Does bake still heat normally?
A broil-only failure points first to the electric broil element, gas broil igniter, or broil-side wiring. Keep power off for inspection, and stop if you smell gas.
Oven broil troubleshooting
LG Oven Broiler Not Working? Check Mode and Heat Source
If your LG oven broiler is not working, first separate a broil-only failure from a whole-oven heat problem. Check whether bake heats, then compare the upper electric element or gas igniter behavior. If you smell gas or see burned wiring, stop and call a pro.
In practice, bake is the split point. Bake normal with dead broil points to the broil heat source; bake and broil both weak sends you back to breaker, sensor, or supply checks.
Watch for the first-minute pattern: no glow, uneven glow, glow without flame, or both bake and broil dead each send you to a different next step.
Don’t start with: Do not start with the oven control board or sensor unless the heating part, power, and visible wiring clues already point away from the broiler itself.
Bake worksLook at the broil element on electric models or the broil igniter on gas models before pricing electronics. Stop if you smell gas.
Bake also failsStep back to breaker, supply, error codes, and broader temperature behavior before buying broil-only parts.
Do this first
- Turn the oven off and let the broil area cool before touching racks, brackets, or heating parts.
- Shut off power at the breaker before removing screws, panels, the broil element, the igniter, or the oven sensor.
- If you smell gas, stop testing, avoid switches and flames, ventilate if you can do it safely, and call the gas utility or a licensed pro.
- Reset a tripped oven breaker only once. If it trips again, leave it off and call for electrical diagnosis.
- Do not reach into the oven while the broil element is glowing or while the gas burner is trying to light.
- Stop if you see sparks, melted insulation, charred terminals, or wiring that looks brittle.
60-second broiler sort
Are bake and broil both weak or dead?
Step back to the breaker, power supply, gas supply, error codes, and oven temperature behavior before buying broil-only parts.
Does the electric upper element stay dark or glow unevenly?
With power off and the oven cool, inspect for blistering, a split sheath, sagging, or a burned-open spot.
Does a gas igniter glow but the burner does not light?
That is a common weak-igniter clue. Stop if gas odor lingers or ignition keeps failing.
Does broil start and then quit early?
Look for broader temperature symptoms, sensor trouble, heat-damaged wiring, or a control circuit issue after the heat source is ruled out.
Use the first look to separate the repair path
The top of the oven tells you more than the display. Look for an electric element that stays dark or damaged, or a gas igniter that glows without a clean burner light-off. If you smell gas, leave the oven off and call a pro.
Before you buy anything
Copy the full model number from the oven frame, storage drawer area, or owner manual before comparing parts. LG ranges and wall ovens can use different broil elements, igniters, brackets, sensors, and connectors even when the symptom sounds the same.
What is probably happening
Most LG broiler calls fall into one of three buckets: the oven was not actually set up to broil, the broil heat source failed, or the oven has a broader heating fault. What still works tells you where to look next.
- Wrong mode, delayed start, Control Lock, or door position can make a good broiler look dead. Cancel the cycle and start a plain broil cycle before touching parts.
- On an electric LG oven, bake normal with a cold or patchy upper element usually points toward the oven broil element or its connections.
- On a gas LG oven, an igniter that glows but does not light the broil burner cleanly usually points toward a weak igniter. Stop if you smell gas or ignition keeps failing.
- If bake and broil are both wrong, the failure may be power, sensor feedback, gas supply, or the control circuit instead of one broil part. Call a pro for gas or live-electrical diagnosis.
- Consistency matters. The same no-heat pattern every time tells you more than one interrupted cycle after a power blink.
What not to do
The fastest way to waste money on this repair is to treat every cold broiler like an electronics failure. First look at the upper element, watch the igniter behavior, and write down whether bake still heats.
- Do not order an oven control board first. If the upper element stays cold, glows in patches, or has a split, inspect that broil circuit before pricing electronics.
- Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips when broil starts. A second trip can point to a shorted element, damaged wiring, or a circuit fault.
- Do not spray oven cleaner onto an exposed igniter, heating element, wire terminal, or sensor connection. Look for loose debris and wipe only accessible cool surfaces.
- Do not assume an igniter is good just because it glows. If it glows while the burner stays cold, treat that as a weak-igniter clue.
- Do not buy by photo alone. Match the full LG model number, connector style, mounting bracket, element shape, and terminal layout.
Step-by-step fix
Work from the outside in. These checks keep you on homeowner-level ground: settings, visible heat, a power-off inspection, and then a parts decision only when the clue supports it.
- Step 1: Cancel the current cycle, clear any timer or delayed start state, and select a normal broil setting. Use the door position your manual calls for.
- Step 2: Watch the first minute from a safe distance. On electric models, look for even upper-element glow. On gas models, watch for igniter glow followed by burner ignition.
- Step 3: If the oven is electric and both bake and broil are dead or weak, inspect the range breaker for a half-tripped double breaker. Reset it once only.
- Step 4: Turn power off and let the oven cool. Inspect the upper element, igniter area, visible burner ports, brackets, and nearby terminals for damage.
- Step 5: If the visible clue supports one part, compare that part by exact model number. If the clue is unclear, stop before ordering and get a meter-based diagnosis.
- Step 6: After a supported repair, run a short broil cycle empty and watch for normal top heat before cooking food under it.
What the first minute tells you
Broil diagnosis gets much easier when you write down the first visible result. The failure pattern matters more than the simple fact that the broiler quit.
| What you see | What it usually means | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| Bake works, electric upper element stays dark | Broil element, broil wiring, or broil relay path | Inspect the element with power off; replace only if damage or testing supports it. |
| Electric element glows in one section or has a split spot | Partially failed oven broil element | Match the exact element shape and terminals before ordering. |
| Gas igniter glows but burner does not light promptly | Weak broil igniter is likely | Stop if gas odor lingers; replace the igniter only after matching the model. |
| Neither bake nor broil heats right | Power, supply, sensor, or control-side issue | Look beyond broil-only parts and call a pro if power or gas diagnosis is needed. |
| Broil starts, then quits too early | Sensor feedback, heat-damaged connection, or control issue | Note whether bake temperature is also off before buying a sensor. |
Tools You May Need
These tools support inspection and power-off testing. They are not a reason to work on energized wiring or loosen gas fittings.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Repair Riot may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Inspection flashlight
Helps when: You need to see the upper element, igniter area, burner ports, or model-number tag without reaching into a dark oven.
Skip it when: The broil area is hot, the oven is still powered for disassembly, or gas odor is present.
Compare flashlights on Amazon
Screwdriver and nut driver set
Helps when: You are removing racks, a permitted access cover, or element mounting screws after power is off.
Skip it when: The oven is hardwired, built in tightly, or the panel removal exposes wiring you are not trained to handle.
Compare driver sets on Amazon
Digital multimeter
Helps when: You know how to test continuity on a disconnected broil element or sensor with the breaker off.
Skip it when: The next step would require energized measurements, gas-valve testing, or guessing what the meter reading means.
Compare multimeters on Amazon
Cut-resistant work gloves
Helps when: You are handling racks, sharp sheet-metal edges, or brittle brackets after the oven is cool.
Skip it when: The job involves hot parts, exposed electrical terminals, or any gas leak concern.
Compare work gloves on AmazonReplacement Parts
Put parts in the cart only after the symptom points there. LG oven parts are model-specific, and lookalike elements or igniters can have the wrong bracket, lead length, connector, or terminal shape.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Repair Riot may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
LG oven broil element
Helps when: An electric oven bakes normally, broil stays cold or heats in patches, or the upper element is blistered, split, or burned open.
Skip it when: Bake is also dead, the breaker trips again, or you have not inspected the element with power off.
Compare broil elements on Amazon
LG oven igniter
Helps when: A gas broiler igniter glows but the burner does not light promptly, lights late, or gives weak broil heat.
Skip it when: You smell gas that does not clear, the igniter area is not accessible safely, or the model match is uncertain.
Compare oven igniters on Amazon
LG oven temperature sensor
Helps when: Broil starts and quits early, bake temperatures are also off, and the broil element or igniter path does not explain the failure.
Skip it when: Only broil is dead and the heat source has not been inspected or tested yet.
Compare oven sensors on Amazon
LG oven control board
Helps when: A technician has traced the failure to the control circuit after the heat source, wiring, sensor, and power supply check out.
Skip it when: You are buying it as the first guess. Control boards are expensive and easy to misdiagnose.
Compare control boards on AmazonWhat to write down before service
Good notes can save a service visit from turning into guesswork. The best details come from the first safe observation, not from taking the oven apart.
- Full LG model number and whether the oven is gas or electric. If you smell gas, stop there and leave the oven off.
- Whether bake works normally, weakly, or not at all.
- Whether the electric broil element stays dark, glows unevenly, or shows visible damage.
- Whether the gas igniter stays dark, glows without ignition, or lights the burner late.
- Any breaker trip, error code, burning smell, gas odor, sparks, or heat-damaged wiring.
- Whether the failure started after self-clean, a power outage, heavy broiling, or oven removal.
FAQ
Why does my LG oven bake but not broil?
That usually means the failure is on the broil side, not the whole oven. On an electric model, the upper broil element or its connection is high on the list. On a gas model, the broil igniter is a common cause, but stop and call a pro if you smell gas.
How do I know if the oven broil element is bad?
With power off and the oven cool, look for blistering, a split sheath, sagging, or a burned-open spot on the upper element. During a safe broil observation, a bad element may stay dark or glow in only one section.
Can a gas oven igniter glow and still be bad?
Yes. A weak igniter can glow and still fail to open the gas valve reliably. If it glows for a while but the broil burner does not light promptly, the igniter is usually a better suspect than the control board. Stop if gas odor lingers.
Can a bad oven sensor stop broil from working?
It can, but it is not the first part to buy. The oven temperature sensor moves up when broil starts and quits too early, bake temperatures are also wrong, or the heat source itself does not explain the symptom.
Should I replace the oven control board if the broiler is not working?
Usually no. A control board is a late diagnosis, not a first guess. Consider it only after settings, power, element or igniter behavior, sensor clues, and visible wiring have been ruled out.
Why does the broiler work sometimes and then quit?
Intermittent broil can come from a weak igniter, a cracked element that opens as it heats, a loose heat-damaged connection, or sensor feedback that cuts heat early. Write down whether bake is also affected before buying parts.
Could a breaker make an electric LG broiler seem dead?
Yes. Some electric ranges can look partly alive while a power leg is missing. If the range uses a double breaker, reset it fully off and on once. If it trips again, leave it off and call for help.
Can I use bake if broil is not working?
If bake works normally and there is no gas odor, sparking, burning smell, breaker trip, or visible heat damage, bake may still be usable for a short time. Stop using the oven and call a pro if any safety clue appears.
What should I match before ordering an LG oven part?
Use the full model number and match the part diagram, connector, bracket, lead length, terminal shape, and element shape. A part that looks close in a photo can still be wrong for your oven.
How this page was built
Repair Riot built this page around visible oven behavior: mode and door checks first, then electric element, gas igniter, sensor, wiring, and control clues. Manufacturer and safety references shaped the model-number and stop-work guidance.
- LG product support and manuals — use the exact LG model number and manual for broil settings, door position, and part diagrams
- LG parts and accessories support — manufacturer part matching starts with the product model, not a lookalike photo
- NFPA cooking equipment safety — supports stop-work language around heat, smoke, sparks, cooking equipment, and fire safety
- NFPA cooking equipment safety — supports practical caution around oven heat, unattended cooking, and fire risk