Kenmore Electric Range with a Code F11 How to clear this code

SOURCE: Error code F3 on Kenmore 911.4658815 electric range

INGLIS Royal 100 STOVE F1 F2 F3 ERRORS
Mode lUP 48500 ( thats eye you, not ONE U )

I got the dreaded F3 error on the Display Panel,
every time I pressed BAKE or BROIL, BUT, I could
hear the three relays click in, and then kick out in
sequence, just before the F3 appeared.

I called Westinghouse ( that services INGLIS ) and
was told that F3 " means unpug for 1/2 hour and then
press CLEAR 5 Seconds to reset ". Which is nonsense.

All functions on the clock and timer work fine, and the
three relays were working, so its not a computer problem.
I called service REPAIR companies who said it was the
THERMOSTAT, and replace it - $147.99 ... The Glass tube
of the display is $200 with no circuit board, the relay board
is $300 and the computer/display is $400.

I did tests on the thermostat, first heating it with a propane
lighter, and it raised from 475 Ohms at room temperature,
to 600 ohms, so I knew it was functioning.

Then, I plugged in a variable resistor where the thermostat
plugs in. I went from Zero Ohms resistance to 5000 Ohms in
200 Ohms steps.

Zero Ohms ( equal to burnt out or unplugged) gives you
an immediate F1, which you cannot clear.
From 100 Ohms to 400 Ohms, you get Error F2, which
means thermostat too low.
From 400 Ohms to 665 Ohms there is no error.
At 665 Ohms, the BAKE will beep twice, stating that you
are setting the temperature at or lower than the actual temperature
of the oven ( you cant set the oven at 200, for example, if it is
already at 450 Degrees )
Using this 2 Beep code, I raised and lowered the resistance
and made a graph of the reading on the display versus the
OHMS that the thermostat would send to the controller:
665 Ohms = 170 Degrees Farenheit, which is the
lowest reading in the BAKE MODE.
800 Ohms = 240 Degrees
1100 Ohms = 380 Degrees
1400 Ohms = 500 Degrees, which iis the maximum that
the unit showed in the BAKE MODE.
1430 Ohms to 2750 Ohms, there was no reading, an NO ERRORS.
ABOVE 2750 OHMS, the F1 ERROR appeared again, meaning
thermostat out of range.

Note that the computer module supplies 5 volts DC to the thermostat,
to see the changes in current with changing resistance.
You can easily check the thermostat to see if it is OK, with an
Ohmeter across the thermostat, which should read about 475 Ohms
at room temperature. If it reads Zero, it is burnt out. If it reads
over 2750, it is defective. Check to see if the thermistor in the
tube is SHORTED to the steel outter case as well, as this should be
infinite ohms ( no contact )- if it reads ZERO it is shorted to case.

I found that on the Internet, there are hundreds of people looking for
the F3 code for the ROYAL 100 ( model number IUP 48500 )
and a general search shows that for 400 " other" models of all kinds,
F3 = REPLACE THERMOSTAT ! Not on this model, and all typical searches
for technical support or diagrams or troubleshooting did not even list
the Royal 100 AT ALL, as if it never existed.

I then did tests on the relay board, and replaced the capacitors, a few diodes,
some resistors that were a bit out of value, and two transistors that were
a bit out of value. There was no change in F3.

I cleaned the contacts on the three relays using a typical board fingernail
file that ladies use for their finger nails ( I keep a supply for cleaning
relay contacts, since there is sandpaper on both sides, and they are
tiny enough to fit between most contacts ). THEN, I realized that the BROIL
contacts were bouncing apart - they were too far apart, and not closing
properly, so I bent the stationary contact a bit closer, and plugged in the
stove = NO ERRORS..

I analysed the circuit, and after turning on the 3 relays ( NOTE, when you
turn on BAKE, as in a regular oven, THE BROIL ELEMENT goes on at first
to quickly help the BAKE element get the oven up to temperature )
there is a feedback circuit that feeds 250 Volts back into the 5 Volt computer
chip ( ! ! ! ) It uses two 22 Meg Ohm resistors in series for a total of 44 Million
Ohms, which shows about 46 volts accross the resistors. Since the gas
tube display uses 30 volts to light up, the 46 volts is within the computer
board's ability to lower it enough to feed into the computer. There are transisors
on the back of the control board and Zener diodes etc. to " compare " the
voltage, where 46 volts in = 250, and Zero volts, means that the element
is burnt out, the element fuse in the fuse panel is burnt out, or, the relay
contacts are dirty. The relays are absolutely standard 24 volt relays,
with a plasic cover that snaps off if you pull and wiggle it. You will see
the round silver contact pads are blackened and probaly pitted.
Sand these flat until silver/brass shiny, and test to make certain that
when you press the metal lever that the magnetic coil pulls DOWN,
that the contacts touch! If they do not touch tight, bend the
stationary contact in a tiny bit and test again.

You can first check the fuses - there are two 120 volt fuses in the
fuse panel that give you 250. Then, you can unplug the stove,
and use an OHM meter to see if the element is burnt. The two types
of elements I checked were 3000 Watt at 18.7 Ohms, and 2500 Watt,
at 48 Ohms. If the elements are burnt out, you will get ZERO ohms.
If the element is burnt internally through the insulation in the tube,
and shorting to ground, between the ends and the steel back of the
stove ( ground) you will get a reading of X amount of ohms ( which
normally should be ZERO ) If the element is burnt or shorted to
ground, replace.

The F3 error is a really dumb mechanical errror of whether the 250 volts
is on the elements. It does not involve the computer or the thermostat,
or the relay " electronics" at all - it is just simply 3 contacts that supply
250 Volts, and whether or not the contacts work, the elements work,
or the fuses work. This the same 250 Volts that is on an ordinary
dial stove, and the dumbest part of the whole unit.

When I called service, they said they would order the $147.95 temperature
thermostat, and " see if this fixes the problem", if not they would start
replacing the modules - $300 and $400, plus labour, plus tax etc., and
since the problem was on the module, this would cost $147.95 + $300,
plus $75.00 for the first 15 minutes, and $15 for each additional 15 minutes,
for a total of about $466 dollars ( CDN ) which is about $460 dollars US.

A package of 25 fingernail files is $1.00 at the dollar store. That is all that
it cost to fix the problem. You need a square ( Robertson ) head screwdriver
to remove the 7 screws on the back panel, and then you wiggle the
covers off the relays, and clean them. It takes 10 minutes.

good luck ! Damned the manufacturers for not putting this information
in the user manual.

Robin Graves, January 2008, kidbots.com

SOURCE: Beep alarm goes on and shows code F3

Your oven temperature sensor has shorted out. It must be replaced. part number WB21X5301

SOURCE: Kenmore electric Range 2005

we are baking at 350 and we just received an F30 error and the oven shut off. can you tell me what this means

SOURCE: Kenmore gas range beeps and displays code E1-F2

I'm not sure if the error codes are the same for gas ranges as they are for electric, but this is the solution for that same error code with the electric version. you might give it a try with yours and see if it works the same for gas as well (I would assume the electronics are similar between the two).
you probably don't need to replace any parts to solve this problem. E1 -F2- = the keytail (connector ribbon) that plugs into the control board is not making good contact. first unplug your range and then remove the two screws on the underside of the back-splash controls panel to access the back of the control board. now simply cut a slip of heavy paper such as a business card to the width of the ribbon and slide it into the slot along with the ribbon connector. that will help press the contacts on the other side together snuggly. screw the back-splash back in place, plug in your range, and the problem might vanish. if the error code returns, try pulling out the connector, cleaning the contacts with a pencil eraser, reinserting it into the slot and repeat above with the paper.
the paper trick worked for me for about two weeks, then the problem happened again. the next fix I tried was to unplug the keytail (the ribbon connector) from the slot on the control panel. there is a clip in each side of the black plastic receptacle (the place where the keytail plugs in on the electronics control board). pres them inward to separate the top portion of the receptacle, which I think helps to clamp the keytail into the bottom portion. the top and bottom fit tightly together, so you might need to use a small screwdriver at the joint to pry them apart, however, I did not find it necessary to remove that clamp in order to remove or replace the keytail on mine.
smoke and other sticky cooking fumes cling to the contact wires on the keytail and the pins in the receptacle (as well as other surfaces) and that buildup interferes with the electrical connection they need to make. once the keytail is free, clean it well with a mild cleanser (I used a slightly soapy, damp dish sponge) and dry it with a clean paper towel. FYI, one side of the keytail has the exposed wires which make contact with pins in the receptacle on the control board. the exposed side is on the inside surface of the curled keytail ribbon, the outside surface is translucent plastic insulation (you can feel that the outside is smoother than the inside because the inside has the contact wires exposed). the inside is the side you want to make sure is clean because those are the wires that need to make electrical contact with the pins in the receptacle.
next, use sharp scissors to carefully trim a small uniform strip (roughly 1/16 of an inch or less) off the end of the keytail. then plug it in again (remembering to use the top portion of the receptacle to secure it in if you had removed it). doing this provides a fresh spot on the exposed wires to make contact with the pins in the receptacle. my theory is that over time the wires wear out at the points where they make contact with the pins. trimming the edge allows you to insert the keytail deeper into the receptacle and therefore, the pins will contact the wires in the keytail at a new, unworn spot. it's been over a week now and so far, it seems to have fixed the problem on my stove. if I get the error message again in the future, my next step will be to try paper trick again (at least as a temporary solution), but I doubt it will be necessary any time soon.
be sure to try all other solutions first before ordering any parts. I first changed the control board for $125 and there was no change. then I ordered the touchpad, but ended up fixing the problem before it arrived. I sent the touchpad part back to Sears Parts Direct after I figured out I didn't need it and they eventually refunded $15 less than I'd paid. of that difference, $13 and change was for shipping, so the other dollar plus must have been a miscalculation or a restocking charge or something, but I didn't bother following up to find out. I also had to pay about $3 to ship it back to them via USPS because I didn't hear the UPS guy when he dropped it off on the doorstep, so I wasn't able to simply refuse the delivery.
good luck with your repair.

SOURCE: I have a Kenmore Electric range model 46540 that's

Could be a bad touchpad or EOC. Disconnect power to the oven and remove the control panel. Disconnect the touch pad and turn the power back on. If it beeps replace the control board. If it does not beep replace the touch pad.