On a Whirlpool, Maytag or KitchenAid oven, F1 and F1E1 are the electronic control, F2 means the oven ran too hot, F3 and F4 (F3E0 and F3E1 on newer ovens) are the oven temperature sensor, F5 and F5E1 the door switch and self-clean latch, F7 and F2E0 a stuck key, PF a power failure and Loc the control lock, not a fault. Press Cancel, switch the breaker off for a minute, let a hot oven cool and try again. A code that returns, an oven that will not heat, or a door still locked when the oven is cold needs a technician; the sensor and the latch are the usual answers.
This page is written by a working technician at Cactus Appliance in Irvine, which repairs Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid ranges and wall ovens across Orange County. Whirlpool Corporation builds all three, plus JennAir and Amana, on shared platforms, so the codes below are largely shared. There are two families: single-digit F codes (F1 to F9) on ranges and wall ovens from the 1990s and early 2000s, and F-digit-E-digit codes on most ovens built since then. Maytag and JennAir ranges built before Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006 used a digit, a dash and a digit (F1-1, F3-1); those are covered too.
Try this first
- Cancel and cut power. Press Cancel or Off, then switch the breaker off for one minute (or unplug a freestanding range). A code that returns within the next bake is real.
- Let it cool. F2 and a locked door after self-clean both need time: give it an hour, and never pull on a locked door.
- Look at the keypad. Wipe it dry, move anything leaning on it, and press each key once; grease or a towel on the panel is a common F7 or F2E0.
- Set the clock after PF. PF only says the power dropped; with no outage, suspect a loose plug or cord.
- Release the control lock. Loc, Lock or a padlock with no heat is the child lock: hold Control Lock (on some models Cancel or Off) for three seconds.
- Watch a gas oven light. With no code and no heat, look through the floor vent: a glow for more than a minute with no flame is a weak igniter.
How Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid ovens show errors
Older controls show F and one digit, usually with a repeating beep. Newer ovens show F, a digit, E and a digit: the first digit is the system (1 control board, 2 keypad, 3 oven temperature, sensor or too hot, 5 door and latch, 6 line-voltage feedback or the link between the boards), the second the specific fault. On a double oven the newer codes and the Maytag dash codes tell the upper cavity from the lower; the single-digit codes carry no cavity digit, though many double ovens light the upper or lower indicator beside the code; if yours does not, note which oven was running. Cancel clears the display; newer controls keep a fault history a technician can read.
The control lock (Loc, Lock or a padlock) and the door-locked indicator after self-clean are not errors; both come up often in calls about codes and are in the table below.
Classic F codes (ranges and wall ovens of the 1990s and early 2000s)
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | The electronic oven control failed its own check; on some models a shorted keypad gives the same code. | Breaker off for one minute. A repeat is the control board, sometimes the keypad. |
| F2 | Oven too hot: the control saw a temperature above its limit in bake or in clean. | Press Cancel and let it cool. A repeat is a drifted sensor or a welded relay; no self-clean until it is fixed. |
| F3 | Oven temperature sensor open. | Breaker off for one minute. A repeat is the sensor, about 1,080 ohms at room temperature when good, or its connector. |
| F4 | Oven temperature sensor shorted. | The same part with the other failure: the sensor or a pinched harness behind the back panel. |
| F5 | Door switch or self-clean latch fault: the control does not see the door state it expects. | Cancel self-clean, let the oven cool, open and close the door. A repeat is the latch motor, its switches or the door switch. |
| F7 | Function key stuck or shorted. | Clean and dry the keypad and move anything leaning on it. A repeat is the keypad membrane or the touch panel. |
| F1-x / F3-x | Dash codes on Maytag, Magic Chef and JennAir ranges built before Whirlpool took over: F1-1 to F1-4 the oven too hot in cook or clean, F1-5, F1-6 and F1-8 the Cancel key or a shorted key, F1-A to F1-D the latch and door switches (upper and lower), F1-E the control’s memory; F3-1 the oven sensor open, F3-2 shorted, F3-3 and F3-4 the lower oven. | The same checks as the F2, F3 and F5 rows. Parts for these ranges are scarce, and we say so before ordering. |
Current F and E codes (most ovens built since the early 2000s)
| Code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| F1E0 / F1E1 | Electronic control fault: the board failed its own check or lost its memory. | Breaker off for one minute. A repeat is the control board. |
| F2E0 / F2E1 | Keypad fault: a key reads stuck or shorted (F2E0), or the control cannot see the keypad (F2E1). | Clean and dry the panel and press each key. A repeat is the keypad, its ribbon cable or the user interface. |
| F3E0 / F3E1 | Oven temperature sensor open (F3E0) or shorted (F3E1); on a double oven these are the upper cavity; the lower has its own sub-codes. | Breaker off for one minute. A repeat is the sensor or its harness; a slow preheat before the code is the usual warning. |
| F3E2 / F3E3 | On single-oven ranges, oven too hot in bake (F3E2) or in clean (F3E3), the newer form of the classic F2; on some double wall ovens F3E2 and F3E3 are the lower oven sensor instead, so check the tech sheet. | Press Cancel and let it cool. A repeat needs the same sensor and relay test as F2. |
| F5E0 / F5E1 / F5E2 | Door switch and self-clean latch faults: the door switches disagree (F5E0), the latch did not lock (F5E1) or did not unlock (F5E2) on command. | Let the oven cool, open and close the door, cycle the breaker. A repeat is the latch motor or its switches. |
| F6E0 | Return line not connected on the tech sheets: the control is not seeing its line-voltage feedback, usually a loose supply connection or a board fault. | Check the plug is in fully and the breaker is not half-tripped. A repeat is the cord, the junction box or the board; have it checked before using the oven. |
Displays that are not errors
| Display | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Loc / Lock / padlock | The control lock is on; the keypad ignores presses. | Hold Control Lock, or the button the manual names, for three seconds. |
| PF | Power failure: the control lost power and the clock needs setting. | Press Cancel and set the clock. PF with no outage is a loose plug, a weak breaker or the board. |
| Door Locked / Lock flashing | The self-clean latch is engaged, or the oven is still above its unlock temperature. | Wait for the cooldown. Still locked when cold: cycle the breaker once; still locked after that is the latch motor. |
| SAb | Sabbath mode: the display, tones and some functions are held. | Hold the button the manual names, often Clock or Sabbath, for several seconds. |
Codes vary by model and year, and the same code can have several causes: an F2 can be a sensor or a relay, an F5 a latch or a switch. The owner’s manual for your model number and the tech sheet behind the control panel are the definitive list. Only an on-site test confirms the part, and we run it before anything is ordered.
What the common codes turn out to be on a service call
F3, F4 and F3E0: the oven sensor
Likely causes: the sensor, a thin probe at the back of the cavity, drifts or opens with age; its connector behind the back panel corrodes; or the harness was pinched when the range was pushed back. Before the code, the oven preheats slowly or bakes unevenly.
Try this first: breaker off for a minute. If the code returns, or the oven misses the set temperature by a wide margin, book a visit.
How we fix it: we measure the sensor resistance cold, compare it to the control reading, and replace the sensor, a common part that is usually on the van. The same symptom on a Viking oven was its thermostat.
No code, oven not heating: the bake igniter
Likely causes: on a gas oven the bake igniter weakens for years before it stops: it glows but never draws enough current to open the gas valve, so the oven stays cold or takes twenty minutes to light, with no code.
Try this first: a glow through the floor vent with no flame after a minute is the igniter. Turn the oven off and do not keep trying; a marginal igniter can let gas collect before it lights.
How we fix it: we measure the igniter current and replace it, as in our Whirlpool bake igniter repair. An electric oven with the same symptom is usually the bake element or a relay.
F1, F1E1 and a dead display: the control board
Likely causes: a relay welded or burned open on the oven control, a board power supply that failed after a surge, or, right after a self-clean, a thermal fuse that opened and darkened the display.
Try this first: breaker off for a minute. The same code again, or a display still dark with the breaker on, needs a technician.
How we fix it: we test the fuse, the transformer output and the relays before we condemn a board; a fuse is a small repair, a board is not. A board job is our Santa Ana oven control repair.
F5, F5E1, F5E2 and a door that stays locked
Likely causes: the self-clean latch motor and its cam switches, which run only during clean cycles and seize; a door switch that no longer closes; or a lock that engaged during a power cut and never got the release signal.
Try this first: with the oven cold, switch the breaker off for a minute and back on; many locks release on power-up. Never pry the door; the latch hook breaks the inner glass.
How we fix it: we release the latch by hand from inside the control area, test the motor and switches, and replace the assembly; after a mid-clean failure we check the thermal fuse and sensor.
Stay safe. None of the checks above needs a panel removed. Switch the breaker off before touching anything behind a range’s back panel or a wall oven’s trim; the sensor plug sits next to 240-volt terminals. Leave gas valves and gas lines to a technician. If you smell gas, do not touch switches or the range, open a window, leave the room and call the gas company first. Never run self-clean on an oven with a known code or a loose door, and never bypass a door switch or a latch.
When a code means a part has failed
The service call is $79 and covers the trip and the diagnosis. We confirm the failed part by testing it, not by reading the code. You get a written price for parts and labor before work starts, and the $79 is applied to it when you approve. Common parts such as oven sensors and bake igniters are usually on the van; latch assemblies, control boards and touch panels come from local distributors, usually the next business day. The repair is under warranty on parts and labor, and if the same fault returns within 90 days the return visit has no service-call fee.
Oven and range repairs we have written up
- Whirlpool Oven Not Heating: Bake Igniter Fix (October 2026), Orange County
- KitchenAid Gas Cooktop Leak Fixed in Villa Park (August 2026), Villa Park
- Oven Not Heating? Bad Control Board Fix in Santa Ana (July 2026), Santa Ana
- Viking Oven Not Holding Temperature? Thermostat Fix (May 2024), Orange County
Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid oven error code FAQ
How do I reset a Whirlpool, Maytag or KitchenAid oven?
Press Cancel or Off, then switch the breaker off for one minute, or unplug a freestanding range. If the code returns during the next bake, the fault is real.
What does F3 or F4 mean on a Whirlpool oven?
The oven temperature sensor circuit is open (F3) or shorted (F4); on newer ovens the same faults show as F3E0 or F3E1. The sensor is a probe at the back of the cavity, and replacing it is a smaller repair.
What does F2E1 or F7 mean?
The keypad: a key reads stuck or the control cannot see the panel. Clean and dry it and press each key; if the code stays, the keypad, its ribbon cable or the touch panel has failed.
Why is my oven door locked and the oven will not open?
The self-clean latch is engaged and releases only when the oven cools, often an hour after the cycle ends. If it stays locked when cold, switch the breaker off and on. Still locked after that is the latch motor, which a technician releases without damaging the door.
Can I keep using the oven with a code showing?
With PF, Loc, SAb or a one-time F7 you can. With F2, F5 or any code that comes with a smell of gas or a hot cabinet, switch the oven off at the breaker and call; an overheating oven or a latch that fails during self-clean is a fire risk.
How much does it cost to fix an oven error code?
The service call is $79, applied to the repair. A thermal fuse, a sensor or an igniter is the affordable end; a latch assembly or a door switch is the middle; a control board or a touch panel is the expensive end. You approve a written price first.
Do you repair Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid ovens in Orange County?
Yes. Cactus Appliance repairs Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir and Amana ranges, wall ovens and cooktops in Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Villa Park, Newport Beach, Anaheim and every other Orange County city, same day, seven days a week.
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