True Refrigerator Error Code E0 / E1 / E2: Carel Probe Errors
On a True cabinet with a Carel control, E0, E1 and E2 report errors in probe 1, probe 2 and probe 3. Write down the code exactly, check the box with a thermometer, and call us with the control brand and code.
Medium: the cabinet may keep running, but control of temperature or defrost is degraded.
- Code
- E0 / E1 / E2
- Maker
- True
- Equipment
- Reach-in refrigerators
- Applies to
- Carel control
What does True error code E0 / E1 / E2 mean?
E0, E1 and E2 on a Carel control point to probes 1, 2 and 3. The numbering starts at zero, which is shifted from the LAE control where E1 is the first probe, so check the control brand before you trust any code list. The control reads each probe continuously. When it cannot read one, because the circuit is open, shorted or unplugged, it shows the matching code. Without that reading, temperature or defrost control can suffer, and the cabinet may drop into a fallback mode that keeps it running but not as designed. That is why the same cabinet can look fine at first and then drift warm or ice up over a few days. The code tells a technician which probe to examine first, so the exact characters you see matter.
Affected models and control systems
True cabinets with a Carel control. On Carel E0 is probe 1, while on LAE controls E1 is the first probe.
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
- E0, E1 or E2 on the display
- Cabinet running longer or shorter than usual
- Temperature drifting from the set point
- Frost building if the defrost probe is the one affected
Possible causes
Listed in True's documentation
- A loose probe plug on the Carel probe named by the code
- Open or shorted wiring running from that probe back to the Carel control
- A failed probe input on the Carel control board
- A probe lead crushed by the door or cracked by ice
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code E0 / E1 / E2 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- A probe pulled out of its holder during cleaning
- Condensation in the connector that gives an unstable reading
- A lead rubbing on the fan shroud until the insulation wears through
Safe checks before calling for service
- Write down the code exactly as shown.
- Use a thermometer to learn whether the box is holding while the code shows.
- Keep the door closed as much as possible.
- Look at the front of the control and note its brand.
- Call us and tell us the control brand and the exact code.
How a technician diagnoses error code E0 / E1 / E2
- Confirm the control is a Carel and read the exact code.
- Identify which probe the code names.
- Inspect the probe, plug and lead for damage, ice or moisture.
- Measure the probe resistance and compare it with the expected value at its temperature.
- Test the wiring for an open or short back to the board.
- Replace the probe or board only after the tests point to it.
- Probe wiring ends at the control board, which sits near powered circuits.
- Telling a bad probe from a bad board input takes a meter and a reference.
- A wrong guess about the control brand leads to the wrong probe being replaced.
How error code E0 / E1 / E2 differs from similar codes
Carel numbers probes from zero, so E1 here is probe 2, while on LAE controls E1 is the first probe.
Technical reference
- Document
- Commercial Refrigeration General Control Guide TEC_TM_001 Rev C, Carel p.75 Display Code Definitions
- Edition
- TEC_TM_001 | REV. C | EN, 09/3/2025, P#811072
- Models / control
- Carel control
- Section
- Electronic Control (with Display) - Display Code Definitions: Carel p. 74, Danfoss ERC/ETC p. 87, Dixell p. 96, LAE p. 110
- 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 True reach-in refrigerator error codes
Is E1 on my True the same as E1 on another True?
No. Carel counts from zero and LAE counts from one, so the same characters name different probes.
Can I keep using the cabinet?
Often yes for a short time, but watch the temperature, since control may be running in fallback mode.
What should I tell you when I call?
The exact code and the control brand printed on the front.
Need help with True error code E0 / E1 / E2?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.