GE Oven F8 Error Code Fix (Real-World Guide)

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What This Error Means

F8 on a GE oven usually means shorted meat probe circuit.

The control board thinks the food temperature probe is shorted or reading crazy-hot all the time, so it locks out cooking and throws the code.

On most GE models, that comes down to a bad meat probe, a wet/greasy probe jack, damaged wiring, or a failing control board.

Official Fix

What the manual wants you to do, step by step:

  • Hit Cancel/Clear. Let the oven cool if it was running.
  • Kill power at the breaker or unplug for at least 1 minute, then turn it back on.
    • If F8 is gone and the oven runs, you probably had a glitch. If it comes back, keep going.
  • If you have a meat probe plugged in:
    • Pull the probe out of the jack.
    • Wipe the metal tip and the plug clean and dry. No water, just a dry cloth.
    • Try baking again with no probe installed.
    • If F8 only appears when the probe is plugged in, the book answer is: replace the meat probe.
  • If F8 shows even with no probe connected:
    • Open the oven door and look at the probe jack (little socket where the probe goes).
    • Check for grease, burnt plastic, or signs of a spill into the jack.
    • Carefully clean around it with a dry cloth or cotton swab. Do not spray cleaner or water into it.
  • Power-cycle again at the breaker for 1 minute, restore power, and test.
  • If F8 is still there, the official line is:
    • Inspect the probe wiring harness from the jack to the control board for cuts, burns, or loose connections.
    • Replace the probe jack and harness if there is any damage.
    • If the harness and jack look fine, replace the electronic control board (ERC).
    • If you are not used to working around 240V, the manual says: call a qualified service technician.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s how a real tech often deals with a stubborn F8, especially if you never use the meat probe.

  • Shut it down hard:
    • Turn off the range breaker. Verify the display is dead. Don’t trust just the control buttons.
  • Bypass the probe circuit (common pro move if you don’t care about the probe):
    • Slide the range out just enough to get behind it. Don’t yank the gas or power lines.
    • Remove the rear metal cover to expose the control board.
    • Find the two-wire harness coming from the meat-probe jack. On the board it’s usually a small 2-pin plug labeled something like PROBE or similar.
    • Unplug that 2-pin connector from the control board. Leave the other end (going to the jack) alone.
    • Tape the loose connector so the pins can’t touch metal.
    • Reinstall the rear cover, push the range back, restore power, and test a bake cycle.
    • If F8 is gone and it heats normally, the board is fine and the probe circuit was the liar. You just permanently disabled the meat-probe function, which most people never use anyway.
  • Dry out a wet jack (after spills):
    • With power off and the oven cool, aim dry compressed air into the probe jack, or use a hair dryer on low heat for a few minutes.
    • Let it sit 30–60 minutes to fully dry, then power back up and test.
  • Wiggle test:
    • If F8 pops up or clears when you gently wiggle the probe in the jack, the jack is loose or burnt inside.
    • Tech answer: stop guessing, replace the jack and harness. It’s cheaper than a control board and often fixes it for good.

If you are not 100% sure what you’re unplugging, stop. Guessing around 240V is how people get lit up.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under ~10–12 years old, no other issues, and it only needs a meat probe or probe jack (roughly $30–$120 in parts).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: F8 plus other problems (dim display, bad temps) or you’re looking at a $200–$400 control board on a mid-range unit.
  • ❌ Replace: Oven is 15+ years old, rusty or beat up, and repair quotes are more than half the price of a similar new range.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Working through other appliance error codes too? These guides might help: