Bosch washing machines are well-loved and, on the outside, they appear to be the perfect washing machine. We don’t disagree that Bosch washers are highly reliable and trustworthy machines. However, they do come with their downfalls.
The Tricky Locks On a Bosch Washing Machine
The most common complaint people have about their Bosch washers concerns the tricky and temperamental locks on the machines. It’s not unusual for a Bosch washer’s door to get jammed or for the child lock to switch on at an inconvenient time, stopping you from being able to run a washing cycle.
This article will cover two of the most common reasons why a Bosch washing machine door stops opening or unlocking properly, and the steps that you need to take when this happens to resolve the issue.
Faulty Door Locks On a Bosch Washing Machine
Dealing with a faulty lock is the last thing you want when emptying your laundry basket into the drum in the hopes of running a wash cycle.
Thankfully, a faulty or jammed door lock is quick and simple to fix, although the solution to the problem depends on the root cause of the fault.
Overloading the Drum
If your machine door is faulty and the door lock isn’t working properly, it could be due to you overfilling the washer’s drum. It’s tempting to fill the drum with as many bulky items as possible to save time when doing your washing.
However, overloading the drum with clothes can prevent the door from fully closing and latching shut. Bosch washing machines have an internal mechanism that prevents the machine from running a cycle if the door isn’t latched properly.
Similarly, if rogue items get inside the drum door, it can prevent the machine from working.
Loading your washer adequately
To resolve these issues, all you need to do is remove some of the clothes from the washing machine and make sure there are no rogue items around the opening of the washer door.
If your clothes become jammed inside the machine, you should gently pry the door open and manually unlock it to remove them.
Accidentally Activating the Child Lock
Every Bosch washing machine has a child lock mechanism that you can turn on to prevent your child from adjusting the washing settings.
When the child lock is on, some of the washing machine buttons lock, so they won’t work even if your child tries to press them.
Manually activating and deactivating the child lock
You can learn how to manually activate and deactivate the child lock for the specific Bosch model that you have in your home by reading the instructions. Sometimes, you can activate the child lock by accident, and this can prevent you from being able to run a wash cycle.
The child lock display on your washer
Depending on which model of Bosch washing machine you have, it will either show the child lock as a ‘CL’ button or a key symbol display.
Usually, modern models have a touchscreen display, through which you can control all the buttons to adjust the washing machine settings. The CL button or key symbol on the washing machine will light up when the child lock is active and vice versa.
Deactivating the child lock on your washer
To deactivate the child lock, press and hold the start button on the machine for three to five seconds. You should hear an audible beep, and the light on the button should turn off.
After pressing the start reload button, you might also need to press and hold the ‘RPM’ and ‘finished in’ buttons or symbols until the CL button or key symbol disappears.
When you press these two buttons simultaneously on the washing machine, it should switch off the child lock, so you can safely unlock your washer door and do the rest of your laundry.
Final Word
Usually, the resolution is pretty simple when your Bosch washer door won’t unlock or open. Ensure you haven’t overloaded the drum or accidentally switched on the child lock before if you’re having trouble running a spin cycle.
Reading through the user manuals
If you’ve tried and tested the above solutions to unlock your Bosch washer door and have had no luck, read through the instructions in the user manuals for further help. Different models have unique settings, and reading the manufacturer manuals should make things a little clearer.
Calling a professional to fix your machine
You might need to call a professional Bosch engineer to your house if you’re still struggling to safely unlock the door of the machine. They will be able to troubleshoot the issue and reset the washing machine to see if this resolves the problem and unlocks the door.
The engineer may need to repair or replace any damaged components or unclog the main drain in your machine if they are blocked.
