Kenmore Dryer Error Code F70: Communication Error

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The Logic Verdict

It’s probably just a dirty connection. The F70 code sounds scary—“Communication Error”—but it rarely means your computer boards are dead. In most cases, the vibration of the dryer or humidity in the laundry room has caused a slight layer of oxidation on the wire connectors between the main control board and the user interface.

Before you buy expensive boards, you just need to “scrub” the electrical contacts by unplugging and replugging them, and ideally cleaning them with electronic contact cleaner.

What It Means

The F70 code stands for a Communication Error between the Main Control Board (ECB) and the User Interface (UI) board. The “brain” of the dryer is trying to talk to the buttons/display, but the signal is getting dropped.

Common Causes

1. Oxidized Connections: Over time, air and humidity create a film on the metal pins inside the wire plugs.
2. Loose Red Connector: On many Kenmore/Whirlpool models, a specific red connector on the main board is prone to vibrating loose.
3. Failed User Interface Board: If cleaning doesn’t work, the UI board is the next most likely culprit.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Access the Control Boards

Unplug the dryer. You’ll need to remove the top panel. On most units, this involves removing screws from the back of the top panel, then sliding the panel back and lifting it off.

2. Expose the User Interface

Remove the screws securing the front console (where the buttons are). You may need to disconnect the grey ribbon cables to fully free the console. Once the console is off, you can often separate the plastic housing from the metal backing to expose the circuit board itself.

3. The “Unplug-Replug” Method

Locate every wire connector on both the Main Control Board and the User Interface board.

• Unplug a connector.
• Inspect it for burn marks (rare).
• Spray the pins with Electronic Contact Cleaner (linked below).
• Replug it firmly.
• Repeat this 2-3 times for each plug. The physical action of plugging and unplugging helps scrape off oxidation.

4. Check the Red Connector

Pay special attention to the connector with red wires on the main board. This specific plug is notorious for working itself loose. If the plastic retention clip is broken or weak, you can use a small piece of electrical tape to ensure it stays seated.

5. Test

Reassemble the console and top panel. Plug the dryer back in and run a test cycle. If the F70 code is gone, you’ve saved yourself a few hundred dollars in parts.

Parts You Might Need

You likely don’t need a new board, but you do need the right chemical to clean the contacts.