GE Oven F38 Error Code Fix (Straightforward Guide)

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What This Error Means

F38 on a GE oven almost always means a bad temperature-sensor circuit. The control board is seeing an oven sensor or probe reading that is out of range, shorted, or missing.

Real-world: the oven brain doesn’t trust the temperature reading, so it kills the heat and flashes F38 instead of letting the oven overheat or run blind.

GE reuses codes across models, but if your oven quits heating and throws F38 as soon as you try to bake, the temp sensor circuit is the prime suspect.

Official Fix

What the manual wants you to do:

  • Kill power first. Flip the oven breaker off for at least 1 minute. Turn it back on and try a bake cycle. If F38 was a one-time glitch, it may clear.
  • If F38 comes right back, inspect the oven temperature sensor. That’s the thin metal rod sticking into the oven cavity from the back wall (usually upper left or upper center).
  • Check for obvious damage. Look for a sensor that’s bent, broken, burned, or with insulation burned off the two wires. If it’s cooked, replace it.
  • Test the sensor with a meter. With power off, pull the range out or remove the wall oven, unplug the two sensor wires, and ohm the sensor. GE sensors are typically about 1050–1100 Ω at room temp (~70°F). Way higher, way lower, or open/zero = bad sensor.
  • Check the harness and connectors. If the sensor reads good, inspect the wiring from the sensor up to the control board for cuts, melted spots, and loose or corroded plugs. Fix or replace any damaged wiring.
  • Replace the oven temperature sensor if it tests bad or even slightly sketchy. It’s cheap and the first part GE techs usually swap.
  • If the sensor and wiring are good but F38 stays, the control board (ERC/clock) is next. The official line: replace the main control board.

If pulling the oven or using a meter sounds like too much, this is the point the manual basically says: stop and call a qualified tech.

The Technician’s Trick

This is the stuff that actually clears a lot of F38 calls without throwing parts at the wall.

  • Do a real hard reset.
    Kill power at the breaker for 10–15 minutes, not 30 seconds. This fully discharges some boards. Turn power back on and test bake. If F38 disappears and stays gone, you dodged it.
  • Reseat the sensor connection both ends.
    • Shut off power. Pull the range forward or pull the wall oven partially out.
    • At the back of the oven cavity, undo the two sensor wires at the connector (or from the harness, depending on model).
    • Up top, open the control panel area and find the same two sensor wires (often purple) on the control board connector.
    • Unplug and replug those connectors 3–4 times. You’re scraping oxidation off the pins. Make sure they feel snug going back in.
    • Turn power back on and try a bake cycle again.
  • If you have a meat probe jack, don’t ignore it.
    On some GE models, a shorted/dirty meat probe jack can also trigger F3x/F38-type codes.

    • With power off, clean the probe jack in the oven wall. Use a dry wooden toothpick or compressed air. No liquids.
    • If the oven thinks a probe is plugged in all the time, you can temporarily unplug the probe jack harness from the control board to test. If F38 goes away and the oven heats, the jack is the problem, not the main sensor.
  • When in doubt, shotgun the sensor first.
    On GE ovens, a weak sensor can only misbehave when hot and still test “okay” cold. If your wiring looks fine and you don’t have gear to test hot resistance, swapping the sensor is cheap insurance before you buy a new board.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Oven under ~10–12 years old, otherwise working fine, and the problem is just the temperature sensor or probe jack (usually a $20–$60 part and some labor).
  • ⚠️ Debatable: 10–15 years old and it needs a control board in the $150–$300 range, especially if you’ve already had other issues (keypad, elements, or door problems).
  • ❌ Replace: 15+ years old, control board is discontinued or costs close to half a new range, or you’ve also got big-ticket problems (cracked glass top, failing touch panel, or dead burners).

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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