GE Oven F24 Error Code Fix (Door Lock Problem Explained)

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What This Error Means

F24 = door lock circuit error. On most GE wall ovens and ranges that means the control is not getting the right signal from the door latch, usually the lower oven on a double unit.

Translation: the control tried to lock or unlock the door (often for Self Clean), did not see the little lock switch change like it should, and shut the heat off for safety.

Official Fix

What GE expects you to do before you call in a tech:

  • Kill power reset. Turn the oven breaker off for one full minute, then back on. This reboots the control so it can retry the latch.
  • Check the door. Make sure the door is fully closed, no pan handle, foil, or rack sticking out and hitting the frame.
  • Listen for the lock motor. Start a normal Bake, not Self Clean. If you hear the lock motor click and move, then F24 pops up again, the control still is not seeing the lock switch feedback.
  • Avoid Self Clean. If F24 shows only when you try Self Clean, stop using that mode. Let the oven cool fully and try a simple Bake test.
  • Try the other cavity. On a double oven, test each oven by itself. If only the lower oven throws F24, GE’s book points to the lower lock assembly.
  • When it keeps coming back. The official line is: door lock assembly or control board has failed. Schedule service to have the bad part replaced.

The Technician’s Trick

What I actually do in a kitchen when a GE shows F24:

  • Kill the power, no shortcuts. Flip the range or wall oven breaker OFF. This is 240V. Do not work it live.
  • Get to the latch.
    • Slide a freestanding range out a foot or two.
    • On a wall oven, pull it straight out of the cabinet a few inches and pull the top or front trim so you can see the latch motor assembly at the top of the door opening.
  • Manually free the lock. If the door is stuck locked, move the latch arm by hand to the unlocked position. A dry, sticky latch is a classic F24 starter right after a hot Self Clean.
  • Check the tiny switches. There are one or two micro-switches on the latch. Their levers should click cleanly when the latch moves. If the lever is bent or not fully pressed, gently tweak it so it changes state cleanly.
  • Reseat connectors. Unplug and replug the latch motor harness and the plug going into the control board. Oxidized pins cause random F24 codes.
  • Quick meter test (if you have one). With the latch in “locked” and “unlocked” positions, ohm the lock switch. You want a clear open/closed change. No change means a bad switch or latch assembly.
  • Decide what dies first.
    • If the motor never even twitches but is getting power, replace the door latch assembly.
    • If the latch and switches test good but the board never sends power or misreads the switch, the control board is the culprit.
  • Temporary get-it-running move. If you just need the oven for dinner, leave the latch fully in the unlocked position, reassemble enough panels to be safe, power back up, and run on Bake only. Skip Self Clean until the latch is properly replaced.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under about 10 years old, only the latch assembly is bad, or F24 started right after a Self Clean; latch parts are usually far cheaper than a new oven.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: 10–15 year old mid-range unit that needs both latch and control board, or the oven already has other quirks; compare the quote to at least half the price of a similar new model.
  • ❌ Replace: Very old oven, rusted or damaged cavity, repeated self-clean damage, or a repair estimate that is close to the cost of a new unit with warranty.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Fighting other appliances or screens throwing F-codes at you? These cheat sheets might save you a service call: