Why a Whirlpool cooktop is diagnosed by symptom
A Whirlpool cooktop — radiant WCE, gas WCG or induction WCI — does not report a fault-code dictionary the way a wall oven does. The one indicator you may see, a LOC padlock, is the Control Lock feature, not a fault; hold the lock button for three to five seconds to clear it. Beyond that, an electric, gas or induction cooktop carries no error codes and is diagnosed from what it does, so the symptom itself is the diagnostic.
Heating and ignition symptoms
A radiant element that will not heat usually traces to a failed element, an infinite switch or a wiring fault, while one that stays on points at a stuck switch or relay. A gas burner that clicks but will not light usually has moisture under the cap (let it dry), a clogged port, a weak spark electrode or the spark module at fault, while continuous clicking points at a wet or cracked electrode. An induction zone that will not heat is most often a cookware problem — test a pan with a magnet and centre it — or, less often, a coil or sensor fault.
Touch, power and surface symptoms
An unresponsive touch panel usually traces to a spill or object on the glass; clean and dry it before suspecting the board. A cooktop that is completely dead points at the 240V supply or a tripped breaker. A cracked glass surface should be taken out of use immediately. If a zone still will not heat, an element stays on, or the panel stays dead after a reset, an experienced, independent technician should diagnose the elements, switches, spark module, induction coil or control with the correct genuine OEM part. Browse the symptom guides on the cooktop diagnostics page, then book cooktop repair.