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psquire  
#1 Posted : Saturday, December 18, 2010 3:28:41 PM(UTC)
psquire

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After the oven has been at temperature for about 10 min., it shuts off and shows the F 3 code.
It appears the fan is not coming on.
Is that what F3 means?
Is the fan limit swtich the likely cause?
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kayakcrzy  
#2 Posted : Sunday, December 19, 2010 5:34:48 AM(UTC)
kayakcrzy

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No, that means the oven sensor is the issue. Replace the oven sensor. That is the thin rod, that is in the back of the oven held in by 2 screws. The part # is WB23X5340 Tom www.applianceeducator.com/parts.htm
psquire  
#3 Posted : Sunday, December 19, 2010 4:18:10 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: kayakcrzy Go to Quoted Post
No, that means the oven sensor is the issue. Replace the oven sensor. That is the thin rod, that is in the back of the oven held in by 2 screws. The part # is WB23X5340 Tom Appliance Educator, Appliance Parts, Washer and Dryer Parts, Refridgerator and Freezer Parts, Stove and Oven Parts


The sensor was replaced and the fan still did not work.
The Sears tech said it was the fan limit switch since he took it out and checked it with an ohmmeter including putting some cold spray on it (I think he should have used something hot)
The temperature was reading correctly (set to 350 and stopped at 350), so would it be the sensor?
After the tech left I turned the oven on to see if it would come on after being warmed up for a long time
I forgot the oven was on for an hour and when I went to turn it off the fan was working.
We cooked some bread for .5 to 1 hour and the fan worked.
I suspect the cold spray the tech put on the limit switch freed up the contacts.
After the tech did the cold spray he did not turn the oven back on since the ohmmeter showed the switch was bad.
I will replace the switch myself as I am not sure it will not fail again later.
kayakcrzy  
#4 Posted : Monday, December 20, 2010 3:20:44 AM(UTC)
kayakcrzy

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That would be a good idea. Usually an F3 is a sensor issue. There are places on the internet, where you could look up codes, and that is what it said for your model!! I bet Sears costed an arm and a leg!!! Tom ApplianceEducator.com
psquire  
#5 Posted : Wednesday, December 22, 2010 7:18:42 PM(UTC)
psquire

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psquire  
#6 Posted : Wednesday, December 22, 2010 8:03:27 PM(UTC)
psquire

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Originally Posted by: kayakcrzy Go to Quoted Post
That would be a good idea. Usually an F3 is a sensor issue. There are places on the internet, where you could look up codes, and that is what it said for your model!! I bet Sears costed an arm and a leg!!! Tom ApplianceEducator.com


Found F3 code and was sensor, but the senosr read 1100 ohms as it should.
The limit switch costs ~$7 with AppiancePartsPro and $15 with Sears.
The fan and sensor Sears cost $217 with tax.

I was working a lot so thought I would save time by having Sears do it.
Was I wrong as it was over two months, ~20 phone calls, ~20 hours waiting for a Sears contractor to show up, two times Sears did not show, wrong diagnosis, and doing the final part installation myself.

My recommendations from this is
1) Do it yourself if you can.
I could have put voltmeter fused jumpers from fan terminal terminal to power return (do for each terminal) and see if the fan was bad (110V but fan not on) or no 110V (bad control or limit/thermal switch).
If I diagnosed it right it would have cost $7 and a couple hours instead of the nightmare above.
2) If some one wants Sears I would
A) Decide want cost is too high, i.e. buy a new oven before the repair
guy comes out. I told the tech I wanted some time to see if I
wanted a new oven and would call back. The tech did not write
anything down so when I said I wanted it fixed Sears had to have
another tech come back and repeat the process.
B) Don't use Sears unless it is a appliance they normally fix. Since GE
has its own repair service Sears does very little GE ovens (and
probably other appliances) so not parts on truck and 5-10 days for
parts. Plus do not know GE very well so cannot diagnosis problems as
well as GE. Not sure of GE costs though.
C) Don't count on the 800 phone call center knowing what is going on.
Those ~20 phone calls could have been around 6, but they are
clueless. If I had not made those extra phone calls it would have
probably been another month and a lot more missed appointments.
D) Do a morning appointment so if they miss the time they may only be
a hour or so late instead of doing another 4 hour window (6
hour would not be uncommon) a few days to a
week later
kayakcrzy  
#7 Posted : Thursday, December 23, 2010 3:18:37 AM(UTC)
kayakcrzy

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That is what you call the sears experience. Usually they try to sell you a service agreement, before they set up service. There sick!!!! Tom
psquire  
#8 Posted : Thursday, December 23, 2010 1:29:33 PM(UTC)
psquire

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Originally Posted by: kayakcrzy Go to Quoted Post
That is what you call the sears experience. Usually they try to sell you a service agreement, before they set up service. There sick!!!! Tom


I put the limit switch in and the fan did not come on until 1.5 hours.
I have the oven at 350 degrees where we will (hopefully) cook the turkey at Christmas.
Is it normal for the fan to come on in 1.5 hours
When should the fan come on after it is at temperature?
The last time the Sears guy was here, I put the oven on after he left and forgot to check for about two hours and the fan was on.

Also the last Sears tech stripped the holes in the oven sheet metal so the limit switch was not mounted tightly.
If the limit switch is not screwed down tightly will it work properly?
The limit switch is normally open from the ohmmeter reading I took.
Does the fan limit switch have to have good contact with the oven metal case? (to sense the hot oven and close)
I also used larger screws to mount it since the mounting hole was srtipped.
Would larger screws with a more metal affect the heating of the limit switch and cause it not to work properly?

Thanks
kayakcrzy  
#9 Posted : Friday, December 24, 2010 3:48:02 AM(UTC)
kayakcrzy

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It does need a good tight fit. I would suggest bigger screws. On some models, the fan comes on right away, and then I was at a guys house, who complaned about a loud fan, and I did everything to get that fan to come on. I turned the bake element on to 550, let it come to temp, then I turned the broil on, and then after 30 minutes, I was getting ready, just to order the guy a motor, and cut the oven off. Just before I was ready to leave, the motor came on. So, that is something I don't know on your model. Tom ApplianceEducator.com
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