Stove Top Works But Not Oven: Diagnosis and Repair Guide

Quick Answer

If the stove top works but the oven doesn't, the most common culprit is a burnt-out bake element in electric models or a failed igniter in gas units. First, check your household circuit breaker to ensure one leg of the 240V power hasn't tripped, as burners can sometimes work on partial power while the oven fails.

I've seen this exact scenario probably three or four times a week at busy points in my career. It looks bad but it's almost never a reason to buy a new range. Usually it's just one component that finally gave up after years of heat cycles, and these parts are cheap. Ignore it too long though and you can stress the control board, which costs a lot more to fix. Get on it.

GenericOvenSeverity: highDifficulty: intermediate90% DIY Success

Time to Fix

30–90 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Parts Cost

$15 – $85

Tools Needed

Phillips #2 screwdriver, 1/4 inch nut driver

What Does the STOVE-WORKS-NO-OVEN Code Mean?

OK so here's the deal. Since your burners are still working, the main power cord and most of the wiring is basically fine. You're chasing a failure somewhere specific in the oven's own circuit, whether that's a burned-out element, a weak igniter, a blown thermal fuse, or a dead relay on the control board. Most of these parts run $20 to $100 and you can usually figure out which one in about 20 minutes with a multimeter.

Most Likely Causes

Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:

Bake element failure (Electric)35%

Oven igniter failure (Gas)35%

Thermal fuse or high-limit thermostat15%

Control board relay failure10%

Partial house breaker trip5%

Symptoms You May Notice

Your surface burners light and heat up totally normally, like nothing's even wrong with the range.
The oven display, clock, and interior light all work fine, but after 20 minutes of preheating the inside is stone cold.
The broil element at the top glows red and works fine, but the bake element at the bottom just sits there cold and dark (or the other way around).
You can smell gas near the oven when you turn it on, maybe hear the igniter clicking away, but there's never an actual flame.
The oven does eventually heat up but it takes 45 to 60 minutes to reach 350F when it used to take 15.

Can you reset a Generic oven to clear the STOVE-WORKS-NO-OVEN code?

For most ranges, you can perform a soft reset by unplugging the unit or flipping the circuit breaker for 10 minutes. This allows the control board capacitors to discharge. If a safety thermostat tripped due to a temporary overheat, it may need to be manually reset by pressing a small red button on the back of the component, though most are single-use and must be replaced.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

Phillips #2 screwdriver1/4 inch nut driverDigital multimeter with continuity functionWork glovesNeedle-nose pliersFlashlight or headlamp

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

ComponentComponent Under Test

Expected Range0–1000 ohms

ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.

Replacement Parts

If your diagnostic testing proves the component has failed, you will need a replacement. We recommend OEM parts over aftermarket for water-handling components.

Part Name	OEM Number	Estimated Price
Oven Bake ElementCH44K10005 · $25–$65	CH44K10005	$25 – $65
Flat Style Gas Igniter700548 · $30–$85	700548	$30 – $85
Oven Thermal FuseWP3196548 · $15–$40	WP3196548	$15 – $40

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my stove top work but my oven doesn't heat up?

It's almost always because the oven and the stovetop use completely separate components. On electric ranges, the burners and the oven elements are independent circuits, so one can die while the other keeps working fine. On gas ranges, the surface burners use their own spark ignition system that's totally separate from the oven's glow-bar igniter. So when the oven igniter dies, the burners don't even notice. Start by checking your breaker first, then look at the bake element or igniter depending on which type of range you have.

Can a tripped breaker cause only the oven to stop working?

Yes, and this trips people up constantly. Electric ranges need 240 volts, supplied by two 120V lines running into a double-pole breaker. Sometimes one side of that breaker trips while the other stays on. You end up with only 120V, which is enough to power the clock, the display, and even some burners, but not enough for the oven elements to heat up. Before you do anything else, go flip your range breaker fully off and back on. I've replaced bake elements before only to find out later the breaker was the actual problem the whole time.

How do I know if my oven igniter is bad?

Watch it glow when you turn the oven on. A good igniter gets bright orange, almost white, within about 60 seconds. If it glows but stays kind of dim and no flame appears after 90 seconds, it's weak. It's not fully dead, it's just not pulling enough current to open the gas safety valve. That's honestly the most common igniter failure mode and a lot of people don't know about it. If it doesn't glow at all, it's completely dead. Either way, replacement igniters usually run $30 to $70 and they're not a hard swap.

Is it worth fixing an oven that won't heat?

Almost always yes. A bake element runs $20 to $60. An igniter is $30 to $70. Even a control board, the most expensive fix here, is usually $80 to $200, and that's still a fraction of what a new range costs. New mid-range ovens start around $700 to $800. The only time I'd tell someone to skip the repair is if the range is 15 plus years old and this is the second or third major thing to go in a short period. One repair on a 7 year old range? Just fix it.

My broil works fine but the bake element won't heat. Are they different parts?

Yeah, totally different components. The bake element sits on the oven floor and the broil element is up at the top, and they each have their own circuit even though they share the control board. It's actually pretty common for one to fail while the other keeps working. If your broil is running fine but your bake isn't, you're almost certainly looking at a dead bake element. Sometimes you can see exactly where it failed, a small split in the coil or a burn mark underneath it on the oven floor. Bake elements typically run $20 to $60 depending on your brand and model.

Related Generic Oven Error Codes

Code: NO-HEATOven Not Heating: Troubleshooting Guide

Same Fix on Other Brands

Ge ovenF2: GE Oven F2 Code: Over Temperature Condition

Models Known to Experience STOVE-WORKS-NO-OVEN Errors

This repair applies to most Generic ovens with this error code. Common model numbers include:

JBS60DKWW, WFE515S0ES, LRE3061ST, FFEF3054TS, MER8800FZ

Written by

Mike Sullivan

Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 20 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on May 20, 2024