On the covered Kenmore 790 model manual-cleaning and 790 model self-cleaning range, F3 means Kenmore's service table lists this code as: oven temperature sensor failure. With the range off and cool, look at the probe at the back wall of the cavity: it should stand clear of the wall and the rack supports.
Differential
Likely causes of “Kenmore 790 model manual-cleaning and 790 model self-cleaning range code F3”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The oven temperature sensor probe is bent or touching the oven wall
What separates it F3 appears and the oven overshoots, undershoots or stops heating
How to confirm With the range off and cool, look at the probe at the back wall of the cavity: it should stand clear of the wall and the rack supports
- 2
A sensor whose resistance is far from the expected value
What separates it The reading at room temperature is far from about 1,080 ohms
How to confirm Measure the sensor directly with a multimeter, with the range unplugged
- 3
A wire harness that is chafed or has a corroded plug
What separates it The sensor measures well at the sensor but not at the control board
How to confirm Compare the reading at the sensor with the reading at the board
- 4
Heat damage to the connector behind the oven
What separates it The connector shows brown or blistered plastic
How to confirm Replace the connector or the harness
- 5
A control board that cannot read a good sensor
What separates it The circuit reads correctly and F3 stays
How to confirm The electronic oven control board is replaced last
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- That the display reads F3 and that it appeared on the 790 range's oven control
- Whether the oven heats unevenly, overshoots or will not heat
- The resistance measured at the sensor and at the control board, if you took both
- The model number from the frame behind the oven door
Try in this order
0 of 10 completedCorrect only the documented fault domain
ReversibleUnplug the range and check the resistance through the oven temperature sensor from the electronic oven control board using a multimeter. Your meter should measure around 1,080 ohms of resistance through the oven temperature sensor circuit at room temperature. If resistance is off by more than 200 ohms, check oven temperature sensor resistance directly at the sensor. Replace the oven temperature sensor if resistance is off by more than 200 ohms. If resistance measured directly at the sensor is okay, then replace the wire harness because a damaged oven temperature sensor wire harness caused the control board to detect the incorrect resistance through the sensor.
If the meter measured correct resistance through the sensor wires that connect to the control board, replace the electronic oven control board because it isn't detecting oven temperature sensor resistance accurately. Parts named: oven temperature sensor, oven electronic control board, wire harness.
Measure the circuit at the board, with the range unplugged
ReversibleA meter across the sensor circuit at the oven control board should show about 1,080 ohms in a cool kitchen. A reading more than 200 ohms away is a fault worth chasing.
Go to the sensor itself if the circuit is off
ReversibleMeasure at the sensor's own connector. The sensor is replaced if that reading is more than 200 ohms away; if it is fine, the harness is the culprit.
Replace the board only when the circuit reads correctly
ReversibleA good circuit reading with F3 still showing means the control board is not seeing the sensor accurately, which is the last part the chart names.
Let the oven cool and unplug the range
ReversibleThe sensor sits in the hot cavity, and the circuit carries mains voltage, so wait until the oven is cold and the plug is out before you touch anything.
Look at the probe inside the oven
ReversibleThe probe is a thin metal rod near the top rear of the cavity. Make sure that it stands clear of the wall and that its tip is not bent or coated with baked-on residue.
Measure the sensor at its own connector
ReversibleSet a multimeter to ohms and measure across the sensor's two wires at its connector. At room temperature the reading should be about 1,080 ohms, and more than 200 ohms away from that is a fault.
Compare with the reading at the control board
ReversibleMeasure the same circuit at the control board. A good reading at the sensor and a wrong one at the board points to the harness, and a wrong reading at both points to the sensor.
Replace the part that fails
ReversibleReplace the sensor if it is off by more than 200 ohms, the harness if the reading differs between the sensor and the board, and the control board only if the circuit reads correctly and F3 stays.
Check the oven against a thermometer
ReversibleAfter the repair, bake at 350 degrees with an oven thermometer on the middle rack to confirm that the temperature is right.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- How the sensor reads temperature
- The oven sensor is a small resistance thermometer. Its resistance climbs steadily as the oven warms, from about 1,080 ohms at room temperature to roughly 1,600 ohms or more at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The control turns that resistance into a temperature, so a sensor that reads high or low makes the oven run cool or hot, and a sensor that is open or shorted sets F3.
- Where to look first
- The probe is mounted high on the rear wall of the cavity. A probe that has been knocked by a pan, bent by a cleaning cloth or blackened by a spill gives a wrong reading, and straightening or cleaning it gently sometimes fixes the code without a part.
- Why a thermometer helps
- An oven thermometer on the middle rack shows the real temperature. If it agrees with the display, the sensor is fine and F3 was a wiring or board problem. If it differs by tens of degrees, the sensor is the first part to replace.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Pull the range clear of the wall only as far as you must, and unplug it before any meter work
- !A range whose oven temperature cannot be trusted should not be used for baking
- !Do not bake on a range whose sensor reading is wrong, because the control cannot hold the temperature
- !Ask a technician to measure the sensor circuit if you have no multimeter
- !Keep the range unplugged while the sensor is handled
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. The 1,080 ohm reading and the 200 ohm tolerance are chart text for the range.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does F3 mean on a Kenmore 790 model manual-cleaning and 790 model self-cleaning range?+
Kenmore's service table lists this code as: oven temperature sensor failure.
What should the range's sensor circuit measure?+
Around 1,080 ohms at room temperature, with 200 ohms of tolerance.
What should the sensor read?+
About 1,080 ohms at room temperature, and the table treats a reading more than 200 ohms away as a fault.
Why does the resistance change with the heat?+
The sensor is a resistance thermometer, so its resistance rises as the oven gets hotter, which is how the control reads the temperature.
Can I replace the sensor myself?+
With the range unplugged and a multimeter, many owners do, since it is a plug-in part.
Is the control board often at fault?+
Rarely; the sensor or the harness is the likelier cause, so test them first.