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We get the story
What it's doing, when it started, how old the unit is. Half the diagnosis is knowing what changed.
MHI is not Mitsubishi Electric, and the same E number can mean two different things on different MHI gear. Here is how to read yours properly.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Error Codes Explained: A Sydney Technician's Guide
MHI Fault Codes
Reading an MHI Error Code
First check you actually own an MHI. SRK, SRC, SRF or DXK on the model sticker means Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. MSZ or MUZ means Mitsubishi Electric, a different company.
Two companies share the Mitsubishi name and their fault codes are completely different. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries wall splits carry model numbers starting SRK, SRC, SRF, SRR or DXK, with series names like Avanti and Bronte. The ducted and cassette gear starts FDT, FDU, FDC and similar. Mitsubishi Electric is the MSZ and MUZ splits and PEA and PEAD ducted, and it speaks in P and U codes. If your model starts with MSZ, you want our Mitsubishi Electric error codes page instead. The three diamond logo is on both, so go by the model number, not the badge.
On MHI gear the E code shows on the wired wall controller, ducted, cassette and splits alike.
Now the trap that catches even techs. MHI keeps separate fault tables for wall splits and for ducted and VRF systems, and the same E number can mean two different things depending on which you own. E58 and E59 are the classic examples. The table below flags every code where the meaning splits, so check your model prefix before you act on anything.
We have serviced MHI gear across Sydney since 1991, the Avanti and Bronte splits especially. Read us your code AND your model number on (02) 9820 4500 and we will give you the right meaning, not the other system's one.
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Most Common Codes
The MHI Codes We See Most
Top four. The full list is below.
E5 - units not talking
Indoor and outdoor have dropped their data link mid operation. Usually the interconnect wiring, a tripped breaker on one unit, or vermin at a terminal. Kill both isolators for 2 minutes. If it returns, book a tech.
E9 - drain fault
The float switch says condensate is not getting away. Blocked drain, dead pump or sludge in the tray. Switch it off if you see any water, this is the code that stains ceilings.
E16 - indoor fan motor
The indoor fan or its drive circuit has faulted. Not to be confused with E6, which is the coil sensor. Check nothing is jamming the fan, wash the filters, power cycle once. Fan still dead, book a tech.
E57 - low gas or a closed valve
On an older system this points to a refrigerant leak. On a brand new install it is very often a service valve the installer left closed. Call the installer back under warranty before paying anyone for leak detection.
The Full MHI Error Code List
The big thing to know about MHI codes: the company keeps SEPARATE fault tables for wall splits and for ducted and VRF gear, and the same E number can mean two different things depending on which you own. The System column below tells you which meaning applies. Check your model prefix first, SRK, SRC, SRF or DXK is a wall split, FDT, FDU, FDC and friends are ducted or VRF.
| Code | System | What it means | What to do | Keep running it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Both | Wall controller and indoor unit have stopped talking. Broken controller wire, a failing controller or an indoor board. | Power off at the isolator for 5 minutes and restart. Tech if it returns. | Turn it off |
| E2 | Ducted and VRF | Two indoor units have the same address. A commissioning or addressing fault, not wear and tear. | Nothing user side. Installer or tech job. | Turn it off |
| E5 | Both | Indoor and outdoor have stopped talking mid operation. Interconnect wiring, a tripped breaker on one unit, or a board. | Kill both isolators for 2 minutes, restore. Recurring means a tech with a meter. | Turn it off |
| E6 | Both | Indoor coil temperature sensor is open or short. A sensor fault, NOT a fan fault, people mix this up with E16. | One power cycle. Then it is a cheap sensor and a short visit. | Turn it off |
| E7 | Ducted and VRF | Return air temperature sensor has failed, so the unit cannot read the room. | One power cycle. Tech if it returns. | Turn it off |
| E8 | Ducted and VRF | Heating overload, the indoor coil is running abnormally hot. Sometimes the coil sensor itself. | Check the return air grille and filters are clean and your zones are open. Tech if it repeats. | Turn it off |
| E9 | Both | Drain fault, the float switch says condensate is not getting away. Blocked drain, dead pump or sludge. | Look for water at the unit. Any water, switch off now, this one goes through ceilings. | Urgent |
| E10 | Ducted and VRF | Too many indoor units on one controller. Configuration, not a breakdown. | Nothing user side. Installer job. | Keep using |
| E16 | Both | Indoor fan motor fault. The fan or its drive circuit, NOT a sensor, that is E6. | Check nothing is jamming the fan or louvre, power cycle once. Tech if the fan will not spin. | Turn it off |
| E28 | Ducted and VRF | The temperature sensor inside the wall controller has failed. | If the controller menu allows it, switch to the indoor unit's sensor. Otherwise a controller swap. | Keep using |
| E32 | Ducted and VRF, three phase | A phase is missing or reversed on the three phase supply. | Do not run it. If an electrician just visited, call them back. Otherwise a tech. | Turn it off |
| E35 | Depends on age | Modern units: cooling high pressure or overload, usually a smothered outdoor coil. Older R22 era ducted: the outdoor coil SENSOR instead. | Clear leaves and rubbish off the outdoor unit, restart once. Returns means gauges, and tell us how old the system is. | Turn it off |
| E36 | Both | Compressor discharge temperature too high. Often low gas from a leak or a cooking outdoor unit. | Clear the outdoor unit's airflow, restart once when it has cooled. Returns means a leak check. | Turn it off |
| E37 | Both | Outdoor coil temperature sensor open or short. | One power cycle. Then a sensor swap. | Turn it off |
| E38 | Both | Outdoor air temperature sensor open or short. | One power cycle. Tech if it returns. | Keep using |
| E39 | Both | Compressor discharge pipe sensor open or short. | One power cycle. Tech if it returns. | Turn it off |
| E40 | Both | High pressure trip. Blocked outdoor coil, a dead outdoor fan, overcharge, or a service valve left closed. | Clean and clear the outdoor unit, restart once. On a NEW install, ask the installer to confirm the valves are open. | Turn it off |
| E41 | Both | Power transistor overheating, the inverter's muscle is running hot. | Check the outdoor unit can breathe, restart when cool. Tech if it repeats. | Turn it off |
| E42 | Both | Current cut, the compressor tripped on current. Locked compressor, a lost phase, or a closed service valve. | One restart after 5 minutes off. On a new install this is another ask the installer code. | Turn it off |
| E45 | Both | The inverter board and outdoor control board have stopped talking. | One power cycle. Then it is board or wiring work. | Turn it off |
| E48 | Both | Outdoor fan motor fault. | Power off, remove debris you can see around the fan. Do not reach in. Tech if it returns. | Turn it off |
| E57 | Both | Low refrigerant, OR a service valve not fully open. MHI's own service flowchart checks the valves FIRST, before any talk of gas. | New or recently moved install: call the installer back under warranty before paying for leak detection. Older system: switch off and book a licensed tech. | Turn it off |
| E58 | Meaning differs | Wall splits: current safe stop, the unit protected itself. Ducted and VRF: compressor lost synchronism, a different fault family. | One restart. Returns means compressor and inverter diagnosis against YOUR system's table. | Turn it off |
| E59 | Meaning differs | Wall splits: generic outdoor unit trouble. Ducted and VRF: the compressor failed to start. | Confirm the outdoor unit has power, one restart. Then a tech. | Turn it off |
| E60 | Both | Compressor rotor lock or position error. A struggling or seized compressor, or its board. | One restart after 5 minutes. Do not keep hammering it. | Turn it off |
One more wrinkle. The tables changed with the refrigerant eras too. Older R22 and R407C ducted gear assigns some numbers differently, E35 on those is a coil sensor rather than a pressure trip. If your system is 15 plus years old, tell us that when you read us the code.
We have deliberately left LED flash count diagnostics off this page. They vary by model and the published tables contradict each other, so publishing them would be guessing. If your split has no wired controller, ring us with the model number instead.
Safe DIY Checks
What You Can Safely Try First
Work through these four before you book anyone. If the code survives all of them, the table above tells you what it means on your system and how urgent it is.
Confirm the brand first
Check the model sticker. SRK, SRC, SRF, DXK or FD-something is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and this page applies. MSZ, MUZ, PEA or PEAD is Mitsubishi Electric, different company, different codes, different page.
Restart at both isolators
Turn the system off at the controller, then switch off the outdoor isolator AND the indoor one, wait two full minutes, restore both. A glitch clears, a real fault comes straight back.
Wash the return air filters
Blocked filters drive the overload and fan codes, E8 and E16 especially. Pull them out, rinse, dry properly, refit. Every three months through summer.
Clear the outdoor unit
E35, E36, E40 and E41 love a smothered outdoor unit. Clear leaves and rubbish, give it 300mm all round, hose the fins gently with the power off.
When to Call a Technician
Call a tech when a code survives a restart and a clean, when it is refrigerant or pressure (E36, E40, E57), the compressor or inverter (E41, E42, E58, E59, E60), three phase power (E32), or any time there is water at the unit on E9. Refrigerant work is licensed in Australia. And if the system is brand new, E57 and E42 can be a service valve left closed, that is the installer's problem under warranty, not your wallet's. We quote before we start, our pricing and costs page shows how that works.
Diagnosis Process
MHI Repairs, Done Properly
MHI publishes different fault tables for splits and for ducted gear, and misreading one against the other is how wrong parts get fitted. We carry both tables, place the fault against your model, gauge the system if it is gas related, then quote before we start. Since 1991, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Call (02) 9820 4500.
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Gauges on, pressures read
Refrigerant pressures tell us straight away if it's a gas problem or something else.
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Electricals and capacitor tested
We check the capacitor, test the fan motors and go over the electricals for anything on the way out.
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Coils and filters checked
Covers come off so we can see the state of the coils and filters, not guess at them.
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Fixed quote before we fix
Once we know the fault, we quote the repair before we start. You decide. Most jobs get done same visit.
Real Jobs
Code Not Listed?
MHI’s code tables split by system type AND by era, older R22 and R407C gear assigns some numbers differently again. If your code is not here, or your system is getting on, read us the code, the model number and a rough age on (02) 9820 4500 and we will place it against the right table.
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FAQ's
MHI Error Codes - Common Questions
Check the model number on the indoor unit sticker. SRK, SRC, SRF, SRR or DXK means Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, so does FDT, FDU or FDC on ducted. MSZ, MUZ, PEA or PEAD means Mitsubishi Electric, a different company with different codes. Both use the three diamond logo, so the model number is the only reliable tell.
The indoor and outdoor units have stopped talking during operation. Usually the interconnect wiring, a tripped breaker on one unit, or damage at a terminal. Kill both isolators for two minutes and restore. If E5 comes back it needs a tech with a meter.
Low refrigerant, or a service valve that is not fully open. MHI’s own service flowchart checks the valves before anything else. On a new install, call the installer back under warranty first, a closed valve takes minutes to fix. On an older system it usually means a leak, so switch off and book a licensed tech. A regas without finding the leak is not a repair.
Indoor fan motor fault, the fan or its drive circuit. People confuse it with E6, which is the indoor coil sensor, a completely different repair. Check nothing is jamming the fan, wash the filters, restart once. If the fan still will not spin, it needs a motor or board.
Depends what failed. Sensors are small parts and short visits, compressors and inverter boards are a bigger conversation. We quote the fix before we start, every time. Our pricing and costs page shows what drives the cost.
We do. Jay’s Air Conditioning has serviced every major brand including MHI since 1991, the Avanti and Bronte splits are regulars on our run sheet. NSW licence 273312C, ARCtick AU13058, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Every repair carries 12 months on parts plus our lifetime workmanship guarantee. Ring (02) 9820 4500.
If the unit’s under about 10 years and it’s a capacitor, a fan motor or gas, repair it every time. If it’s 12 years plus, running old R22 gas, and the compressor or board’s gone, a new system’s usually the smarter spend. We’ll give you the honest call, not the dearest one. If you’re weighing up a new system, our sizing guide tells you what you actually need.
Yeah, the lot. Daikin, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Actron, LG and the rest. Ducted and split, homes and businesses. We do split system repairs and ducted repairs right across Sydney.
Jay’s Air. Family run since 1991, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing and no surprises. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and we’ll get it sorted.