Goodman Furnace Error Codes and Blinking Lights

Before you read any code, look at the control board through the sight glass in the blower door. A three-character display means you read letters and numbers left to right; a plain LED means you count flashes and pause. Which one you have decides which chart applies, and the label inside the door tells you. Our general post on what the blinking light on a furnace means compares several brands.

Do Goodman and Amana share the same codes?

The codes here come from two Goodman service manuals, both published under the Daikin Comfort Technologies name. RS6612020R1, "Service and Troubleshooting," covers the Goodman GM9C96 and GC9C96 and the Amana AM9C96 and AC9C96 two-stage furnaces in a single document. RS6621301 covers 80% single-stage furnaces, including the GR9S80 and AR9S80, and the Goodman and Amana versions of those models. That is why Goodman and Amana share a board family on those models. Daikin is the parent company.

Codes can differ by control board and series, and boards have changed over the years, so the chart on your furnace door is the final word.

How do you find your furnace's own chart?

1. Look at the inside of the blower door and the control board cover for a printed code list.
2. Read the model number off the rating plate. Search it with "service manual" on the manufacturer's website. Models starting GM, GR, GC, AM, AR or AC are the families above.
3. Photograph the label, the rating plate and the display or LED so you have them when you call.

How do you read the code safely?

1. Keep the door on and look through the sight glass. Goodman's manuals warn that line voltage is present inside the cabinet. You do not need to open anything to read a display.
2. Wait for the display to cycle. On a newer board a fault code appears on the three-character display; read it left to right.
3. Write it down before you switch the furnace off. Cycling power can lose the information you came for.
4. Do not press the board buttons. Goodman's manual says holding the center switch for 5 to 30 seconds erases all stored faults.

A dark display means check the furnace switch, the breaker and that the blower door is firmly seated.

Goodman and Amana error code chart

This list comes from the "Error Code Status" table in Goodman manual RS6621301 (80% single-stage), which reads codes left to right on the seven-segment display. Manual RS6612020R1 lists the same fault names for the 96% two-stage models and adds high-stage entries (E8 and E9 for the high-stage pressure switch stuck closed and open).

Because the numbers shift between families, never rely on one list. The two-stage furnaces split pressure switch faults into low and high stage, so a table written for one model can mislead on another. The manuals describe older controls too: on a single-stage 80% model the ignition control's diagnostic light flashes six times for a rollout trip.

What do the common code families mean?

Pressure switch (E1, E2). The manual defines E1 as the pressure switch circuit closed at the start of the heating cycle and E2 as the circuit not closing. Its checks include a blocked, kinked or pinched pressure hose, blockages in the flue or inlet air pipe, the inducer, and on a 90% furnace the drain system and the front cover pressure switch. In Minnesota, snow over the PVC vent or a frozen condensate trap often explains it. See our post on the furnace pressure switch.

Flame sense and ignition (E0, E4, E6). E0 means the furnace gave up after three ignition tries. The manual points to no gas or low gas pressure, an ignitor that is not glowing and a dirty flame sensor. Cleaning the sensor is normally part of a tune-up; read our flame sensor post.

Limit (E3). The high limit is open, usually from a clogged filter, closed registers or a weak blower. The manual lists blocked filters, restrictive ductwork and a failed circulator blower motor.

Rollout (E11). Goodman describes the rollout control as opening if flame rolls out of the burner area, and notes that over-firing or flame impingement on the heat shield can also open it. The circulator blower runs continuously when it trips. A rollout trip is a technician's job to diagnose.

Safe homeowner checks before you call

1. Thermostat: set to Heat with the setpoint above room temperature.
2. Furnace switch and breaker: both on, blower door seated.
3. Filter: replace it if it is gray or clogged.
4. PVC vents outside: clear snow and frost from the intake and exhaust by hand.
5. Condensate trap and line: look for water around the furnace. A frozen condensate line can trip the pressure switch. Do not pour hot water into the line.
6. Gas valve: note the lever position as you found it. Do not force it.
7. One reset at most: switch the furnace off for a minute, switch it on and watch one cycle.

When to call

Call if the same code returns after one reset, if you see E3, E11, E4, Eb or EC, if the display is dark with power on, or if you see a different code every cycle. Nationally, HomeGuide puts typical parts at $150–$400 for a pressure switch, $80–$250 for a flame sensor and $300–$650 for a control board. A repair visit carries a $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair, and you get a written flat-rate price first.

We repair Goodman and Amana furnaces of every age. Book furnace repair in Minneapolis or call 612-429-3465. We're open 7 days, 7am–9pm, and no-heat calls come first.

Common questions about heating

Sources

• Goodman manufacturer documentation goodmanmfg.com
• HomeGuide: furnace repair costs homeguide.com