How to Tell If Your Electric Oven Control Board Is Bad

If your electric oven isn’t heating, the display is blank, or buttons don’t respond, you might be wondering: is it the control board? It’s a common guess-and often the right one. But before you buy a new part or call a technician, you need to rule out simpler fixes. A bad control board doesn’t always scream for attention. Sometimes it just quietly stops working. Here’s how to tell for sure.

Start with the basics

Before you assume the control board is dead, check the obvious. A faulty control board is usually the last thing to fail, not the first. Start by making sure the oven is getting power. Check the circuit breaker. If it’s tripped, reset it. If it trips again, that’s a wiring or short issue-not necessarily the control board.

Plug another appliance into the same outlet to confirm the outlet is live. Most ovens are hardwired, so you’ll need to check the disconnect switch behind the oven or at the panel. If the oven’s clock or display is completely dead, that’s a red flag. But if only the bake function fails while broil works, it’s likely a relay or heating element-not the whole board.

Look for physical signs of damage

Open the oven’s control panel. You’ll need to unplug the oven or shut off the breaker first. Once you have access, look at the control board. It’s usually a flat circuit board behind the keypad, with wires running to the display, relays, and sensors.

Check for:

• Burnt spots or dark discoloration on the board
• Bulging or leaking capacitors (they look like tiny metal cans with swollen tops)
• Broken traces (thin copper lines that look cracked or lifted)
• Loose or corroded connectors

If you see any of these, the board is damaged. Even if the oven still turns on, internal damage can cause intermittent failures. A single burnt trace can stop power from reaching the bake element while leaving the clock running. That’s why your oven might light the broiler but not bake.

Test the keypad and display

A dead or unresponsive keypad doesn’t always mean the board is bad. Sometimes the keypad membrane itself fails. Try pressing every button. Do any work? If only the cancel button works, or if the display flickers but doesn’t show numbers, the issue could be the keypad connection.

Unplug the ribbon cable that connects the keypad to the control board. Clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. Let it dry. Reconnect it firmly. Power the oven back on. If the display works now, the problem was a dirty or loose connection-not the board.

If the display stays blank after cleaning the connection, the board likely isn’t sending power to it. That’s a strong sign the board has failed.

Check for error codes

Most modern electric ovens show error codes when something goes wrong. These codes are your best clue. Look up your oven’s model number online and find the service manual. Common codes like F1, F2, F3, or E01 often point to sensor or control board issues.

For example:

• F1 on a Whirlpool oven means a runaway temperature-usually a faulty oven sensor, but if the sensor checks out, it’s the control board misreading the signal.
• F2 on a GE oven means the oven is too hot. Again, test the sensor first. If it reads within 10% of room temperature, the board is likely interpreting the signal wrong.
• E01 on a Frigidaire oven means communication failure between the board and keypad. If the keypad is clean and connected, the board isn’t talking to it.

Don’t ignore error codes. They’re designed to point you in the right direction. If the code points to a sensor, test the sensor first. If the sensor is fine, the board is the next suspect.

Test the oven sensor

The oven temperature sensor is a small probe inside the oven cavity, usually near the back wall. It’s connected to the control board and tells it how hot the oven is. If the sensor fails, it sends wrong signals-and the board might shut everything down to prevent overheating.

To test it:

1. Unplug the oven or turn off the breaker.
2. Locate the sensor and disconnect the wires from the board.
3. Set your multimeter to ohms (Ω).
4. Touch the probes to the two terminals on the sensor.
5. At room temperature (around 20°C), it should read between 1000 and 1100 ohms.
6. If it reads open (OL or infinite resistance) or below 900 or above 1200 ohms, the sensor is bad.

If the sensor is good, and the oven still won’t heat or displays error codes, the control board is likely misreading the signal. That’s a board failure.

Listen for clicks and watch for behavior

A working control board sends power to the heating elements in short bursts. You should hear a faint click when the oven turns on or cycles. If you hear nothing-not even a click-when you set the temperature, the board isn’t sending the signal.

Also, watch for weird behavior:

• The oven heats for 30 seconds, then shuts off
• The display shows random symbols or numbers
• The oven turns on by itself
• Buttons respond randomly or activate other functions

These aren’t normal. They point to a failing microprocessor on the board. It’s like a computer glitching-sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s not a sensor or relay issue. That’s the brain.

Compare with known failures

Here’s what a bad control board usually does:

If your symptoms match the top three rows and you’ve ruled out the sensor, keypad, and elements, the control board is almost certainly the issue.

When to replace it

Control boards can’t be repaired. If it’s damaged, you replace it. Prices vary by brand and model. For a standard electric oven, expect to pay between $100 and $250 for the part. Labor adds another $100-$150 if you hire someone.

Is it worth it? If your oven is under 8 years old and otherwise in good shape, yes. If it’s older than 10-12 years, consider replacing the whole unit. New ovens are more energy-efficient and come with better warranties.

When buying a replacement, make sure you have the exact model number. Control boards aren’t universal. A board from a Frigidaire won’t work in a GE, even if they look similar. Order from a trusted appliance parts supplier like Repair Clinic, Appliance Parts Pros, or directly from the manufacturer.

Final check: Is it really the board?

Before you spend the money, ask yourself:

• Did you test the oven sensor?
• Did you clean and reseat the keypad connection?
• Did you check the power supply and circuit breaker?
• Are you seeing multiple symptoms at once (blank display + no heat + error codes)?

If you answered yes to all of those, and the board shows physical damage or the oven behaves erratically, then yes-it’s the control board.

Replacing it isn’t hard if you’re comfortable with basic tools. Just unplug the oven, take photos of the wiring before disconnecting, label the connectors, and swap the board. Most replacements take under an hour.

But if you’re unsure, don’t guess. Call a certified technician. A wrong part or a miswired connection can cause more damage-or worse, a fire.