# Maytag Performa Stove not mantaing baking temp



## sweets (Oct 2, 2012)

I have a gas stove a Maytag Performa barely past the 5 year warranty on electrical parts (naturally), and the baking temperature inside the stove does not maintain the temperature setting, if I set the temp to 400 degrees via the electrical setting switch, it will reach that temperature and then begin to decrease down to about 200 degrees and not rise again, so I switch from bake to broil and once the broiler flame ignites, which usually takes awhile, I switch back to bake and only then will the temperature maintain the desired 400 degrees once reached and stay there, i'm not sure if this is a problem with the electrical switch or possibly grease in the jets, i tried using the self clean feature several times to clean out grease possibly from the jets but that didnt solve the problem, i have not spilled grease inside nor is the stove at all dirty, the stove uses one compartment for baking and broiling, the broiling flame from above and the baking flame from underneath the pan beneath the grill, any thoughts on how to fix this myself?


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 2, 2012)

Hi,

Model#?
http://www.applianceaid.com/model-number.php Some model# helps.

A weak ignitor can cause temp issues...

http://www.applianceaid.com/gas-range-repair-help.php#glow

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 2, 2012)

Model # PGR5710BDW Maytag Performa GAS RANGE


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 2, 2012)

Could also be a problem in the stove's logic circuitry, which clears when you switch to broil.
You could cut power temporarily to the oven and see if that also clears the bake temp problem.

If you're not up to measuring ignitor current draw I'd start getting prices for the logic board/controller part and the ignitor.

[ame]http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=maytag+class+action&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8[/ame]


----------



## sweets (Oct 2, 2012)

im thinking more like the temperature sensor probe is malfunctioning


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 2, 2012)

sweets said:


> im thinking more like the temperature sensor probe is malfunctioning


Maybe, but how does your procedure for clearing the fault affect this component?
And if the parts guy says he hardly ever sells one of these, it may be a less likely candidate.

It may also be a coincidence that your procedure works, unless you can consistently clear the problem by doing it.  The problem may be time-dependent instead of being affected by control settings.

There are several test points in the oven that you should monitor to try to isolate the problem. Connections can also fail.

Since the problem is not intermittent and the oven is not tripping its breaker, etc., you have a good chance of solving this one.

Do not cause a gas explosion.  
It was not that long ago that a HO and his wife landed on the lawn at 3 AM because of his faulty dryer install.  Since their house was demolished they are now "judgement proof", all in a flash.  And nearby houses took some shrapnel, also.


----------



## sweets (Oct 2, 2012)

I'm appreciative of the tip, should I close the gas before attempting to change the temperature sensor probe, or the ignitor switch?

Probably not necessary if replacing temp sensor probe though?

"You could cut power temporarily to the oven and see if that also clears the bake temp problem."
How exactly is that done?

I also read somewhere that some temp sensor probes require calibration via the electronic control and might not be defective, not sure if its this model?

Lets face it, it's hit or miss with any of these replacements


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 3, 2012)

Ohming the oven temp sensor is a good idea, still sounds like a weak ignitor to me.

1000-1100 ohms at room temp for the sensor.






Ignitor, glow bar Manufacturer Number 74007498





Oven sensor kit, short Manufacturer Number 12001655

jeff.


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 3, 2012)

sweets said:


> How exactly is that done?


With the gas danger, you have to be careful not to defeat any of the oven safeguards that prevent gas mishaps.  
I guess the worst outcome would be the gas valve being on and no ignition being called for by the oven logic circuitry.

To cut power, turn off the oven breaker for a few seconds and then back on.

BTW, the more measurements you take, the less role probability plays in getting a favorable outcome for your repair adventure.  
Then it's up to you to minimize your errors in logic, see "logical fallacies" on Wiki.


----------



## sweets (Oct 3, 2012)

"Ohming the oven temp sensor is a good idea, still sounds like a weak ignitor to me."

Jeff;
I dont have an ohmeter, however I took the bottom pan off and set bake to 350 degrees, I watched as the ignitor got bright red and lit the flame, but at a temp of about 200 degrees the flame went out and never came back on. Wouldnt that indicate the temperature sensor probe is off somehow??
Thanks


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 3, 2012)

> but at a temp of about 200 degrees the flame went out and never came back on



...and then what?....the ignitor stayed on?
left the door open a while?...what happens after a bit?



> I dont have an ohmeter



Then you may have to replace a part to test.

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 4, 2012)

"but at a temp of about 200 degrees the flame went out and never came back on

..and then what?....the ignitor stayed on?"

No the ignitor (and flame) went off, but isn't that in response to the temperature sensor probe in this case falsely telling it to go off??

Isn't that how this works? the temp sensor probe tells in effect the ignitor to go on and off and if its (the temp sensor probe) not working properly the ignitor shuts down?


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 4, 2012)

> No the ignitor (and flame) went off



Crap!



> but isn't that in response to the temperature sensor probe in this case falsely telling it to go off??



Maybe, without testing we may not know for sure.....the sensor shuts off nothing nor does it turn on anything....temp sensor changes resistance to tell the control what is happening and the control turns things on and off......that is why we ohm the sensor...
http://www.applianceaid.com/oven-temperature-sensors-help.php
...if way off on the ohm reading it may be telling the control the wrong information.

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 4, 2012)

"Maybe, without testing we may not know for sure.....the sensor shuts off nothing nor does it turn on anything....temp sensor changes resistance to tell the control what is happening and the control turns things on and off......that is why we ohm the sensor...
http://www.applianceaid.com/oven-temperature-sensors-help.php
...if way off on the ohm reading it may be telling the control the wrong information."

Jeff,
Are you saying the ignitor should remain on (bright red) throughout the entire baking time?
Wouldnt the temp sensor probe "sense" the temperature in the oven is rising higher than the set baking temperature and shut the flame and the ignitor down to maintain the set temp?
I kind of hear something shut down, a kind of "clump" sound once the set baking temperature is reached, this only happens if I go from bake to broil and then back to bake again
Sorry for all this detail


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 4, 2012)

Besides a schematic you need a Theory of Operation.  I doubt that Maytag will help you with this but you might find a schematic inside the oven walls somewhere.  It's usually in an envelope, taped to the wiring.

I have a 30 YO furnace and the maker was kind enough to send me a factory service manual, for free.  
This photocopy is a few pages, and that thing has saved me mucho dinero.  You really need to know the sequence of operations.

Get a meter.  It will pay for itself the first time you use it to diagnose or fix anything.  An appliance meter is not the same as a meter for house wiring because appliances do not have Phantom Voltages.

There are also 
components failing from normal wearout, 
components failing early from factory defects (so called infant mortality) and 
components failing because they are being overstressed by some fault somewhere in the appliance.


Let's say you guess at what part it is, you replace it, and it doesn't fix the problem.  
Do not get on a slippery slope of buying more parts.  The money you paid for the part is a sunk cost.

"sunk costs are not taken into account when making rational decisions. In the case of a movie ticket that has already been purchased, the ticket-buyer can choose between the following two end results if he realizes that he doesn't like the movie:

Having paid the price of the ticket and having suffered watching a movie that he does not want to see, or;
Having paid the price of the ticket and having used the time to do something more fun."

In your case, "more fun" means do some thinking, reasoning and measuring.

BTW, check any new part before installing, and after installing if it didn't fix the problem.


----------



## sweets (Oct 4, 2012)

Yes i know youre correct and i should get the ohmeter/voltage meter and learn how to use it

Whose the manufacturer of your 30 yr old furnace?
I have a 27 yr old boiler and  i'd sure like to get that manual for mine

As to the Maytag Performa stove, i'm just speculating on operation, but it would seem that the temp sensor probe has some effect on whether the ignitor is on or off, please correct me if im wrong, i'm just guessing


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 4, 2012)

sweets said:


> Yes i know youre correct and i should get the ohmeter/voltage meter and learn how to use it
> 
> Whose the manufacturer of your 30 yr old furnace?
> I have a 27 yr old boiler and  i'd sure like to get that manual for mine
> ...


Bryant.  
They probably fired the guy for sending me that manual.  Everytime I fix something on my furnace it is money out of the pockets of the HVAC industry.

If my informal HVAC survey from long ago is correct, your boiler has outlived about 95% of boilers as old.  You may soon have to make a repair/replace decision.

And Stihl will not even sell a factory manual to a HO, but I fixed my leaf blower anyway.


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 4, 2012)

> Are you saying the ignitor should remain on (bright red) throughout the entire baking time?



The ignitor stays on when ever the flame is on...ignitor must draw current to keep the gas valve open.



> Wouldnt the temp sensor probe "sense" the temperature in the oven is rising higher than the set baking temperature and shut the flame and the ignitor down to maintain the set temp?



The sensor shuts off nothing nor does it turn on anything....temp sensor changes resistance to tell the control what is happening and the control turns things on and off.

Temp sensor can ohm ok but the sensor circuit inside the clock/control can be bad. Sometimes a loose wire ( male-female ) connector can cause high resistance in the sensor circuit.

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 5, 2012)

This works every time:
So whenever I see the set baking temperature drops, I switch to the oven setting via the clock, after the broiler flame is lit I wait several minutes, then switch back to bake, set the temperature to wherever I need it, after which time the oven will heat up to that preset temperature, (it lets me know via a beep), and it remains at that temprature for however long I need it too. 
Do you still think its the baking igniter that's faulty?


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 5, 2012)

An amp meter reading would tell if the ignitor was weak....heating it up with the broil can help...so far it still -sounds- like a weak ignitor.
It's the "it shut off and didn't come back on" that is odd.

http://www.applianceaid.com/gas-range-repair-help.php#glow

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 6, 2012)

"An amp meter reading would tell if the ignitor was weak....heating it up with the broil can help...so far it still -sounds- like a weak ignitor.
It's the "it shut off and didn't come back on" that is odd."
Jeff,
I'm not sure you're familiar with this stove, there are 2 ignitors, one for the broiler at the top of the compartment and the baking ignitor below the pan. So when I switch to "broil" the flame and ignitor above go on, and when I go back to "bake" the ignitor and flame below the pan are in use. That said how does switching back and forth between broil and bake tell you its the ignitor that's faulty? Again there are two ignitors.
To my way of thinking it could be something wrong with the control panel on the top of the stove or again the temperature sensor probe. Please dont take this the wrong way, it's difficult for you not having this model in front of you, Maytag Performa Model # PGR5710 BDW   
Thanks


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 6, 2012)

> I'm not sure you're familiar with this stove



Very.



> there are 2 ignitors



Correct.

So far no testing....just posting after posting....no ohm meter testing, no amp meter testing, just guessing....start diagnosing!!

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 6, 2012)

I just wanted to make sure you were familiar with this model and that it has 2ignitors.

Do the ignitors have get ohm meter reading ?


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 7, 2012)

sweets said:


> Do the ignitors have get ohm meter reading ?



If dead ( no glow ) the ignitors can be ohmed for continuity.
Ohm/continuity reading doesn't help with a weak ignitor.

jeff.


----------



## sweets (Oct 9, 2012)

"I'm not sure you're familiar with this stove, there are 2 ignitors, one for the broiler at the top of the compartment and the baking ignitor below the pan. So when I switch to "broil" the flame and ignitor above go on, and when I go back to "bake" the ignitor and flame below the pan are in use. That said how does switching back and forth between broil and bake tell you its the ignitor that's faulty? Again there are two ignitors.
To my way of thinking it could be something wrong with the control panel on the top of the stove or again the temperature sensor probe. Please dont take this the wrong way, it's difficult for you not having this model in front of you, Maytag Performa Model # PGR5710 BDW"

UPDATE:
Often enough, when I switch to "Oven Hi or Oven Lo" to try to get the baking flame (below the pan) to reach the preset temperature, the broiler flame (top flame) does not light even though its ignitor is glowing brightly. I have to "Cancel" and try it several times before it ignites the broiler. Once it ignites the broiler flame I can then switch back to bake, where the baking flame reaches its preset temperature and stays there without dropping for however long I need it too. Once I get the broiler flame to ignite and switch back to "bake" this method works every time to keep the baking temp at its preset temperature.
Do you still think it's just the baking ignitor that's faulty or maybe the controls?

Thanks


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 9, 2012)

I give up.  The problem is not your oven, see below (from Eric Berne's work)


"
Why Don't You/Yes But

The first such game theorized was Why don't you/Yes, but in which one player (White) would pose 
a problem as if seeking help, 
and the other player(s) (Black) would offer solutions (the "Why don't you?" suggestion). 
. . .
White would point out a flaw in every Black player's solution (the "Yes, but" response), 
until they all gave up in frustration. 
"


----------



## sweets (Oct 9, 2012)

the problem is youre all guessing at the solution and with my money, the only response that made sense was to test the parts with an ohmmeter, it still may be the control panel thats faulty, how much does that cost?


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 9, 2012)

Hello, again.

IMHO your reply confirms my diagnosis, and you are now using the defense mechanism of projection.
Did you ever hear of the saying, "Know thyself"?

For a while I had to work as a hardware store clerk.  
Two short stories:

1: A guy came in with a problem and I offered a solution which was rejected.  I immediately offered an even better solution, which was also rejected.  
This process was repeated several more times, each time me offering ever more creative solutions.  I was never so creative in such a short time, before or since.  It was bam, bam, bam.
Finally the customer said, "I'm not paying 49 cents for this fastener/tool/adhesive/widget/gizmo and he walked out.
I think he left in a hurry because his "game" was becoming obvious and Dr. Berne has said that people who play games would rather not have their games made public.  
This customer may have called this match a win for him, but I call it as a draw.

I think this is a likely outcome for your thread, and you have already brought up the additional constraint of 'money'.  
Anyone can claim this.  Did you ever hear of anyone complaining that they had too much money?

2: A woman comes in with a problem and I say that she must drive a nail into a wall.  She said, "That's way too complicated."  For this I had no answer because I was stunned, but I should have immediately said, "I cannot help you."

It soon became obvious to me that it is in my interest to recognize problem customers early on and cut my losses so I can serve the customers who really want solutions.  
Same goes on forums.

I hope this post helps you, and others, but I cannot guarantee that.


----------



## sweets (Oct 9, 2012)

its been helpful in as much as ive learned i have to 'ohm' the ignitors and temperature probe, that being said the rest were guesses, it could still be the control panel and i dont know how much that costs


----------



## nealtw (Oct 15, 2012)

sweets; I think you have 3 choices.
1. buy the meter like has been suggested so people can give you better answer.
2. just start changing parts, cheapest ones first.
3. have someone out to look at it
You can save a lot of money doing things your self and people here are willing to help
but sometimes diyers need tools too.


----------



## sweets (Oct 15, 2012)

I agree I need to test the parts with an ohm meter first and start replacing first the temperature probe and ignitor, if falls short on the ohm meter, however I think its the control panel since I can "trick" it to work every time by switching to broil and then back to bake and then it always holds whataever temperature I set the bake too, even if I drop it down some later for some recipe.


----------



## nealtw (Oct 15, 2012)

If you have the thing figured out, what do you need help with?


----------



## sweets (Oct 16, 2012)

until i posted here, i had no idea which part(s) could be defective and or tested, however i still dont know if its the control panel that's faulty, and how much it costs to replace:
Maytag Performa Model # PGR5710OBDW Serial # 14344035CC


----------



## jeff1 (Oct 16, 2012)

Ohming the oven temp sensor is a good idea, still sounds like a weak ignitor to me.
 1000-1100 ohms at room temp for the sensor.






Ignitor, glow bar Manufacturer Number 74007498





Oven sensor kit, short Manufacturer Number 12001655

http://www.applianceaid.com/gas-range-repair-help.php#glow
http://www.applianceaid.com/oven-temperature-sensors-help.php

Lots of testing info already given....no results posted as of yet.

jeff.


----------



## notmrjohn (Oct 17, 2012)

sweets, yes everyone is "guessing" because the only info they have is from your guesses. We are not there with our meters. Buy a meter, less than five bucks for your needs. http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-multimeter-98025.html  Ask here how to use it to test parts if you need to, the part being tested needs to be isolated from wiring.  Then report your findings. With real info there will be less guessing.

Wiring schematics, parts diagrams and parts cost are available on line. Check Maytags home page, Google "Appliance Parts" enter your model number at one of the sites.

Arguing and being rude is no way to get help.  Some of the responders are professional appliance technicians,  they know what they are talking about, they don't have to help you at all. If you choose to ignore the freely given advice, that's your concern, we don't have the time or inclination to argue. There are other people seeking help who are willing to listen to advice and are appreciative of it,  and don't argue with people who know more or have had experience with exact same problem.


----------



## Wuzzat? (Oct 20, 2012)

Sweets, are you still there?


----------



## agentbill (Dec 13, 2013)

sweets said:


> "Ohming the oven temp sensor is a good idea, still sounds like a weak ignitor to me."
> 
> Jeff;
> I dont have an ohmeter, however I took the bottom pan off and set bake to 350 degrees, I watched as the ignitor got bright red and lit the flame, but at a temp of about 200 degrees the flame went out and never came back on. Wouldnt that indicate the temperature sensor probe is off somehow??
> Thanks



Sounds like the safety valve or pressure regulator. I had same problem and I switched both. No issues now. 
The problem is is that it's lighting in the start get the temp to rise, but then when it clicks off the valve won't reopen all the way or the pressure doesn't go to the right psi. 
The igniter will glow all day but if the valve isn't open all the way or the pressure isn't regulated the oven will not function correctly.
I switched both rather that troubleshoot. I figured I was in there already I might as well just do it. But I had the same exact problem before and now it's gone.


----------

