Whirlpool Model RBS275PDT11 Built-In Electric Wall oven; During Super Sunday 2/7/21, My 2001 wall oven was 20 minutes into baking wings at 425 degrees and 10 minutes remaining on the timer when I heard the oven beep. Fortunately, I was standing beside it and saw the display quickly illuminate a code that looked like "E4 L2" and the smaller word "Locked" underneath. That code disappeared quickly, then the panel only displayed the time 4:12 pm and the small word "LOCKED" underneath. The display showed nothing else, no self-clean, broil, or bake light, no temperature or any indication whatsoever it was even on! I knew this was serious, my wings remained locked inside and I saw the top broiler element glowing RED HOT. I tried many button combinations, found the manual useless so ultimately hit the breaker off. After 5 minutes off then on, it still wouldn't unlock so we left the breaker off another 20 minutes while my food continued overcooking and smoking inside the very hot oven. I could only crack the door open .25" to help release heat and stood there for 25 minutes holding it open to help it cool so it wouldn't smoke badly until we tried it again, flipped the breaker on again, it unlocked and I removed the food. THE REAL SHOCKER was after another 30 minutes the oven was completely OFF and even more cooled. Only the time remained displayed like normal and I sat at my island and witnessed the same code beep on, "E4 L2" and LOCKED. All on its own. (*note the code numbers may be incorrect, it happened so fast then disappeared) That oven kicked on AGAIN and locked by itself with only normal time displaying and the tiny word LOCKED was displayed. Anyone walking past would never know it was on since the normal bake and temperature lights were OFF. I could see the top broiler element glowing RED HOT inside again. I keep a liner for catching spills in the bottom of the oven and that was still inside so the breaker went off again, PERMANENTLY. No one in my house has ever used or scheduled the use of the Auto Clean mode so any hint that someone accidentally set it to AUTO CLEAN is absolutely incorrect. My 17-year-old daughter mentioned that this had happened to her previously. Whirpool is aware this can cause fires and KILL people and never recalled this oven. I have now read many other blogs back to 2004 and someone paid $600 to replace the Control assembly, Thermo Control, and Thermostat together by a Whirpool licensed repairman and it STILL happened again after repair that back in 2004. I have no doubt it's happened frequently over the years but consumers haven't reported it. This oven will be replaced and I will NEVER buy a Whirpool appliance again. We were very blessed to be home every time it occurred.
Whirpool Wall Oven FIRE HAZARD; locks and heats by itself
Feb 09, 2021
Last reply: 5 years ago
7 Replies
The electronic controls were prolly made in China. Maybe Joe Bribe'm can call Xi and get your money back?
On the plus side, at least you got 20 years out of it, which is probably about the typical life and now you'll have a new oven. Did you notify Whirpool? What did they say?
This is just the nature of electronic controls. One signal line is as likely to fail as any other. I tried to find a replacement oven with no electronics and had no luck. My old Whirlpool with mechanical controls lasted almost 40 years but the can inside finally rusted out. It was still working fine tho.
I wonder how many appliances are scrapped for minor electronics problems. Some 20 cent diode fails and a $400 board is needed for the fix.
On Wed, 10 Feb 2021 17:32:08 -0500, Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us to digest...
There is a guy on U Tube Northridgefix Maybe he could fix it?
Many years ago at work one of our machines was down from a bad circuit board. The machine maker said it would be $1200 and about a week for delivery. I took the board to a local guy that did TV repairs and such out of his basement. Sure enough, he found the bad part, replace it, and sheepishly asked for $20 for a few minutes work. I gladly paid him.
We often had a microwave in the shop that someone wanted us to fix. It was almost always the board and the board usually cost more than a new microwave if you could find one. I did take a big "cook a turkey" size Amana microwave, drill a hole through the operator panel and put in a spring wound timer. I made sure all of the interlocks still worked and we used it for years.
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