On the Whirlpool front-load machines described in its guide, Sud or Sd with Rinse lit means the washer is removing suds; let that cycle continue if there is no leak or unsafe condition. With Cycle Complete lit, rinsing or water removal may remain incomplete. Check the exact model before selecting a further cycle; visible overflow requires a different response.
Read the status light as well as the message
This answer uses Whirlpool's front-load guidance. Match the actual washer model and its manual before interpreting Sud or Sd; another brand or control generation may use different messages. A code alone does not say whether the machine is still treating suds or has finished the cycle.
First check for water escaping, a standpipe overflowing or another unsafe condition. If there is an active leak, stop adding water and use the washer-leak precautions. Do not touch electrical equipment from a wet floor. Advice to let a cycle continue does not override that situation.
Rinse lit means a treatment cycle is still running
Whirlpool's excessive-suds guide says that Sud or Sd with the Rinse status light on means the washer is removing suds and directs letting the cycle continue. It explains that excess suds can extend rinsing and reduce spin speed, leaving wetter laundry.
An unexpectedly long cycle therefore does not alone establish a failed drain pump or household blockage. Note the complete display and whether water stays inside the washer or appears outside it. Avoid repeated cancellation, added detergent or an invented reset sequence simply to make the message disappear.
Cycle Complete lit calls for a different decision
The same manufacturer guide says Sud or Sd with Cycle Complete lit means excess suds were detected during the completed cycle. The load may not be thoroughly rinsed or water may remain. It suggests a Rinse/Spin cycle for further rinsing; use only an option and procedure supported by your exact model.
Do not force a locked door or select another filling cycle while a drain is overflowing. If the condition persists, record the model, status lights, detergent used and what happened before contacting appliance support. A household standpipe overflow needs assessment of its actual drainage path.
Review dosing without assuming every wet load is suds
Whirlpool calls for the appropriate HE detergent and the detergent maker's measured dose. Concentrations differ. For a bulk dispenser, confirm its enabled state and concentration instructions before adding a second manual dose. Do not add an improvised defoamer or combine cleaning chemicals.
Detergent-related Sud/Sd states also differ from liquid fabric softener leaving its compartment too early. The early fabric-softener release guide separates marked-fill checks from retained additive and model-specific rinse options; its Whirlpool top-load controls must not be copied onto a different front-loader.
Its draining and spinning guide also identifies load balance, door closure, selected spin speed and drainage conditions. A wet load is not a unique diagnosis. Owner-accessible pump-filter guidance applies only where the model provides that access and safe procedure. Keep this control-state check separate from dismantling the appliance or changing its standpipe.