Electrolux Washer Extractor Error Code 13: No Motor Comm.
Error code 13 means the CPU board cannot communicate with the motor control over the communication cable. Check that the machine has power and that nothing has pulled on the cable between the two boards. A technician should check the supply to the motor control, the fuses in the Protection Cable and the motor control LED.
High: the machine cannot drive the drum and will not run until the link to the motor control is restored.
- Code
- Error code 13, NO MOTOR COMM.
- Equipment
- Industrial laundry
- Applies to
- Compass Control washer-extractors (CPU board, motor control, DLCU)
What does Electrolux Professional error code 13 mean?
The Compass Control splits its work between two boards. The CPU board runs the program and sends speed and run commands, and the motor control drives the drum motor. They talk over a communication cable. When the CPU board gets no answer from the motor control, it cannot start or stop the drum with confidence, so it shows ERROR 013 / NO MOTOR COMM. And stops the program. The cause can be on either side of the cable. The motor control may have lost its own power, a fuse in the Protection Cable may be open, or the cable itself may be damaged. The manual also tells the technician to confirm that the LED on the motor control is on, since a dark LED means the board is not powered at all. Operators usually see a machine that will not begin or that stops with the drum still.
Affected models and control systems
This applies to the W465H-W4300H, W475S-W4330S and W475N-W4330N washer-extractors, Type W3..., with the Compass Control. The message names the link between the CPU board and the motor control, so it applies to every machine in the range.
Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.
What you may notice
- Display shows ERROR 013 / NO MOTOR COMM.
- Drum does not turn after start
- Program halts at or soon after start
- Everything else on the panel responds normally
Possible causes
Likely causes — what usually sits behind error code 13 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- No power to the motor control
- Open fuse in the Protection Cable
- Damaged Protection Cable
- Damaged communication cable
- Connector at either end of the communication cable worked loose by machine vibration
- Motor control board that has failed and no longer answers even though it has power
- Mains phase missing at the machine, so the motor control stays dark while the CPU board still runs
Safe checks before calling for service
- Check that the machine's main isolator is on and that the building breaker has not tripped.
- Switch the machine off at the isolator for a short time, then switch it back on.
- Try the program again and see whether the message returns right away.
- If it repeats, note whether the machine panel stays lit and whether the program stops at once, then call us.
How a technician diagnoses error code 13
- Read the code and confirm the machine receives mains on all phases.
- Check power to the motor control and look at its LED.
- Test the fuses in the Protection Cable and replace the cable if a part in it is damaged.
- Inspect the communication cable for breaks or loose plugs.
- Replace the motor control or CPU board only after the supply and cables test good.
- The motor control is fed from line voltage and its fuses sit in a cable that must be tested with the machine isolated.
- A dark LED on the motor control means the board is unpowered, and finding why needs a meter on live circuits.
- Swapping boards without a test can leave the real cable or supply failure in place.
How error code 13 differs from similar codes
Code 13 is a lost link between the two boards; codes 31 to 38 come from the motor control itself once the link is working.
Technical reference
- Maker documentation
- Electrolux Professional owner support
- Edition
- 438 9228-61/EN, 2011.08.25
- Models / control
- Compass Control washer-extractors (CPU board, motor control, DLCU)
- Section
- Troubleshooting, printed p.119 (Error codes)
- Checked
- October 2026
We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.
Related Electrolux Professional industrial laundry error codes
Can I keep running the machine without the motor control?
No. Without the link the CPU board cannot drive the motor, so programs will not run.
Is the motor itself broken?
Not necessarily. This code only says the CPU board gets no answer from the motor control.
Will it clear after a restart?
Possibly if the cause was a momentary power loss. A repeat points to a fuse, supply or cable.
Need help with Electrolux Professional error code 13?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.