Jake, can you please help me out AGAIN?

You just got my dryer working with a gas coil kit via the web site, now I have range problems.

1. My 30" Viking all gas range is not exceeding 350 degrees in the oven.
2. I Removed the small front panel below the door to reveal the "workings" if you will.
3. Cycled the oven on to witness that only the right side ignitor was glowing and firing up the burner. Absolutely nothing glowing or lighting on the left side burner.
4. One valve is operating both burners and ignitors.

From left to right - valve, inoperable burner, and working burner.

Close up of valve

Hi,

I wish I could help you on your Viking Range, but I have never worked on a Viking Range, as Sears never sold them.

Maybe another tech. or member that has, can help you out on yours.

Jake

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My problem is that neither the oven nor the broiler will ignite. I learned a bunch of info from:

http://www.appliance411.com/faq/gas_..._systems.shtml

In summary here is what I learned:

1. After rotating the oven knob to any temperature, the thermostat sends current to the ignitors (glow plugs). There are 3 glow plugs (one for each of 2 oven burners and one for the broiler).

2. Once the glow plugs are glowing strong they pass 3.2 to 3.6 amps of current to the "dual bake gas valve" or "single broil gas valve" (there are 2 gas valves [one dual for oven, one single for broiler]). The gas valves are bimetal types which release gas once the glow plugs are glowing.

3. The gas valves release gas for ignition and the glow plugs turn off.


The links above suggests that your glow plug needs replacing (unless for some reason a wire is broken), Check for continuity, etc. The links above contain alot of good info. My issue is alittle more complex because:

1. Neither my oven nor broiler will light
2. Glow plugs are glowing real nice
3. Just got back from a week at the beach and oven won't work
4. This has happened before but then oven just started working again

I'm going to measure the currents and see what happens

Any other suggestions ?

As a final post to this issue:

I purchased a wrap around current monitor ($80) and measured only 2.6 amps being passed from each of the 3 ignitors to the 2 gas valves. I followed the advice and changed all 3 ignitors and voila everything is fine. The new ignitors now pass 3.2 amps to the gas valves and the 2 oven burners and 1 broiler burner each light within 30-60 seconds. The glow from the ignitors is visually brighter.

I bought the Viking ignitors (Viking PN PB040001) from Carl Schaedel (a Viking distributor) for $42 each. Compared to the suggested Maytag replacement from http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=1265&P=69 which cost ~$65 each. A pleasant surprise. Also the new Viking ignitors look like they have been improved (manufactured by Norton).

Purchase from www.carlschaedel.com phone # 973-244-1415 (1-800-750-9857)

End of issue. Thanks to all.

LOL I have learned to take 2 igniters with me when i work on these units .
wish they would make them a little better. also you might wanna check your burner assembly i have seen these get big holes in them right where the igniter sets next to it.

Hey, I'm new to this appliance repair stuff and I think I've found the right place. I too have a 30" Viking and noticed it was taking way too long to preheat. My bro-in-law also has a vike and informed me that it was my ignitor. Looking below the oven door, sure enough I noticed only one burner working and nothing on the right side. Here's my question though. Ironically, when searching for pricing and finding this site by chance I noticed something strange tonight. Both ignitors are now glowing, but the right burner is still not firing. Can this still be an ignitor problem not letting the current to turn the valve on? I'm hoping it is the problem since it wasn't glowing the past several days.
Anyway, sorry for the long post and I appreciate any advice.
Tom

I should have took this advice. I got one ignitor and replaced the bad ignitor. Low and behold, now the other that was working now is failing to light. Oh well, now I can pay double in shipping, but I know how to replace it. I'm wondering about a previous post saying the 'glow plug' goes out after the buners fire. I don't think I'm seeing that happen. I havn't watched the ignitor for very long after turning the oven on, for sure not after reaching desired temp, but mine seems to be glowing all the time. Is this normal?

Yes, it's normal for the igniter to stay on when the flame is lit. I recomend to my customers with viking ranges to replace both bake igniters when one goes out. Here is a trick I learned, when the igniter is glowing and there is no gas, tap the gas valve with the back of a screw driver. If the gas comes out and lites, replace the igniters.

Rick

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