KitchenAid Oven F3E1 (F3 E1) Error Code: Oven Temperature Sensor Shorted (Meaning, Causes, Fixes)

What the code means

KitchenAid's Product Help pages for ranges and wall ovens say F3 E1 means there may be a problem with the oven temperature sensor, the control, or the associated wiring (on wall ovens, KitchenAid names the lower oven temperature sensor). The F3 family covers the oven sensor: in Whirlpool Corporation tech sheets for these electronic oven controls, F3 E0 is an open sensor and F3 E1 a shorted sensor, with E2 and E3 used for over-temperature in cook and clean modes. Whirlpool tech sheet 8302066 gives the threshold: the control flags F3 E1 when the sensor reads about 825 ohms or less, against a normal of about 1,080 ohms at 70°F (rising roughly 2 ohms per degree F). Whirlpool tech sheet 8053296 lists the sensor range as about 1,000 ohms at 32°F to 2,697 ohms at 900°F and also says to check from the sensor connector to the sensor casing for a short. On double ovens with this control, tech sheet 8302066 notes the fault shows on the side of the display that matches the affected oven. Newer KitchenAid tech sheets such as W11393917 list only F3E0 for main sensor open or shorted, so the exact code can differ by control generation.

Likely causes

• A failed oven temperature sensor that has shorted internally, so its resistance reads too low
• Sensor wiring that is pinched, damaged, or shorted to the oven body or sensor casing
• A loose, corroded, or poorly seated connector between the sensor and the control (Whirlpool's tech sheet names connector corrosion as the most common cause of control problems)
• A failed electronic oven control, when the sensor and wiring test good
• A temporary glitch that a one-minute power reset clears

Safe DIY checks

1. Turn off the oven's circuit breaker(s) for one minute, turn them back on, and watch the display for one minute. If F3 E1 doesn't come back, check that the oven heats normally (this is KitchenAid's own reset).
2. If the code returns, stop using the oven. The control can't read oven temperature correctly with a sensor fault.
3. With the breaker off, look at the sensor probe on the back wall of the oven cavity. Make sure it isn't bent or touching anything and that its mounting screws are tight.
4. If you're comfortable with a multimeter, and still with power off, unplug the sensor connector (usually reached by removing the rear panel or the sensor's mounting screws and pulling the lead forward) and measure it. Whirlpool's tech sheets give about 1,000 to 1,200 ohms at room temperature (about 1,080 ohms at 70°F). A reading well below that, around 825 ohms or less, matches F3 E1.
5. Also check for a short from either sensor pin to the sensor's metal casing; there should be no continuity.
6. Inspect the sensor harness for melted insulation or pinched spots and reseat the connector firmly. Replace the sensor if it reads low or shorted, using the part number for your model.
7. Restore power and run a bake cycle. If the sensor and wiring test good and F3 E1 keeps returning, the oven control is the next suspect.

Parts that commonly fix it

Always match the part number to your exact model.

Related codes

• F11 Frigidaire Oven F11
• F2 GE Oven F2
• F97 GE Oven F97
• F9 LG Oven F9
• C-F2 Samsung Oven C-F2
• SE Samsung Oven SE

All KitchenAid codes →

Sources

1. KitchenAid Product Help: F3 E1 - Error Code - Range (oven temperature sensor, control or wiring; one-minute breaker reset)
2. KitchenAid Product Help: F3 E1 - Wall Oven (lower oven temperature sensor, control or wiring)
3. Whirlpool Corporation tech sheet 8302066 (F3 E1 temperature sensor shorted, about 825 ohms; 1,080 ohms at 70°F; connector corrosion; double-oven display)
4. Whirlpool Corporation tech sheet 8053296 (F3 E1 shorted sensor; 1,000 ohms at 32°F to 2,697 ohms at 900°F; check connector to casing; via AppliancePartsPros forum)
5. KitchenAid tech sheet W11393917 Rev B (newer control: F3E0 main sensor open or shorted; sensor 1,000-1,200 ohms at room temperature)