I have a Frigidaire FEF366E electric range. The bake element burnt in the oven. I replaced the element, and it wouldn't heat up. I pulled the range out to check the wiring. The wiring is OK. I checked the voltage going to the bake element, and it's about 125 volts on each side, measured to ground. Not sure if that is normal or not. I decided to check the broil element, and it also measures about 125 volts. But I discovered the broil element doesn't work now either. I tried putting the over in self-clean mode to see what happened, and it appears like it is going to self-clean (i.e. the display shows it is cleaning, and the over door locks), but it doesn't heat up. The display works normally for bake and broil, it's just that the elements do not heat up. The top burners work fine.
I am thinking at this point the problem must be with the control board, as there is nothing else that appears to be involved. But before I order a new board, I wanted to verify with some experts to make sure I am not overlooking something else.
Checking voltage from each side of the element to ground doesn't tell you much. You need to check across the element terminals for 240 volts which I doubt you have. I looked up your model # at frigidaire and found the # you posted is incomplete. However, throughout the models that came up in a search, there are only 2 wiring configurations. Some Frigidaires have a thermal limit device for both elements but I don't see one on your model. So, you'll have to trace the wirng back to the module and hope that maybe there is a wire problem. If that's ok, turn on bake and check for 240 volts at the module output. Then do the same with broil turned on. Make sure you also check the outlet and the terminal block at the back of the range for 240 volts and good connections. If the top burners are working ok, you probably have 240 volts to the range which means you probably lost the module. Let us know how you make out. Thanks.
Thanks. I did check across the elements and had 0 volts. As for the model number, perhaps it is FEF366EMC, that's what it says in a factory parts catalog I was able to download from the Internet. Will do the other checks you suggest later this morning, but my guess is you are right; I lost the control module.
I performed the checks you suggested. I do have 240 volts from the wall on the terminal block to the range. I do not have 240 volts out of the module to the bake or broiler element. As I said in my last post, when I measure accross the elements, with the controls set to bake or broil, I get 0 volts. So I am ordering a new control board. Hope I don't thave to replace the control board every time I lose a heater element, that could get expensive quick. Thanks again for your help. Will post back here once I replace the control board and let you know if it worked.
OK sounds good
thanks.
If you don't mind, include the cost it helps others with repair/replace decisions
OK, I finally got the new control board, installed it, and it fixed my problem. The total repair cost for the bake element and the control board was $102.73. That's the good news.
Now for the bad, or somewhat bad, news. It took longer than necessary to get the control board from the place I ordered it from. This was due to an error on their part, and I will think twice about ordering from them again. I can understand errors happen, but good customer service involves how you recover from errors; this place did nothing to compensate for their error. The second bad part is I ordered the wrong control board. The control board I ordered was part number 316418200 and the part number I should have ordered is 316418204. I am guessing the difference between the two is the 04 is for a self cleaning oven (which I have) and the 00 is for a non-self cleaning oven, as the self clean function doesn't work with this board. I just checked, and the 04 costs about $50 more. Here is a silly question, how does a self-cleaning oven work? If I turn my oven to max temp and leave it on for about three hours, will it coomplish the same thing as the self-clean function, or does the self-clean function get it hotter then you can with the controls?
What does the oven control go to? Like 550? The reason it goes to that tremp is not because that is the hottest the oven can get when the element glows cherry red hot. If you notice, the stat turns that element on and off to maintain any set temp. You can actually hear the stat click on and off, if you carefully listen.
I really do not know, but I venture to guess that the stat never turns off in the self-clean mode, and gets hotter and hotter. 1000 degrees or more? Turns the grease/food to ash. Sort of like cremation. A quick google may be fun.
Thanks ecman51. Actually after I posted the question, I figured it out. I set the thermostat to the highest setting (550) and let it go. I did notice that the element would shut off, and then turn back on. That's when it dawned on me that in self-clean mode it probably just stays on, allowing it to get hotter. I wonder if the self-clean mode takes a toll on the life of the oven element? I would think being on constatnly for 3 - 4 hours has to shorten the life of the element. In my case the stove was just over a year old when the element burnt in two. When we first got the range my wife was using the self-clean mode at least once a week, and sometimes twice a week. I told her then that I thought that using it so much was going to shorten the life of the element.
Here's a piece of new information. I did some more research on the Internet and found out that the common failure point on this control board is a relay. So I opened it up to take a look at the underside of the board, where the solder pads are, and sure enough there are two pads burnt on one of they relays. So I am thinking it should be easy enough to fix this mysef, assuming there are no more bad components. I should have inspected it before I ordered the new one.
So you plan on just getting the relay and soldering it in?
Originally Posted by ecman51`
So you plan on just getting the relay and soldering it in?
If need be, but maybe all I need to do is fix the burnt pads. That assumes that the reason they burned is due to a surge in current caused by the oven element burning. My wife said the element made quite a lot of noise, and put on quite the light show when it went. Of course there might be something else wrong on the board too. My first step will be to take some resistance readings on the new board, compare them with the old board, and then decide if I just want to try to repair the burnt pads and see what happens.
Let us know what happens. Good luck to you.
Didn't get a chance to wok on the board this weekend, had family come to town to visit. But, I had another part go bad on the range. I am starting to wonder if there was a power surge or something in my house that was hard on the range. But then again I have more delicate electronic devices that are still working fine, so I don't think there was a surge.
I lost the burner control for one of the surface units. I troubleshot the unit and determined that it is in fact the control that is bad.
I ordered a new control, and as I said in a previous post I thought twice about ordering it from the same source as the other parts, and in fact thought I used a different source, but it turns out it's the same people using a different web site. Without revelaing the name(s) of the site, as I think that is against the rules, I will breifly explain the problem I had (two times now) with this parts source. I ordered the control board, and got an e-mail two days later saying the price on the web site was wrong, and that they couldn't sell it at that price as it was below their cost. Long story short, it finally shipped (after I paid the higher price) about a week after I ordered it. I ordered the control from a different site two days ago. I got an e-mail today, from the same company I ordered the control from, saying the price on the web site was wrong, and that they couldn't sell it at that price as it was below their cost. I told them to cancel, and ordered from a third site, and just a few minutes ago got an e-mail saying the item wasn't in stock, and my order was cancelled. So I'm not having much luck with these parts.
OK, got my full functionality restored. First I looked the at the burnt pads on the old board, took some resistance measurements, and decided I would just try to resolder the burnt pads, and see what happened. I resoldered, put the old board back in the range, and plugged it in for a smoke test. No smoke, but it buzzed/hummed when I plugged it in, so I figured that wasn't good. Only left it plugged in 2 or 3 seconds.
So I pulled the old board out, and did a side by side comparison with the new board. They are exactly the same! Exact same components on the board(s), just a different version number. It also has the same connections, including the connection for the broiler. One thing I discovered after installing the new board was not only did I not have the self-clean feature any more, I also lost the broiler function.
So anyway, I got to thinking, if the boards are exactly the same, then why do they not have the same functions? Then it dawned on me, there is a programmable computer chip on the board. The only thing that could be different is the one board (my original board) had different features programmed on the chip. Both boards use the same chip. So the $50 extra you pay for the board is simply because it has different code programmed on the chip. Isn't that something?
I thought about desoldering the chips and swapping them, but I really don't have the proper equipment to do that, and minimize damaging the chip in the process. So I ended up doing something easier. The control board is actually two boards, connected with 15 or so wires, sort of like paperclips, but not quite that thick. I could desolder those much easier than desoldering the chip, I could then swap out the entire board with the chip on it, and assuming there were no faults on the board, then I would accomplish the same thing as swapping the chips, and get all of my functions back. So I did (swap the boards) and did (get my functions back). It is self-cleaning as I type this, and has been doing so for the past two hours or so.
Hi,
I apologize if I should have started a new thread but since this is my first time posting I wasn't really sure. I guess if someone advises me to start a new post I will. Until then, I have what sounds like the identical problem with my Frigidaire Electric Range Model: FEF379ACH. I too am thinking that it is probably the control board. The problem is, when I look at the part listing at the frigidaire website for my model, it doesn't list a single part that even remotely sounds like a control board. I'd like to get the correct part number so that I can start pricing this out. Can anyone advise? Thanks.
Parts Accessories | Shop Find Lawn Garden, Appliance Parts at Sears PartsDirect | SearsPartsDirect.com
shows the original part # as 316207509 substituted by 316207529. Sears wants $132 for it. I found it on Ebay for $106 at Mel-Co Parts. I would love to know the names of the two websites jtolli had trouble with.
Thanks Daddyjohn. I wasn't sure if I was posting appropriately so I started a new thread later the same day. Someone there gave me the part number (the same as the one you provided) and I ordered it online. It came, was installed and now works like a champ. Thanks for your help. BTW, I paid $150 with shipping. I guess if I would have shopped around a bit more, I would have done better price wise but I was just so anxious to get the part. Thanks again.
Happy to hear you're up and running. Don't feel like the Lone Ranger on the money thing. I recently bought a new Makita cordless mini recip saw which set me back $150. Then it dawned on me to check ebay which I kinda wish I hadn't done. I saw a new one go at auction for about $55. Plenty of used ones in the $25 to $40 range. I got the msg. he he
Tags: frigidaire, electric, range, oven, control board, self-clean mode, burnt pads, ordered control, part number, bake element, have volts, should have, about ordering
