Frigidaire Oven Not Broiling — 5 Causes & How to Fix

You're prepping dinner, switch to broil mode, and... nothing. The element stays cold while your steaks sit there waiting. It's 6 PM on a Tuesday and you've got hungry people to feed.

When a broil element fails on Frigidaire, Kenmore, Electrolux, or Crosley ranges, it's usually obvious — the element either won't heat at all, heats unevenly, or glows red in spots before dying completely. Models like the GLEF396CSD, GLEFS77CSB, and FEF357BBA share the same 316203301 broil element, which means they fail the same ways.

Here's how to diagnose what's actually wrong before you waste time or money.

Quick Symptom Check

• Element stays completely cold when broil is selected
• Only half the element glows — one side works, other side dark
• Element blinks on and off during broil cycle
• Food cooks slowly or unevenly under broiler
• Visible breaks or blisters in the element coil
• Oven works fine on bake but broil does nothing

Cause #1: Burned-Out Broil Element (70% of Cases)

The broil element itself is the most common failure point. These elements run at extremely high temperatures — often exceeding 500°F — and eventually develop breaks in the internal heating coil.

How to diagnose: Turn off power at the breaker. Remove the oven racks and look up at the broil element (usually mounted to the oven ceiling). Look for visible breaks, dark spots, blistering, or separation in the coil. If you see any physical damage, that's your problem.

If it looks intact, use a multimeter to test continuity. Disconnect one wire from the element and test across the terminals. You should read 15-50 ohms. Infinite resistance means it's dead.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20-30 minutes
Part cost: $25-45 for the 316203301 element

The element is held in by two screws at the back wall. Disconnect power, remove screws, pull element forward, disconnect wires, and reverse for the new one.

Cause #2: Loose or Corroded Wire Connections (15% of Cases)

The broil element draws serious current — 15+ amps at full heat. Over years of heating cycles, the wire connections at the element terminals can loosen or develop corrosion, especially in humid kitchens.

How to diagnose: With power off, pull the element forward enough to access the wire connections. Look for blackened wires, greenish corrosion, or loose spade connectors. Wiggle the connections — if they move freely, they're too loose.

Sometimes you'll see scorch marks on the ceramic wire nuts or the element terminals themselves. That's resistance creating heat where it shouldn't be.

Fix: If wires are scorched, cut back to clean copper and install new high-temp wire connectors rated for 450°F+. If terminals are corroded, replace the element — you can't reliably repair damaged terminals.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Part cost: $5-10 for wire connectors (if wires are salvageable)

Cause #3: Failed Oven Control Board (8% of Cases)

The electronic control board sends power to the broil element through a relay. When this relay fails — often with a burnt contact or stuck-open position — the element never receives voltage even though everything else works fine.

How to diagnose: This one's tricky because the element and wiring test fine. Set oven to broil and use a voltage tester at the element terminals. You should read 240V (or 120V on some models). No voltage means the control board isn't sending power.

Before condemning the board, check the broil function selector and temperature sensor — both can prevent the board from energizing the element.

Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 45-60 minutes
Part cost: $150-250 for control board

Control boards are model-specific. You'll need your exact model number from the serial plate inside the oven door frame.

Cause #4: Faulty Temperature Sensor (4% of Cases)

The oven temperature sensor is a probe mounted to the upper back wall. If it fails or reads incorrectly, the control board may refuse to activate the broil element as a safety measure.

How to diagnose: The sensor should read around 1,100 ohms at room temperature (70°F). As temperature rises, resistance increases. If you get infinite resistance or a reading below 1,000 ohms, the sensor's bad.

You can also check for physical damage — sensors that have been bumped or splattered with oven cleaner often fail.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15 minutes
Part cost: $20-35

Cause #5: Tripped Thermal Fuse (3% of Cases)

Some Frigidaire models (especially newer ones like the GLEF396CSD) have a thermal fuse in the broil circuit. If the oven overheats — maybe you left broil on too long or there was a grease fire — this one-time fuse blows to prevent damage.

How to diagnose: The thermal fuse is usually located behind the control panel or attached to the oven frame near the element. Test it for continuity. It should read near zero ohms. If it's blown, you'll read infinite.

Here's the catch: if the fuse blew, something caused it. Check for blocked vents, failed cooling fans, or a bad control board that's cycling improperly.

Difficulty: Moderate (requires panel removal)
Time: 30-45 minutes
Part cost: $15-25

When to Call a Pro

If you've tested the element and it's good, checked connections, and you're still getting no voltage at the element terminals, you're looking at control board diagnosis. That's where most DIYers tap out — and honestly, it makes sense. Control boards require specific voltage testing at multiple points, and replacing the wrong one costs $200+.

Also call a pro if you smell gas when you turn on broil (different failure entirely) or if your oven is still under warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bake mode instead of broil if my element is bad?

Sure, the oven will still bake normally using the bottom element. But you won't get that high direct heat for browning steaks, melting cheese, or crisping toppings. Some people use the bottom element on high, flip the food close to it, and get similar results — not ideal but works in a pinch.

Why does only half my broil element glow red?

The element has an internal break on the non-glowing side. The heating coil is continuous through the element — when it breaks anywhere, the circuit opens and that section goes dark. You need a new element. Don't keep using it half-broken; uneven heating stresses the good side and it'll fail sooner.

Will a bad broil element affect baking?

No. The broil element (top) and bake element (bottom) are separate circuits. You can have a completely dead broil element and still bake perfectly. But if your oven uses both elements for some convection modes, those specific modes might not work right.