You can then ease out the trap/cap by pushing from the rear without wrecking the screw cap. Mine was jammed with limescale. So I stripped it down to the pump housing body and descaled it using kettle descaler. Costs only a few pounds instead of a new pump.

David, September 2011

I tried all the sugestions including tipping the machine on its side. It did not enable to the pump cap to removed but exposed the pump underneath I removed the hose to the pump, this is quite tricky as they are pressure clips and on the opposite side making it difficult to get at. However with a thin pair of stielsons I managed to remove the clip and hose and and took out the offending metal collar stiffener! I put the hose back on the spigot and put the clip back so that if it happens again it will be easiere to remove! The pump cap was then easily removed!

Graham, April 2011

We had this problem this morning. The cap simply wouldn't budge more than about 1/4 circle.

After being quoted £50 from one repair man another bloke gave us some good advice. He said that 90% of the time there will be a coin or something jamming the movement. Its nothing to do with the screw missing the thread or anything else and that the best thing to do is sit and simply keep turning the cap back and forth to its available movement. Do not force it.

We tried this and with just a few good turns the sound changed and then then changed again...the object shifted and the cap came off... A twisted shirt collar stay emerged!

Be patient! Dont force it!

Sam West Mids, December 2010

Bosch washing machine – drain cap stuck plus fault code F04.
Got a Fault code F04 on my Bosch Exxcel washer. Probable cause pump blocked.

Solution – Open the flap - bottom right, Pull out the black nozzle, remove the plug & drain off any water stuck inside.
Then remove the drain cap(see picture below) – Its a crap design & the problem with mine was it wouldn’t come off.
If it turns a bit then stops, then there’s probably something jamming it inside – in my case it was a couple of 20p pieces. The trouble is the cap is so fragile that it bits snap off it if you apply too much pressure. So that you don’t wreck the cap, you need to fashion a nifty tool out of a piece of wood (see picture). Saw the top of a brush stale or something, then cut a slot about an inch deep, and wide enough to fit over the bar across the centre of the cap. You’ll find this tool sits right inside the cap where it is strongest. You could even drill a hole through the shaft to put a small screw driver through for more leverage.
So, to avoid having to apply too much pressure I laid the washer on its site, hoping to dislodge whatever was jamming the cap & it worked. This enabled me to turn the cap a bit further than before. So then, using the tool I just screwed the cap in and out a bit, dislodging the coins fully, until it would turn freely.

Before putting it back together, dawb some Vaseline on the threads so that it will come out more easily next time.

Hope this works for you. Steve Hope

Steve Hope, January 2010

Best done on a warm machine but it was freezing cold when I eventually succeeded as follows:

Similar to above, spray threads with lots of WD40 /liquid wrench type spray -- although its impact will likely be negligible, it reduces the risk of snapping the cap somewhat.

Then use a good quality pair of long handled, adjustable "Water pump pliers" (like this: http://images.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&q=Water+pump++pliers&btnG=Search+Images ). Get pair that provide several grooves that allow you to set the narrowest gap allowed. I bought a pair 25 years ago, German made, they have undone numerous things (cars, plumbing, household) where nothing else came close. This is the best tool in the world - period. So don't skimp, get a good pair (not those floppy loose screw types), with flat parallel jaws (a notch for nuts in both jaws is fine).

Carefully place the jaws along the plastic "handle"/spine of the cap and slowly turn, be careful to maintain a firm but not excessive grip -- use the leverage of the long handles if you are not terribly strong. Magnifico! (Found: a plastic clothes label tag & much blue powder/limescale around it).

After cleaning, lightly lube the threads with WD40 type spray and reassemble, not too tight - use hand tightness only if you can. Then follow the machine instructions (1 litre of water in chamber II & run the "Drain"-cycle) to flush the pump. Done!

Mr. Yeates, February 2009

loads of wd 40 then a few hours later a wide jaw'd mole grip - fingers weren't meant for the job.
When you do get it out, clean and vaseline the threads.
If all else fails: espares.co.uk.

toff, November 2008