Decode the display, then check
For the checked Kenmore Elite 796.3151#21# top-load family, dE concerns lid closure. Record the exact display before using a lid-lock diagnosis or a front-loader door procedure.
Look at closure before choosing a lock
Pause the machine and wait for moving parts to stop. From outside the washer, look for an item caught at the lid edge. Close the lid normally, without slamming, pushing on the latch or holding it down to make the washer operate.
Match the message and the physical state
If the lid will not sit normally, record what prevents closure and stop forcing it. If it closes normally but the message returns, save a display photograph and the complete model number for service. A closed lid with a recurring warning is useful evidence, not proof that one replacement part is needed.
Keep dE, dL and dE1 separate
The last character matters. This guide does not establish dE1 as an alias, or transfer a front-loader door-lock test to a top-loading lid. If the model or display differs, use the applicable owner manual before trying a reset.
What a service request should contain
Describe whether the warning occurs before the cycle starts or after it has been running. Include visible closure damage, whether the lid releases normally, and what happened after normal closure. Do not bridge a switch or remove panels to make a cycle start.
What the checked manual establishes
Printed page 32 gives dE and dL separate rows: dE concerns a lid that is not properly closed; dL concerns the lid-lock switch.
Source scope: Kenmore Elite top-loading family 796.3151#21#, where # denotes color. The checked document is MFL67221339. Other Kenmore families and exact replacement-part fitment require separate verification.
Source and applicability
Kenmore Elite Top-Loading Automatic Washer Use & Care Guide MFL67221339. Cover; printed p32, visually checked display glyphs. Reviewed October 16, 2026. The retrieved PDF has incomplete/reordered pagination; the cited cover and pages were visually checked. No front-load applicability is asserted.