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Quick answer
First preserve the complete display: Maytag's opened dishwasher help page defines FAE5 or F10E5 as a potential diverter leak and tells you to look for water under the dishwasher, verify visible water connections, press Cancel twice, and start a new cycle only when no leak or electrical hazard is present. A bare E5, an FA/E5 transcription, or a flashing-light sequence is not automatically the same code. Do not keep restarting a randomly stopping MDB4949SKZ0, pull it out, remove panels, or choose a diverter, pump, valve, or control part from E5 alone. If water is present or the code returns after the single documented attempt, leave the dishwasher off and arrange qualified service.
Work through in order
Diagnostic checks
Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.
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Check 1
From a dry, stable position, photograph the entire control panel and the rating label. Record whether the display shows FAE5, F10E5, FA/E5, only E5, or a two-group flashing pattern; note which group comes first, the pause pattern, the selected cycle, and the stage at which the dishwasher stopped.
Expected result: The display is an unambiguous FAE5/F10E5, or it is a bare/incomplete E5 or a light sequence whose order is not yet confirmed.
Next step: Keep the code photo and model label for the service handoff. If the full display is not FAE5/F10E5, stop code translation and use the MDB4949SKZ0-specific documentation or qualified Maytag service.
Stop if: Do not repeatedly start the dishwasher to make the message recur, and keep clear of the appliance for smoke, burning odor, sparks, a hot connection, or a tripped protective device.
Why this matters
Why: Maytag uses F#E# display conventions and separate flash groups on some models, and exact codes vary by model. The complete string determines whether the opened FAE5 guidance is even applicable; a typed E5 alone does not.
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Check 2
If water is present, stop the dishwasher and close its water-supply valve. Disconnect power only from a dry, safe location where the plug or breaker can be reached without touching water; do not pull the dishwasher out or remove the toe panel.
Expected result: There is water under the cabinet, a wet drip area, an active supply leak, water near the outlet or cord, or no visible water and no electrical hazard.
Next step: For any water or wet electrical area, leave water and power isolated and arrange qualified appliance service, with plumbing or electrical help if the household connection or supply is involved. Only continue to the next observation when the appliance and approach are dry and safe.
Stop if: Do not touch wet electrical parts, handle a pressurized fitting, tilt or move the dishwasher, or bypass a float or other water-protection device.
Why this matters
Why: Water under the dishwasher is the primary safety branch for Maytag's FAE5/F10E5 potential diverter-leak guidance. Water near electrical parts or an active leak makes code clearing and another cycle unsafe; a dry visible area does not prove that a concealed leak is absent.
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Check 3
Without moving the dishwasher or opening its base, inspect only what is visible from the front and sides: the floor below the tub, the lower door edge, and any accessible water-supply connection. Note the first wet location and whether it appeared during filling, washing, draining, or after the random stop.
Expected result: Moisture is visible at a connection or under the cabinet, at the lower door edge, nowhere visible, or the source cannot be reached safely.
Next step: Photograph the wet area and give the code order, cycle stage, and stop timing to service. Keep the dishwasher off when the source is hidden, recurring, or beneath the cabinet.
Stop if: Do not remove panels, reach under the tub, loosen a connection, scrape a seal, or run another cycle solely to watch for a leak.
Why this matters
Why: Maytag's FAE5/F10E5 page makes a visible under-unit leak and water-connection check the first distinction. The location and cycle stage guide the technician toward an inlet/connection, door/tub, diverter-area, or other inspection, but they do not identify a replacement part from the outside.
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Check 4
Only when the full display is confirmed as FAE5/F10E5, the dishwasher is dry, no leak is visible, and no electrical hazard is present, follow Maytag's single documented clearing attempt: press Cancel twice, then try one normal cycle. Stop immediately if water appears or the appliance behaves abnormally.
Expected result: The dishwasher completes the one attempt, stops again with FAE5/F10E5, returns only a bare or different code, or develops water/odor/electrical symptoms.
Next step: Leave the unit off and schedule qualified Maytag appliance service for a returning or changed code. Provide the full display photo, model label, cycle stage, visible leak result, and whether the single attempt completed.
Stop if: Do not repeat the Cancel/restart sequence, enter service mode, run empty test cycles, bypass safety controls, or open the dishwasher for live testing.
Why this matters
Why: Maytag treats a returning FAE5/F10E5 as a service case. A completed cycle does not prove the diverter or water path is healthy, while a different or incomplete display needs its own exact interpretation.
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Check 5
Prepare the service handoff with the exact MDB4949SKZ0 label, the complete display or flash sequence, selected cycle and stage, the time or event at each stop, water level or leak location, visible connection condition, and the result of the one permitted clearing attempt. Do not approve another unsupervised run just because the stop seemed random.
Expected result: The same FAE5/F10E5 returns, the dishwasher stops without a verified full code, a leak is hidden or recurring, or the appliance cannot complete a cycle after the safe external checks.
Next step: Give the record to Maytag or a qualified appliance technician and request diagnosis of the water path and protection response before any part is selected.
Stop if: Keep the dishwasher out of service for standing water, an active leak, a wet electrical area, smoke, burning odor, sparks, repeated trips, or any need for cabinet access.
Why this matters
Why: The history distinguishes a repeat of the documented Maytag diverter-leak path from an unverified E5 display or another fault. It also prevents a random-stop description from being treated as proof of a pump, valve, diverter, or control failure.
Use your observations
Decision map
Find the observation that best matches what you see, then follow the next safe action.
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PATH 01Next step
What you see
The complete display is FAE5 or F10E5, the dishwasher and approach are dry, and no visible leak is found.
Do this next
Press Cancel twice and try one normal cycle only as Maytag documents; stop and arrange service if the code or random stop returns.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: The opened Maytag page's diverter-leak guidance is applicable as a cautious first branch, but a concealed leak or another water-path issue is not ruled out by a dry floor.
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PATH 02Next step
What you see
Water is under the dishwasher, at a visible connection, in a drip area, or near an electrical connection.
Do this next
Close the water supply and isolate power only from a safe dry location; leave the dishwasher off and arrange qualified appliance, plumbing, or electrical service as needed.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: This is a leak or water-safety event, not a routine E5-clearing exercise. The visible location can guide service, but it cannot prove which internal part is at fault.
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PATH 03Next step
What you see
Only E5, FA/E5, an incomplete display, or an uncounted flashing sequence is available, or the message differs from FAE5/F10E5.
Do this next
Stop code translation, obtain the exact MDB4949SKZ0 documentation or Maytag service interpretation, and provide the complete display photo and cycle-stage history.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: The exact Maytag code has not been established. Another platform's E5 meaning or a guessed flash order could send the diagnosis to the wrong subsystem.
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PATH 04Next step
What you see
No visible leak is found, but the dishwasher stops again, a different code appears, or the one documented attempt does not restore normal operation.
Do this next
Leave the dishwasher off and arrange qualified Maytag appliance service with the full code, model, cycle stage, and water observations.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: A recurring stop is a service case. The FAE5/F10E5 page does not authorize selecting a diverter, pump, valve, or control from the symptom alone.
Helpful context
Understand the symptom
Do not silently rewrite the report as E5, FA/E5, FAE5, or F10E5. Maytag's opened reading guide explains that a digital display commonly uses an F#E# structure, while some models communicate the two parts with separate flashing groups. Photograph the full panel before pressing Cancel, and record which part appeared first if the display is not unambiguous.
For the complete FAE5 or F10E5 entry, Maytag lists a potential diverter leak. That is a direction for a visible leak check, not proof that a diverter or another component must be replaced. A dishwasher that stops at apparently random points can also be waiting on a water-protection response, so the code, cycle stage, and water location matter together.
The opened MDB4949SKZ0 owner-page URL identifies the MDB4949SKZ front-control dishwasher and provides model support routing, but it does not establish that a typed bare E5 is the same as the Maytag FAE5/F10E5 page. Keep the exact code and model label with the service request rather than borrowing a meaning from another Maytag platform.
When checks do not resolve it
Need a professional?
Arrange qualified Maytag appliance service when FAE5/F10E5 returns after the single documented Cancel-twice attempt, the dishwasher stops again without a verified full code, the leak source is hidden or recurring, or the unit cannot complete a cycle. Close the water supply and isolate power only when safely accessible for any leak. Stop immediately for water near electrical parts, active flooding, smoke, burning odor, sparks, a hot connection, or a repeated protective trip. Do not pull out the dishwasher, remove panels, enter service mode, bypass water protection, or choose a part from E5 alone.
Common questions
FAQ
Is a bare E5 the same as Maytag FAE5 or F10E5?
Do not assume that. Maytag's official reading guide describes F#E# digital codes and two-part flashing sequences, while the opened FAE5 page specifically names FAE5 or F10E5. Photograph the complete display and count any flash groups before applying the diverter-leak guidance.
Should I replace the diverter because the dishwasher stops randomly?
No. Maytag's FAE5/F10E5 page calls for an under-dishwasher leak and visible water-connection check, followed by one Cancel-twice and new-cycle attempt only when safe; a returning code requires service. Random stopping or a bare E5 does not identify a diverter, pump, valve, or control part.
Read the exact guide
Official sources
- FAE5 or F10E5 - Dishwasher - Product HelpMaytag Product Help · Opened the official Maytag page. It names FAE5 or F10E5 (including the E5 suffix) as a potential diverter leak, directs the user to check for leaks under the dishwasher and secure water connections, then press Cancel twice and try a new cycle; it says to schedule service if the error returns. The page is not an exact-model manual, so a bare E5 must not be substituted for the full display.
- MDB4949SKZ | Maytag Owner's CenterMaytag · Opened the official owner page through the exact MDB4949SKZ0 URL. The page renders model MDB4949SK as a 24-inch front-control dishwasher with Dual Power Filtration and PowerBlast, and routes model support; it does not define a separate bare E5 code.
- Dishwasher Error Codes - Reading - Product HelpMaytag Product Help · Opened the official Maytag guide. It says digital displays commonly use an F#E# format, flashing-light models use two groups separated by pauses, and exact codes vary by model; this supports recording the full display but does not turn a bare E5 into FAE5/F10E5.
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