Frigidaire oven broiler won’t heat: How to troubleshoot

Does your oven have you boiled over with frustration? Don’t let it simmer your baking plans!

If your Frigidaire oven or range won’t heat in broil mode, several things could be causing the issue. A bad oven sensor, main control, heating element or wiring harness (though that one is less common) could all be potential culprits.

If you find out that any of these parts are the problem, we have all the replacements you need to swap them out at AppliancePartsPros.com. Just enter your model number in the search bar to see a list of Frigidaire range parts.

Let’s troubleshoot your range with a few basic tools and tips so you can get it roaring again.

Disclaimer: The troubleshooting information provided in this article is based on general service manuals and may not apply to your specific appliance model. While we strive to offer helpful advice for DIY appliance repairs, variations in models and configurations can lead to differences in troubleshooting steps, error codes and part replacements. For the most accurate guidance, we strongly recommend consulting the technical sheet for your specific appliance model.

What you need

• Multimeter
• 1/4-inch nut driver

Safety tips

• Always power off and unplug your appliance or switch off the circuit breaker before you attempt any maintenance or replacement work. This keeps you safe by preventing any risk of electric shock.
• If the appliance has recently been used, give it plenty of time to cool down before working on it.
• Take your time while working to prevent accidents and personal injuries. Rushing is the enemy of precision.
• Work in a well-lit area so you can clearly see and access appliance parts.
• Keep your workspace free of clutter and other obstacles. Keep children and pets away from the work area.
• Never work on internal parts with wet hands. Make sure the work area is completely dry.
• Check the user manual to see if there are specific installation or safety instructions related to your appliance or replacement part.
• Be gentle when handling or removing parts. Excessive force might damage the appliance or cause personal injury.
• Wear insulated work gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal parts and debris.
• When working with wires, avoid touching any exposed wires or terminals. If you need to touch a wire, use a non-conductive tool or wear insulating gloves to prevent electrical shock.
• Don’t test live voltage with a multimeter if you’re unfamiliar with how to prevent short-circuiting.
• Consider wearing safety glasses and/or a dust mask when working with chemicals, dust or a large amount of debris to prevent irritation or injury.

Troubleshooting steps

Step 1 – Remove the covers

1. Turn off the range and unplug it from the power outlet.
2. Remove the terminal block cover.
3. Take a second to make sure there isn’t a stray bare wire touching any metal.
4. Remove the back oven and back console covers by removing the 1/4-inch screws along the sides of each cover. Set the covers to the side.

Step 2 – Test voltage at the terminal block

LIVE VOLTAGE WARNING: For this test, the range needs to be plugged in and powered on. Please be very careful to protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

At the terminal block where the power cord connects to the range, you’re going to test for 240 volts AC:

1. Plug the range in and turn it on.
2. Set your multimeter to VAC, which has a symbol that looks like a V with a squiggly line.
3. Place the meter probes on the black wire and the red wire posts.

If you don’t get 240 volts here, unplug the power cord from the outlet and test it for continuity.

If you do get 240 volts, move on to the next step to test at the main control.

Step 3 – Test at the main control

LIVE VOLTAGE WARNING: For this test, the range needs to be plugged in and powered on. Please be very careful to protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

1. Plug the range in and turn it on.
2. Set the multimeter to volts AC
3. Place the meter probes at the L1 and the L2 IN terminal wires. You should get a reading of 240 volts AC.

If the voltage is good, the next step is to test from the BRL (broil) terminal to the L2 out terminal after you start a broil cycle. If you get 240 volts AC when testing from terminal BRL to terminal L2 Out, that means the control is sending out the right voltage and you’ll need to do more testing. Proceed to step 4.

If you don’t get 240 volts AC when testing from terminal L1 to terminal L2 IN, but the cooktop is working correctly, then the wire harness has failed.

If there’s no voltage from terminal L2 out to BRL, test the oven sensor to find out if the sensor or the control has failed. Proceed to step 6 to do this.

If you get 240 volts AC at the main control from L2 out to the BRL (broil) terminal, then find the broil element so you can test the terminals there. Proceed to step 4.

Step 4 – Test the broil element

LIVE VOLTAGE WARNING: For this test, the range needs to be plugged in and powered on. Please be very careful to protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

1. Make sure the range is plugged in and turned on.
2. Set your multimeter to Volts AC. You need to test the broil element for 240 Volts AC when the oven is set to broil.
3. When you’re looking at the back of the oven, find the broil element terminals at the top.
4. Touch the meter leads to the terminals and check the meter reading.

If there isn’t any voltage present at this point but there was voltage at the control, it means there’s a break in the wire harness, which needs to be replaced.

If you get 240 Volts AC at the element but it doesn’t heat, that means the element has failed and needs to be replaced.

If you’re not comfortable testing the element for voltage, you can test its resistance. Here’s how to do it:

1. Turn the range off and unplug it.
2. Access the broil element terminals.
3. Set the multimeter to ohms, which has the omega symbol Ω.
4. Place the meter probes on each terminal. The broil element should measure around 19 ohms.

If you get a lot less than 19 ohms, that means the element has failed and needs to be replaced.

Step 5 – Test the wire harness

Inspect the wires for any damage. If any of them are damaged, you’ll need to replace them.

If the wires look good, you can check for continuity from the wire going from the main control to the wire at the element. Here’s how:

1. Make sure the range is off and unplugged.
2. Set your multimeter to the continuity setting.
3. Test for continuity from the wire at terminal BRL (broil) to the same wire at the broil element. Do the same from the wire at the terminal L2 OUT to the same wire end on the broil element. Both wires should have continuity if they’re good.

If you don’t get continuity here, you’ll need to replace the wire harness.

Step 6 – Test the oven sensor

If the main control showed 0 volts AC when you tested it from L2 out to the BRL (broil) terminal, you’ll need to find the oven sensor.

1. Make sure the range is turned off and unplugged.
2. Open the oven.
3. When you’re looking at the back of the oven, you should be able to find the sensor in the right-hand corner of the oven section.
4. Disconnect the plastic connector.
5. Set your multimeter to the resistance setting (ohms).
6. Touch the meter probes to the sensor and check the meter reading.

The sensor should measure between 1080 to 1100 ohms at room temperature. If it doesn’t measure within this range, it’s bad and needs to be replaced.

If the sensor is good, that means the main control is the most likely culprit.

More information

Thank you for reading! We hope this guide helped you get your Frigidaire range working again.

If you have any other appliance repair needs or projects, don’t hesitate to explore our other troubleshooting guides and videos.

If you need replacement parts or some extra help with ordering them, grab your model number and head over to AppliancePartsPros.com, where you can chat with a pro, read our DIY blog and more. We can also help you troubleshoot common range problems here.

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