GE Oven won't light

[Matt Mason]

I have a GE non-self cleaning gas range, Series XL44, about 5 years old. The oven will not light. The ignitor would get red hot, then go out, and then stay on long enough to only get luke warm. I replaced the ignitor (which was a bit of a pain since the new one came with a slightly different connector... even though it was the correct model). The ignitor got red hot, but the gas did not flow. Leaving the range on, the ignitor did not get red hot again.

So could the problem be with the gas valve? or something else.

thanks in advance for any advice/wisdom that you may offer.

sincerely,

Matt the frustrated landlord

[CLSSM00X7]

Hi,

It could be the thermocouple/flame sensor which senses heat from the ignitor before it allows the gas valve to open. You can try moving it closer to the ignitor and see if that does the trick. You can also try tapping the gas valve but to be honest I think it is the placement of the ignitor to the flame sensor.

candice

[jeff]

Hi,

XL44 is just a name and not a model#....

model# helps.

The glow coil hot surface ignitor should stay on through out the heating process and only go out when the oven control says the temp is ok to shut off the burner....if the glow coil is going off before the burner can light, bad/loose wire?, bad oven control?. The gas valve is in series with the glow coil ignitor, *usually* if the gas valve fails electricaly the ignitor will not come on at all.

It should almost get white hot.

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

[Matt Mason]

I got the full model #, I just didn't bother posting it here.

I checked the wires, they are good. But it looks like the gas valve may be the problem. When I turn the oven on, I here the tell-tale 'click' that the relay from the temperature control has engaged.

[Dan O.]

There isn't usually too much in the circuit with an oven ignitor system, the ignitor, the gas valve and the oven thermostat or electronic control. A 'weak' ignitor is the most common cause of both the oven burner not lighting and for no gas flow to the burner.

If the thermosat/control is the cause of the power to the ignitor going off, it would likely have to be replaced. If it isn't what's responsible, the gas valve itself may be suspect.

JMO

Dan O.

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