Welcome to the comprehensive repair protocol for your LG oven. Designed for individuals looking to perform a Moderate difficulty repair, this step-by-step tutorial demystifies the troubleshooting process. Most users complete this repair in 45–90 min. We cover everything from initial safety precautions to the final component reassembly, ensuring a successful outcome.
Difficulty: Moderate • Est. Cost: $15–$40 for temperature sensor — $50–$120 for bake element • Time: 45–90 min
Safety Warning: The following steps mirror professional diagnostic procedures. For your safety, verify that the appliance is completely depowered before beginning the repair.
1. Symptoms of a Partially Failed Oven
An oven that heats to 150-200°F but never reaches the set temperature typically has a bake element with a partial break in the coil — enough to glow red in spots but not produce full heat output.
- Another common cause is a drifted oven temperature sensor (RTD probe) that sends incorrect resistance values to the control board, making it think the oven is hotter than it actually is.
- If the oven displays the correct set temperature on the screen but an oven thermometer inside shows 200+ degrees lower, the sensor is the primary suspect.
2. Visual Inspection of the Bake Element
Turn the oven to 350°F and observe the bake element at the bottom of the oven cavity through the window (do not open the door during this test).
- A healthy element should glow uniformly bright orange/red along its entire length within 3-4 minutes of turning on.
- If you see dark spots, sections that glow brighter than others, or visible blistering/warping in the metal, the element has a partial internal break and is only producing partial wattage.
- Turn the oven off immediately if you see any sparking, arcing, or the element touching the oven floor — this is a fire hazard requiring immediate element replacement.
3. Testing the Bake Element with a Multimeter
Turn off the oven and unplug the range or turn off the circuit breaker. Allow 30 minutes for cooling.
- Remove the 2 Phillips screws at the rear base of the oven interior securing the bake element. Gently pull the element forward to access the wire terminals behind it.
- Disconnect both wires and test across the element terminals. A healthy LG bake element reads 20-50 ohms. Significantly higher readings (100+ ohms) indicate a partially broken coil. OL means a complete break.
- If the element tests bad, note the part number stamped on the element bracket before ordering the replacement.
4. Testing the Oven Temperature Sensor (RTD Probe)
The temperature sensor is a thin metal probe mounted to the upper rear wall of the oven cavity, held by 1-2 screws.
- Remove the mounting screw and gently pull the probe out. Disconnect the 2-wire harness plug behind the rear oven wall.
- At room temperature (70°F), test resistance across the sensor wires. An LG oven sensor should read approximately 1080-1100 ohms at room temperature.
- If it reads significantly higher or lower than 1080 ohms, or shows OL, the sensor has drifted out of calibration and must be replaced. Even a 100-ohm drift can cause a 50°F temperature error.
5. Calibrating the Oven After Repair
After installing the new element or sensor, plug the range back in and set the oven to 350°F.
- Place a reliable oven thermometer in the center of the middle rack. Allow the oven to preheat and stabilize for 20 minutes.
- If the oven temperature is within ±10°F of the set temperature, the repair is successful. LG ranges allow manual calibration offset in the settings menu if fine-tuning is needed.
- Access calibration on most LG ranges by pressing and holding the 'Bake' button for 5 seconds, then using arrow keys to adjust the offset up or down by up to ±35°F.