# EWP Fault Codes: Record, Stop and Call

> Canonical page: https://equiphire.com.au/ewp-fault-codes-what-they-mean/. Last updated 27 October 2026.

Modern scissor lifts and boom lifts monitor themselves. When the control system detects a problem, electrical, hydraulic or a safety interlock, it shows a fault code on the platform or ground display. Every manufacturer numbers its codes differently and the same number means different things on different models, which is why the right response on a hire is to record the code, stop unsafe work and call us, not to diagnose it yourself.

## Record the exact model and code

Before anything else, capture what the machine is telling you, because that is what lets us look it up in the right manual:

- The machine. Make, model and the fleet number on the decal. A code table for one model is wrong for another, even from the same manufacturer.
- The code. Photograph the display exactly as shown, including any letters, and note whether it is flashing or steady.
- What the machine was doing. Driving, lifting, lowering, on a slope, just switched on, with how many people and how much material on the platform.
- What still works. Some faults limit functions rather than stopping everything. A machine that drives but will not lift is often protecting itself, not broken.

Then lower the platform if the machine allows it, and call us on 0472 721 234.

## What a fault code is telling you

Codes span everything from housekeeping (battery low, service due) to conditions that stop the machine deliberately: tilt beyond rating, overload on the platform, a pothole-protection fault, a stuck switch. The machine is applying its own limits. Working around a limited function defeats the protection it is applying.

## Checks allowed by the operator manual

The operator manual for your machine sets out what an operator may check. It is the same short list the daily pre-start inspection is built from, and nothing on it involves opening a cover or touching a control circuit:

- Ground. A tilt alarm on uneven ground is the machine doing its job. If the manual allows the machine to be driven in that state and it can be driven safely, move it to firm level ground and see whether the fault clears. If it cannot be driven, leave it where it is.
- Load. Count people, tools and materials against the capacity plate. An overload fault clears by removing load, not by resetting.
- Emergency stops. If an emergency stop was pressed, find out why before anyone considers resetting it. A stop pressed because of a hazard stays pressed until the hazard is dealt with.
- Battery or fuel. Electric machines behave unpredictably at low charge; check the state-of-charge display. Diesel machines show their own low-fuel and engine warnings.

Anything beyond that list, including repeated power cycling, opening panels, bypassing a sensor or keeping working around a limited function, is outside the operator's role on a hired machine. Scissor-specific startup checks are in scissor lift will not start or lift: safe checks before you call. Who does which inspection on a hire is set out in EWP inspections and maintenance on hire.

## Record, stop, call

With the model, the code and the circumstances written down, call us. We look the code up in the machine's own service manual and either talk you through a reset the manual permits an operator to do, or bring a replacement machine so your job keeps moving. Fault callouts on our own fleet are our problem to fix, not yours.

## FAQ

Can you give me the code list for my machine? The full tables live in each manufacturer's service manual and are written for technicians. For a hire, the useful information is not the table, it is whether your machine needs a reset or a swap, and one phone call answers that faster.

Will I be charged for a fault callout? Faults that arise from normal use of a maintained machine are on us. Damage is different, and the hire agreement sets out how it is handled.

Can I swap to a different machine if this one does not suit the job? Yes. Browse the scissor lift range or the boom lift range, or tell us about the job and we will recommend the right machine.

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