GE Oven F32 Error Code Fix Guide

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What This Error Means

On most GE ovens and ranges, F32 = oven temperature sensor (RTD) circuit fault.

The control board is seeing a dead or crazy reading from the sensor, so it kills the heat and throws F32.

Result: the oven won't heat properly, may shut off mid-cycle, and F32 flashes on the display almost immediately when you try to bake.

Different GE models map F32 to upper/lower oven or specific sensor lines, but 99% of the time the problem is the temperature sensor, its connector, or the wiring to the board — not the heating elements.

Official Fix

Here's the factory playbook, stripped down to what matters:

  • Kill power first. Flip the range breaker off or unplug the cord. No testing live. Ever.
  • Do a simple reset. Leave it off for 1–2 minutes, then power back up and try Bake at 350°F.
    • If F32 comes back right away, you're past "glitch" territory. Move on.
  • Find the oven temperature sensor.
    • Inside the oven cavity, look at the back wall.
    • Skinny metal rod, usually top-center, held with two small screws. That's the sensor.
  • Pull the sensor forward.
    • Remove the two screws.
    • Gently pull the sensor into the oven until the wire and plug appear.
    • Do not yank; you're attached to a harness behind the liner.
  • Check and reseat the connector.
    • Unplug and plug the connector a few times.
    • Look for burnt plastic, green corrosion, or loose pins.
    • If it's obviously cooked or falling apart, you're already looking at a sensor/harness repair.
  • Meter the sensor (this is the big one).
    • With the sensor unplugged and at room temp, measure resistance across the two sensor pins.
    • Normal at ~70°F (21°C): around 1050–1100 Ω.
    • If it reads open (OL), 0 Ω, or way off (like <900 or >1200 Ω), the sensor is bad. Replace the sensor.
  • Check the wiring run to the control board.
    • Pull the range out from the wall and remove the rear cover panel.
    • Follow the sensor wires from the oven cavity to the main control board.
    • Unplug at the board, then meter each wire end-to-end for continuity.
    • Any open circuit, crazy-high resistance, or visibly burnt section = repair or replace the harness/connector.
  • Inspect and test the control board.
    • If the sensor ohms good and the harness is solid, the board is the last suspect.
    • Check the sensor connector on the board for burning, cracked solder joints, or melted spots.
    • Per GE service procedure: if wiring and sensor test good but F32 stays, replace the electronic oven control (EOC/clock/control board).
  • Reassemble and test.
    • Reinstall the sensor and rear cover.
    • Restore power and run Bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes.
    • No F32 and stable heat = you're done.

That's the official order: reset → sensor → harness → control board.

The Technician's Trick

What field techs actually do when F32 is being a pain:

  • Bypass the crispy connector. On a lot of GE units, the little plastic plug between the sensor and harness at the back of the oven cooks over time.
    • Kill power. Pull the range out and remove the rear panel.
    • Find the white (sometimes beige) two-wire sensor plug. If it's brown, warped, or crumbly, it's suspect.
    • Cut the plug out on both sides so you're down to clean copper on the sensor leads and harness leads.
    • Strip the four wire ends and join them color-to-color using high-temp ceramic wire nuts.
    • This hard-wires the sensor to the harness and removes the weak link that opens up when things get hot, which is a classic cause of intermittent F32.
  • Swap sensors on a double oven to prove the part.
    • If only the upper or lower cavity throws F32 and both sensors are the same part number, there's a shortcut.
    • Kill power and either swap the two sensors physically, or swap their connectors at the control board.
    • If the F32 code follows the sensor to the other cavity, you know it's the sensor. Cheap fix.
    • If the error stays on the same oven (upper or lower) even after swapping, it's wiring or the control board, not the sensor.

That's how pros nail the bad piece fast instead of shotgun-replacing everything.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under ~12–15 years old and the problem is just the sensor, a melted plug, or a simple harness repair (typically $25–$90 in parts, well under a new range).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Mid-age unit (10–15 years) that needs a control board in the $180–$350 range but everything else is solid and you like how it cooks.
  • ❌ Replace: 15+ years old, needs a control board and sensor/harness, or the board is no longer available — at that point, put the money into a new range.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

Dealing with other machines spitting out F-codes? These guides break them down the same way: