Kenmore washer
showing CL
CL shows that the Child Lock feature is active on the control panel.
Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm
- Mode, not a failure
- No repair needed
- Source: Kenmore
Book a visit
Three short steps, about a minute.
or call (844) 398-5711
Loading appointment form…
The appointment form couldn’t load. Please try again.
What CL
actually means.
CL shows that the Child Lock feature is active on the control panel. The washer will not accept new selections until it is turned off.
Kenmore washer display
What to do when CL shows on the washerKind of codeMode, not a failure
Something the washer does by design, or a setting somebody turned on — a child lock, a prompt to run a cleaning cycle, a paused cycle waiting for the door. No part has failed and nothing needs replacing.
Usually leads toNo repair
Press and hold the Child Lock button for 5 seconds.
Shows up asControl Panel Not Responding
The washer's buttons or dial do nothing, the display freezes or goes blank, or settings will not change.
MakeKenmore
The long-running Sears store brand, whose washers were produced by several different manufacturers.
SourceSears PartsDirect: Kenmore 796 model front-load washer error codes (Wayback copy, 12.11.2019)
Kenmore front-load washers with model numbers starting with 796.
Before you book,
in this order.
Each step comes from Kenmore's own guidance for CL on its washers. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit.
Press and hold the Child Lock button for 5 seconds.
Choose your cycle once CL disappears.
If the panel still does not respond, book a visit.
Cleared?
No part had to be replaced. If a later load stops with water left in the drum or the cycle halts again, treat it as a new problem.
What not to do
CL is not a frozen control board. It is a setting, and holding one button clears it.
What you may
notice with it.
The washer problems CL tends to arrive with. Answer these at the washer before anyone is booked.
All problems
Control Panel Not Responding
5 causes, cheapest first
No repair indicated
Nothing to repair.
Something the washer does by design, or a setting somebody turned on — a child lock, a prompt to run a cleaning cycle, a paused cycle waiting for the door. No part has failed and nothing needs replacing.
Kenmore
washers.
The long-running Sears store brand, whose washers were produced by several different manufacturers.
Kenmore washer repairMore Kenmore codes
Mode, not a failure on other makes
Front-load washer
A horizontal drum behind a sealed glass door, a rubber boot, a locking latch and a pump with a filter you can reach from the front.
Top-load washer
The upright washer with a lid on top, moving clothes either with a tall central agitator or with a low impeller plate in the bottom of the basket.
Stackable washer
The washer at the bottom of a stacked pair or a single-frame laundry center, repaired inside the closet or recess it was sized for.
In Kenmore's own words
The Child Lock control panel feature is enabled.
Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. Kenmore front-load washers with model numbers starting with 796.
Kenmore CL washer repair,
where we come out.
The same visit in every metro below: the code, the model number, and a diagnosis before any part is ordered.
All service areasTampa BayFL · 31 areas
Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas
New York MetroNY · 75 areas
HoustonTX · 36 areas
ChicagoIL · 50 areas
Los AngelesCA · 95 areas
San DiegoCA · 31 areas
Questions
about CL.
Can I clear CL myself?
How do I turn off CL on my Kenmore?
Why did CL come on by itself on my Kenmore?
Back to your everyday
Still showing CL?
Book with the code as it appears, the full model number, and whether any water is on the floor — for a code, that is where the diagnosis begins.