Online Appliance Repair Manual: Ovens, Ranges, and Stoves

Appliantology: Ovens, Stoves, Ranges

Oven/Range Troubleshooting and Repair Manual

• It's not getting any power at the outlet...DUH!
• Well, maybe it's burned out. Attaway, Hoss, just go ahead and replace it with the assumption that nothing else could cause a no-bake condition. How 'bout checking the continuity of the element? Whoa, there's a brain flash, ya hey? Should read in the range of 20 to 40 ohms. More help on how to troubleshoot it on this page.
• 'Course, it could also be a burnt or loose wire to the bake element. I've seen it alot.
• Could be a bad function selector switch, too.
• Kids and visitors are great for screwing with the mechanical clock "start" or "stop" knobs and pushing them in so the oven doesn't work.
• The oven sensor could be open. You'll need to ohm it out with... wait for it... your ohm meter.
• Your electronic range control (ERC) board could be fried. Usually, there are self tests you can do for this and the wiring diagram has the key sequence.
• The thermal cutout switch might be open. I can help you find it if you’ll start a new topic in the Kitchen Appliance Repair Forum.

• Your self clean latch is bent or misaligned. Inspect for proper alignment to make sure that latch is contacting the latch switch.
• The self clean latch switch is fried. Check continuity.
• Function selector switch is fried.

• If you have a mechanical clock, the clock motor winding could be open, in which case you'll need to replace the entire clock.
• You might be lucky and only have a burnt wire or bad connection supplying power to clock. Check voltage at the clock motor.
• Fried ERC (on ovens with LED digital display). Nolo Contendre, compadre. Come git you a new one.

• Oven sensor is FUBAR. You'll need to ohm it out using a good digital ohmmeter.
• Thermostat is fried.
• Check that oven door gasket for rips and tears. That'll do it, too, Hoss.
• Bad voltage at oven electrical receptacle. 240v should be measured at the oven receptacle from L1 to L2. 120v should be measured from L1 to neutral and from L2 to neutral-- details on this page. Check circuit breaker to make sure it's not tripped.

• Yo, mon, how 'bout checking that thermostat? Contacts should be open at room temp.
• Maybe your oven relay is fried. These little gems were mainly used in ovens made by Frikidaire (no, I spelled it that way on purpose). This includes Kenmore ovens made by Frikidaire.

• Check that oven sensor, Hoss.
• Check the thermostat, too.
• Read this page for more about how to measure oven temperature.

• You might have a fried ERC. This would mainly affect ovens that have automatic door latching in self clean (no lever), such as Jenn Air's and some other Maytag brands. Check for error code in display. If an error code is given, check against manufacturer's code explanations in owner's manual or tech data sheet inside oven control panel.
• The self clean latch is bent or someone tried to do the gorilla routine on it. You'll need to disassemble the oven to get at it. Have fun, Homer-- glad I ain’t doing it!

Appliance manufacturers (praise be their holy names), in their infinite wisdom and mercy have determined that it is in our best interest that they carefully guard the meanings of their precious fault codes. And to make our joy complete, they even vary the codes from model to model! So, even though there are no standard fault codes, even within the same brand, Allah has revealed all appliance fault codes to me in a dream. Yea verily, God bless Allah!

• The bake ignitor is shot. Listen, Bubba, you can't tell it's bad by just looking at it--you gotsta measure the amperage. Just because it glows orange, doesn't mean it's good. On round ignitors, look for a current draw of 2.6 to 2.8 amps. On flat ignitors, look for 3.2 to 3.6 amps. Low current draw will not allow the gas valve to open.
• The valve is fried. If ignitor checks out OK, remove power from oven, pull the two wires off the valve and ohm test. Should read two to five ohms. If open, replace valve.
• The pilot is out...DUH! Try reigniting the pilot. If it goes out again, check 1) gas supply (out of gas, crimped line, etc.), 2) pilot orifice clogged or dirty.
• Pilot flame not wrapping around thermocouple. Reposition the thermocouple bulb so the upper third of the pilot flame wraps around the thermocouple bulb. Did I lose y'on that one, Bubba? If so, you better take it to the repair forum 'cause you ain't gettin' any smarter staring at the screen.
• If pilot is spark ignited and you're not getting spark to the pilot, replace the spark electrode, spark module, and the ignition wire. These parts are inexpensive enough that it's not worth the trouble to just replace one, replace the entire ignition system as long as you're in there.

• A good ignitor will fire the oven in less than three minutes. If it takes longer than this, the ignitor is toast or on its way to becoming so. Use your clamp-on amp-meter to measure the ignitor current draw. If the current draw is insufficient or borderline, then replace the ignitor. Budda-bing, budda-boom, done.
• Check the door gasket, Homer.

Stove Troubleshooting and Repair Manual

• Ok, so maybe the element is burned out. "Oh, I know the element is burned out because it's not getting hot." Yes, Virginia, and a bad element is the only possible explanation for there being no heat, isn't it? How ‘bout we at least do a simple continuity check on the element? A good element will read between 20 to 30 ohms. If the element shows the proper resistance, what else could be wrong? Well, could be a bad receptacle or a bad infinite switch.
• Ok, so it could be a bad element receptacle after all. On plug-in type elements, pull out the element and inspect the receptacle and element plug ends. If you see lots of charring or pitting, replace the receptacle and the element.
• The infinite switch could be fried (and frequently is, *gasp*!). Test for 240 volts AC at the two terminals going to the element when the switch is turned on. Yes, Grasshoppah, you'll need to use your meter and these are hot tests, meaning that voltage and amperage are present and could fry yo' ace.

• Ain't but one thang, yo: the infinite switch is toast. (Would you like fries with that?)

• Spark module is fried. Make sure the ignitor is getting 120v. Ensure valve switch is also sending 120v signal to begin ignition. If you don't hear clicking sounds anywhere in the range, the spark module is toast.
• One of the valve switches is fried. Test continuity.
• If ticking sound is intermittent or muffled or seems to alternate between burners, then the spark module is defective.
• A worn (leaky) ignition wire. The insulation on the ignition wire going to the electrode(s) can wear thin in spots causing the high voltage sparks to shunt to ground. You'll usually hear muffled ticking noises heard in odd places in the range. Inspect spark wire for wear spots in outer sheath.
• Stove electrical supply receptacle is reverse wired (hot side is neutral and neutral side is hot). Rewire receptacle observing correct polarity.

• The burner valve is plum wore out.