hotpoint range troubleshooting

[Brian m]

My old (1988) hotpoint self-cleaning range has a problem with it's digital control I think. If I set the oven temp, the oven will start then the whole control panel will show 0:00 with nothing else working, then it will switch to the correct time but the oven temp will be at 0. Through the day when not in use it will show clock then nothing but the zeros. Burners work fine, broiler seems to work fine but it looks like either the oven element or the digital control is gone.

1. Once before when the oven element went, the digital control went nuts. Just before Xmas I replaced the same element again since it blew once when I turned the oven on.
2. There is no error code showing.
3. I cleaned the oven a couple of weeks ago and the clock screwed up somewhat. I would peg this as when the trouble started.

Any ideas? It maintains temp really well so I doubt that it's the sensor. If it's the control module, I remember it being something like 400 bucks which I won't spring for. Is the circuitry so sensitive that even with nothing turned on, the control unit will sense something is not quite kosher and reset to zero then act normal for a while then reset? Thanks in advance for any tips.

[jeff]

Hi,

Model#??

model# helps.

Checking the element itself is easy, esp with an ohm meter....

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Brian m]

KS730JT-1 Hotpoint

Element works fine, what I was wondering since the ERC screwed up last time when the main element was burned out but off, is how precise the element resistance has to be? It was one of those Home Depot off the rack elements. I guess I don't want to jump to the easy solution of replacing the ERC when it went once before (it seemed) but I fixed it by replacing the main element and it worked fine for ten years. Get my point? What else would cause the ERC to screw up? Thanks. BM

[jeff]

Hi,

The element resistance should be approx, depending on the manufacturer of the element, you will normally read between 19 ohms and 115 ohms. The control normally doesn't care about the element but does read the resistance of the oven temp sensor. Usually the temp only is effected if the oven temp sensor goes bad.

Selector switch with temp control built into the clock, right?!

Many of these clocks come back as NLA/rework only when I checked the KS730 models.

The oven does have a safety temp switch that should shut the whole oven off if the temp goes through the roof, but this normally won't make the control reset, go off and go back to the time of the day. Loose power wire ( power or white - inside or outside of the range ) may do this, bad clock/control may do this. The oven temp sensor usually is approx 16 ohms at room temperature and at 350ºF it is 29~33 ohms.

You may want to check with Camco to see if your clock/control is even available....

Camco (Canadian GE, Moffat, McClary, Hotpoint) 1-800-361-3400

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Brian m]

Thanks Jeff, I will check the ohms. Temp sensor did occur to me but the intermittent bit made me rethink it. There are two 'sensor' things sticking into the oven. One is unprotected and the other is supported by a single brace. I suspect the supported one is the smoke preventer (forget what the schematic calls it). The sensor has two white wires to it, so I think I have the right one. But when I disconnected the sensor, and powered up there was an error code which hadn't been there before. I'll let you know whatever happens. BM

[jeff]

Hi,

The supported on should be the oven safety....turns on the self clean light and prevents oven temp runaways.

The other is the oven temp sensor.

one.

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid