GE Oven F23 Error Code Fix (Cooling Fan Fault)

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What This Error Means

F23 means: Cooling fan circuit fault.

The control board isn’t happy with the oven’s cooling/blower fan speed or signal, so it shuts things down to avoid overheating.

Official Fix

What GE’s playbook wants you to do:

  • Kill the power first.
    Go to the breaker, shut the oven off for at least 1 minute. Turn it back on and try Bake at 350°F. If F23 pops right back up once it starts heating, you’ve got a real hardware fault.
  • Pull the oven out where you can work.
    • Freestanding / slide-in range: Unplug or kill breaker. Slide it out carefully.
    • Wall oven: Kill breaker, remove trim screws, slide it out onto something solid.
  • Remove the rear cover.
    Take off the back panel (sheet metal) to expose the cooling/blower fan and wiring. Keep screws somewhere safe.
  • Inspect the cooling fan assembly.
    • Look for baked dust, grease, mouse nest, foil, anything jamming the blades.
    • Check for melted plastic, burnt smell, or discoloration on the fan and nearby wiring.
    • Gently spin the fan blade by hand. It should move freely and coast a bit. If it’s stiff, gritty, or seized, the motor is done.
  • Check the fan wiring harness.
    • Follow the wires from the fan to the main control board.
    • Look for burnt, loose, or broken connectors.
    • Push all connectors firmly onto the board and fan. No half‑seated plugs.
  • Ohm test the fan motor. (Breaker OFF. Meter required.)
    • Unplug the fan connector.
    • Set multimeter to resistance (Ω).
    • Measure across the two fan motor pins.
    • Reading should be some resistance (often tens to a couple hundred ohms). Infinite (OL) or dead short means bad motor.
  • Replace bad parts in order.
    • If fan is noisy, seized, or fails the ohm test → replace the cooling fan motor.
    • If wiring is cooked or brittle → repair/replace the harness and any burnt connectors.
    • If fan and wiring test fine but F23 keeps coming back → replace the main control/clock board (it’s the one the fan plugs into).
  • Reassemble and test.
    Put the back panel on, push the oven back in, restore power. Run Bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes. If no F23 and fan runs smoothly, you’re done.

If you’re not comfortable working live power for voltage tests, stop at the resistance checks and call a pro. This circuit ties straight into mains.

The Technician’s Trick

When a real tech sees F23, half the time it’s not “dead fan,” it’s “fan is choked with crud and sticking.” Here’s the insider move that sometimes buys you a lot more life:

  • Deep clean and free the fan instead of immediately replacing it.
    • Power OFF at the breaker. Back panel off.
    • Hold the fan blade and blast the motor and housing with compressed air or a strong vacuum. Get the dust cake off the windings and shroud.
    • Check both sides of the fan housing; junk loves to hide on the inner side.
  • Free up a sticky shaft. (Only if it feels stiff, not burned.)
    • Put one tiny drop of high-temp‑rated oil on the shaft right where it enters the bushing. No WD‑40 showers.
    • Spin the blade by hand for a solid minute to work it in until it spins freely and coasts.
    • Too much play or grinding noise? Don’t bother. Replace the motor.
  • Test it with a nudge.
    • Reattach the fan plug. Leave the back panel off but keep everything clear.
    • Restore power. Start Bake and wait for when the fan should kick on.
    • If it just hums and a light tap or spin with a wooden stick makes it take off and run strong, the motor is weak but usable for a while. That’s your “limp along” mode while you order parts.

Bottom line: this trick can clear F23 and keep you cooking, but if the fan needed a shove to start, plan on replacing that motor. It will come back.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under ~10 years old, cabinet in good shape, and it just needs a cooling fan motor or sensor (usually well under the cost of a new range).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: 10–15 years old, fan plus control board both look suspect, or you have to pay labor for pulling a heavy wall oven twice.
  • ❌ Replace: Over 15 years old, rusted or beat-up oven, or F23 is just one of several errors (dead display, bad burners, door issues) stacking up.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Chasing other appliance error codes around the house? These guides might save you another service call: