Samsung Washing Machine CL Code
Also shown as: Child Lock display
CL looks like the error codes around it, but Samsung does not class it as one. On newer models, Samsung's US information-codes page explains that CL displays when Child Lock mode has drained water from the tub — something it does whenever Child Lock is on, the water level in the tub is unsafe, and the door has been opened. On many other models CL is simpler still: it is just the sign that Child Lock is switched on. Either way, the machine is in a deliberate safety state, not a broken one.
The decision sequence
- What it means on your model: Newer models: CL is the receipt for a safety drain — Child Lock emptied the tub because the door was opened with an unsafe level of water inside. Other models: CL simply shows Child Lock is active.
- Safe to keep running?: The machine has paused itself on purpose. While Child Lock holds, Samsung notes that all buttons other than Power and the control knob are disabled, and on some models the door locks too — that is the feature working, not a second fault.
- The approved checks, in order: Turn the washer off and back on — that clears the drained-tub CL. Or switch Child Lock off with your model's button pair (table below). If the display alternates with dC and an alarm sounds, the door was opened under Child Lock: close the door — Samsung's top-load manuals give you 30 seconds before the machine drains the tub.
- When to stop: CL appears even though Child Lock was never switched on, or the panel stays dead after you have cleared it — that is a control fault, and it is a service call.
Safety first
- Child Lock exists to stop children opening or operating the machine. Do not try to defeat it by holding the door or repeatedly cutting the power.
- If the machine is mid-drain after the door was opened, let the drain finish — it is removing water that could have spilled onto the floor (and a child) if the door had opened fully.
Common causes
The door was opened with Child Lock on and water in the tub
Samsung US: on newer models CL displays when Child Lock has drained the tub — triggered when Child Lock is on, the water level is unsafe, and the door is opened.
Child Lock is simply switched on
On many models CL (or the child-face icon) is the standing indicator that Child Lock is active. Samsung's icon guide: the smiley-face icon means Child Lock is on.
The door was opened under Child Lock on a top-loader
Samsung's WA-series manuals: if the lid is opened while Child Lock is on, dC is displayed and an alarm sounds; close the lid within 30 seconds and CL blinks, the operation pauses, and the alarm turns off.
Step-by-step checks
- Turn the washer off and back onSamsung US gives this as the way to clear the drained-tub CL (the alternative it offers is turning Child Lock off). Samsung's WA manuals say the same for cancelling CL mode: turn the power off and then on again.
- Or switch Child Lock off with your model's button pairUse the model table below — each pair, and its 3-second hold, are what that model's manual specifies; the pairs are not interchangeable across models. On most panels the correct pair is also printed with a Child Lock label under the two buttons.
- If dC and an alarm are involved, close the door firstThe door was opened under Child Lock. Close it firmly: Samsung's door-error note says that if the door is not closed — or Child Lock turned off — within 30 seconds, the machine drains the water from the tub. That drainage is the protection working.
When to call a technician
If CL shows when Child Lock was never enabled, or the controls stay locked after the power cycle and the button-pair hold, the panel is misreading its own state — Samsung's route for a code that cannot be corrected is service.
Tell the service center whether the tub drained when CL appeared: on newer models that detail confirms the safety sequence ran, and points the diagnosis at the controls rather than the drain system.
Model differences
| Model family | Child Lock on/off — press and hold 3 seconds |
|---|---|
| Front-loader WW3000TM (per its manual) | Temp + Spin, held simultaneously for 3 seconds. |
| Top-loader WA4000C (per its manual) | Water Level + Wash, held simultaneously for about 3 seconds. |
| Top-loader WA80CK (per its manual) | Delay End + Water Level, held simultaneously for about 3 seconds. |
| Any model | Your pair is the one printed with the Child Lock label beneath the buttons on your panel; your manual names it if the panel does not. |
Three things that look like CL:
| What you see | What it is |
|---|---|
| CL on the display | The Child Lock display covered on this page — after a safety drain on newer models, or simply "Child Lock is on" elsewhere. |
| A smiley child-face icon | Also Child Lock (Samsung's icon guide) — the same state shown as an icon instead of letters on some panels. |
| A padlock or key icon | Door Lock, a different indicator: the door is locked because a cycle is running or it is not safe to open. It clears on its own at the end of the cycle. |
| dC blinking with an alarm | The door/lid was opened while Child Lock was on. Close it within 30 seconds or the machine drains the tub — see our dC page. |
One-page checklist — CL
- Decide which CL you have: after a drain, or Child Lock simply on
- Power off and back on to clear the drained-tub CL
- Child Lock off: your model's manual button pair, held 3 seconds (per that manual)
- If dC + alarm: door closed within 30 seconds
- CL with Child Lock never enabled, or dead panel after clearing: service
Official Samsung references
Frequently asked questions
Is CL an error code?
No. Samsung lists CL as the Child Lock display. On newer models it appears after Child Lock has drained the tub for safety; on others it simply shows Child Lock is on.
Why did my washer drain itself when CL appeared?
Because the door was opened while Child Lock was on and the water level was unsafe. Samsung US: the machine drains the tub in that situation, and CL is the display that follows.
How do I turn Child Lock off?
Press and hold the button pair your model's manual specifies — Temp + Spin on the WW3000TM, Water Level + Wash on the WA4000C, Delay End + Water Level on the WA80CK, each held for 3 seconds in those manuals. The pairs differ by model and are not interchangeable; the correct pair is printed under a Child Lock label on most panels.
The buttons don't respond while CL shows. Is the panel broken?
Probably not. Samsung's icon guide notes that with Child Lock on, all buttons other than Power and the control knob are disabled. Clear CL first, then judge the panel.
Can I stop the machine draining when the door is opened?
Yes — by closing the door in time. Samsung's note gives 30 seconds: close the door (or turn Child Lock off) within that window and the tub is not drained.