[doncaruana]

Recently had a power outage and stove is acting weird now.

1) When you hit the 'bake' button, it starts at 175 (instead of 350) and can only be adjusted to 260 max (instead of 520). As I type this it occurs to me that the numbers are exactly half of what they should be.
2) If I hold the OFF key down for 5 seconds I get F7 E2 displayed. I know F7 is typically stuck key, but is it something else in this case (can't find that 4 digit code). Is this any known diagnostic?

I don't have a way to check the temperature for sure, so I don't know if this is actually having these temps or just reading them out wrong, but it does seem to cook okay if I do the math.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or does it sound simply like the main ($200) control panel?

Thanks,
Don

[PS Staff - Sheila]

It sound like the temperature is in Celsius.

There should be a button to change it back to Fahrenheit.

Check in your owners manual.

Here is a link to your range model sf385pegq5.

[doncaruana]

Thanks Sheila, but I've not been able to find anything that will switch celcius - fahrenheit. For some similar models, you can hold the 'custom broil' button down for 5 seconds and it will accomplish this. This doesn't work on my stove.

We have been cooking by 'doing the math' (just double the temp displayed) and it does seem to work okay that way...

Thanks,
Don

[PS Staff - Sheila]

I think that the reason that the clock will not change back is that there was damage done.

So the only way to fix it is to replace it or continue to use it the way you are.

[doncaruana]

Just a little feedback - I bought an oven thermometer and it is just doubled. I tested it across a broad range and it's not in celcius - it just displays half of the actual temperature.

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

You might have a bad oven sensor, just pull and replace.

[doncaruana]

Would a bad oven sensor limit what I could set from the control panel? Seems to me that if it was the sensor, I could set it to 350, etc but the temperature would be wrong. I can set it to half of my desired temperature and it works - but I can't go higher than half of what would normally be the limit (520 = 260). Am I not understanding something properly?

Thanks,
Don

[PS Staff - Sheila]

If you have an ohm meter you can test the sensor.

Remove the sensor and measure the resistance it should be 1100 ohms at room temperature. About 75 degrees.

As the temperature goes up so does the resistance.

If you do the conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius it is just about half.

To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.

• Begin by multiplying the Celsius temperature by 9.
• Divide the answer by 5.
• Now add 32.

To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Begin by subtracting 32 from the Fahrenheit number.
Divide the answer by 9.
Then multiply that answer by 5.

[doncaruana]

As far as the celcius/fahrenheit thing, that's why I tested it over a range of temperatures. At 175c, you get315f - at 260c, you get 468f. But that's not the numbers I got. At 260 on my display, I got right around 520 degrees (via thermometer). At 175, I got right aroun 350f on the thermometer. I tested at the extreme temperature to make sure that there was a big enough difference between celcius and doubling the temp.--edited: You know - thanks for the reminder. After I initially typed, this, it occurred that I had forgotten the 32 degrees. It's so close it may very well be celcius. I'll test again at the high end and see what I end up with...

I might give the oven sensor a try if I can get to it to test the resistance. Certainly cheaper than a new control panel, although I still don't understand how that would work. If it was just displaying celcius, then the sensor isn't really broke. If it is broke (and it's not celcius), why would the control panel only allow me to set the temperature to a max of 260 and start at 175 (half of normal)? And, for that matter, how would it even fire up to the right temperature if the sensor was broke?

Thanks,
Don

[doncaruana]

Well, after some more detailed obsessive-compulsive testing (my wife's comment there), I've concluded that the stove is indeed set to celcius (thanks again Sheila - I totally forgot about those extra 32 degrees!!). Anyway, I called Whirlpool and they walked me through the various known ways to switch celcius/fahrenheit and finally told me I'd need service.

I did also find that it took a little longer to reach the right temp than it probably should have (15 minutes at 350 to actually get there, vs the prescribed 10 minutes). But even so, this screams control panel, which screams $200 - and that's me doing it myself.

So, I think I'll print up a celcius - fahrenheit conversion sheet and think about taking advantage of Sears' big sale tomorrow. In the meantime, it cooks perfect as long as you do the math, so we'll do that and a pretty decent stove will be going on ebay real soon.

Anyone in the southeastern Michigan area want a used, but very functional stove?

Thanks,
Don