Goodman furnaces either flash a light on the control board, which you count through the blower door window, or show a code such as E0 or E3 on a small display. Read the code before opening the door, since cutting power clears it. Then reset once: thermostat off for 5 to 20 seconds, or power off for at least 5 seconds. If it returns, call a technician.
Goodman furnaces show faults in one of two ways. Many models, including the GMS8 and GMSS96, flash a light on the control board, which you count through the window in the blower access door. Newer models show a short letter-and-number code, such as E0 or E3, on a small three-character display. Note the code first, then reset once by turning the thermostat off for 5 to 20 seconds, or the furnace power off for at least 5 seconds. If the code comes back, call a technician.
The flash codes below come from Goodman's service instructions for its GMS8 furnaces and the wiring label in its GMSS96 spec sheet. The display codes come from Goodman's service manual for its GMVM97 ComfortBridge furnace. Amana-brand furnaces built on the same platform share these manuals.
If you smell gas, stop here
Goodman's GMS8 service instructions print the rule on their safety page. Don't light any appliance, don't touch an electric switch and don't use a phone in the building. Call your gas supplier from a neighbor's phone, and call the fire department if you can't reach them. Do all of that from outside. A gas smell is never a code to look up.
How to read a Goodman error code
On a flash-code furnace, Goodman's manual says to look through the observation window in the blower access door and count the flashes in each sequence between pauses. Four flashes, a pause, four flashes means code 4.
Read the code before you open the door or cut the power. A footnote on Goodman's troubleshooting chart says the flash code stops if power to the control is interrupted through the disconnect or the door switch. Pull the blower door off and the code is gone.
On a display furnace, the manual says a sight glass sits close to the control board so you can see the digits. In normal operation the display shows status such as "IdL" for idle. Goodman's GMVM97 manual explains that an active alarm starts with "E" followed by the two-character alarm code, so alarm E0 reads "EE0" on the display, and blower alarm b0 reads "Eb0".
Goodman furnace flash codes (LED)
Codes are from the troubleshooting chart in Goodman's GMS8 service instructions (RS6612006, July 2013), cross-checked against the LED legend on the wiring diagram in the GMSS96/GCSS96 spec sheet. The two agree on every code. The "what you can check" column only holds steps Goodman gives in these documents.
| Code | What it means | What you can check | Call a pro? |
|---|---|---|---|
| No light | No 115 or 24 volt power to the control, a blown fuse or tripped breaker, or an internal control fault | Furnace power switch on, breaker on, blower door closed | Yes, if power is on |
| Steady on | Normal operation | Nothing | No |
| 1 flash | Lockout after too many ignition retries (3 total). Auto-resets after one hour | Reset once (thermostat or power) | Yes, if it returns |
| 2 flashes | Pressure switch closed while the draft blower is off | Nothing | Yes |
| 3 flashes | Pressure switch not closed while the draft blower runs | Nothing | Yes |
| 4 flashes | Primary or auxiliary limit switch open (overheating) | Replace a dirty filter | Yes, if it returns |
| 5 flashes | Flame sensed with no call for heat | Nothing | Yes |
| 6 flashes | Rollout limit switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| 7 flashes | Low flame sense signal (furnace may keep running) | Nothing | Yes |
| 8 flashes | Igniter circuit fault or improper grounding | Nothing | Yes |
| Continuous rapid flash | 115-volt polarity reversed, or poor unit ground | Nothing | Yes |
Anything marked "Yes" belongs to a licensed technician. Goodman's chart sends every one of those to the pressure switch, venting, igniter, flame sensor, gas valve or wiring.
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Goodman display codes (ComfortBridge and newer furnaces)
These come from the alarm code definition table in Goodman's GMVM97/GCVM97 service manual (RS6612015r8, March 2023), a modulating furnace that can communicate with a matching outdoor unit. The display shows an extra "E" in front, so E3 appears as "EE3".
| Code | What it means | What you can check | Call a pro? |
|---|---|---|---|
| E0 | Lockout after too many ignition retries or recycles | Reset once (thermostat or power) | Yes, if it returns |
| E1 | Low-stage pressure switch stuck closed at the start of heating | Nothing | Yes |
| E2 | Low-stage pressure switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| E3 | High limit switch open | Replace a dirty filter | Yes, if it returns |
| E4 | Flame detected when no flame should be present | Nothing | Yes |
| E5 | Open fuse | Nothing | Yes |
| E6 | Low flame signal | Nothing | Yes |
| E7 | Igniter fault or improper grounding | Nothing | Yes |
| E8 | High-stage pressure switch stuck closed at the start of heating | Nothing | Yes |
| E9 | High-stage pressure switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| EA | Reversed line polarity | Nothing | Yes |
| Eb | Gas valve not powered when it should be | Nothing | Yes |
| EC | Gas valve powered when it should not be | Nothing | Yes |
| Ed | Auxiliary limit switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| EE | Internal control fault | Nothing | Yes |
| EF | Condensate switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| 10 | Grounding fault | Nothing | Yes |
| 11 | Rollout switch open | Nothing | Yes |
| 12, 13 | Redundant gas valve relay open (12) or stuck closed (13) | Nothing | Yes |
| b0 | Circulator blower motor not running | Nothing | Yes |
| b1 | Control lost communication with the blower motor | Nothing | Yes |
| b2 to b7, b9 | Blower motor faults: horsepower mismatch (b2), power, temperature or speed limit (b3), current trip or lost rotor (b4), locked rotor (b5), voltage or temperature trip (b6), incomplete parameters (b7), inadequate airflow (b9) | Nothing | Yes |
| d0, d1, d4, d5, d6 | Network data errors: data not yet on network (d0), invalid data (d1), invalid shared data (d4), invalid firmware (d5), unrecognized data ID (d6) | Nothing | Yes |
| C1, C2, C3, CF | Communication alarms: network (C1), E-module (C2), Bluetooth module (C3), gas valve stepper motor (CF) | Nothing | Yes |
Goodman's 80% furnaces, the single-stage GM9S80 and two-stage GM9C80 (service manuals dated September 2023), use the same three-character display. Their charts share most of these heating codes and add three more: an open igniter (En), an inducer relay error (EJ) and a twinning error (EH). On those models a technician views stored faults by pressing the board's left or right button until L6F shows, then the center button. Check the chart for your exact model.
Amana furnace error codes
Goodman's service manuals cover Amana-brand furnaces too. The GMS8 service instructions cover Goodman GMS8 and GDS8 alongside Amana AMS8 and ADSS8. The GMVM97 manual covers AMVM97 and ACVM97 too, and the GM9C80 manual covers AM9C80 and AC9C80. If your Amana furnace's model number matches one of those, the tables above apply. If not, check the code legend on the furnace's wiring label.
What to do for the common codes
1 flash or E0: ignition lockout
The furnace tried to light three times in one call for heat and couldn't establish or hold a flame. Goodman's chart lists no gas, a bad or misaligned igniter, a coated flame sensor and blocked flue piping as causes.
Goodman gives three ways out of lockout. Turn the thermostat off for more than 5 and less than 20 seconds, then back on. Or turn the furnace power off for at least 5 seconds. Or wait: the control resets itself after one hour. The GMVM97 manual says that if the cause is still there, the furnace will lock out again. One reset, then a technician.
Don't try to light the burner by hand. Goodman's manual says these furnaces light automatically.
4 flashes or E3: limit switch open
The furnace got too hot and the limit switch shut the burners off. Goodman's chart lists blocked filters and restrictive ductwork among the causes, along with a wrong blower speed, a failed blower and a faulty limit switch. Turn the power off, check the filter and replace it if it's clogged. Our guide on how often to change your furnace filter covers filter types. If the code returns on a clean filter, the blower or limit needs a technician.
3 flashes or E2: pressure switch open
The draft blower is running but its pressure switch hasn't closed, so the furnace won't light. The chart lists a blocked or pinched pressure switch hose, blocked flue or inlet pipes, a blocked drain system and a weak draft blower. These are all technician checks.
7 flashes or E6: low flame signal
The furnace may still run, but the flame sensor's signal is weak. Goodman lists a coated or oxidized sensor, a sensor out of position and a lazy flame from wrong gas pressure. Its manuals call for sanding or cleaning the sensor as a service step, so leave it to the technician.
8 flashes: igniter or grounding
Goodman issued a service bulletin on the eight-flash code in 2008 because its "H" model furnaces (GMH, AMH, GCH, GDH) could show it with no description on the label. The control maker says it means an igniter relay fault or a shorted igniter. Goodman adds that loose or missing ground connections are the most common field cause. The fix is tightening grounds inside the cabinet, which is a technician job.
Models this covers
- Goodman GMS8, GDS8 and Amana AMS8, ADSS8 (80% single-stage): flash codes, from the GMS8 service instructions.
- Goodman GMSS96 and GCSS96 (96% single-stage): the same flash codes, from the spec sheet wiring label.
- Goodman GMVM97, GCVM97 and Amana AMVM97, ACVM97 (modulating, ComfortBridge): display codes.
- Goodman GM9S80 and GM9C80, Amana AM9C80 and AC9C80: display codes, close to the GMVM97 list.
Goodman boards differ by model and age, so the code legend on your own furnace's wiring label wins over any table here. If the furnace won't start and shows no code, try our furnace won't turn on checklist. If it runs but blows cold air, read why a furnace blows cold air. We also cover Carrier furnace codes, Lennox furnace error codes and Trane furnace error codes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reset a Goodman furnace error code?
Goodman's service instructions give three ways. Turn the thermostat off for more than 5 and less than 20 seconds, then back on. Or switch off the furnace power for at least 5 seconds. Or wait, because the control resets itself one hour after a lockout. Reset once. If the same code comes back, the cause is still there and a technician should find it.
What does 1 flash mean on a Goodman furnace?
One flash is a system lockout. The furnace tried three times to light and could not establish or hold a flame, so it stopped trying. Goodman lists no gas, a bad or misaligned igniter, a coated flame sensor and blocked flue piping as causes. Reset it once. If it locks out again, call a technician. On display models the same fault shows as E0.
What does 4 flashes mean on a Goodman furnace?
Four flashes means the primary or auxiliary limit switch is open, which happens when the furnace overheats. Goodman's chart lists blocked filters and restrictive ductwork among the causes, along with blower problems and a faulty limit. Turn the power off and replace a dirty filter. If the code returns with a clean filter, have a technician check the blower and limit switch.
What does EE0 mean on a Goodman furnace display?
EE0 is alarm E0: a lockout after too many ignition retries or recycles. Goodman's manual says active alarms show an E followed by the two-character alarm code, so E0 appears as EE0 and E3 as EE3. Reset once with the thermostat or the power. If the furnace locks out again, the igniter, gas supply or flame sensor needs a technician.
Do Amana furnaces use the same error codes as Goodman?
On matching models, yes. Goodman's GMS8 service instructions also cover Amana AMS8 and ADSS8, the GMVM97 manual covers Amana AMVM97 and ACVM97, and the GM9C80 manual covers Amana AM9C80 and AC9C80. If your Amana furnace is one of those, the same codes apply. For other models, check the code legend on the furnace's wiring label.
Why did the code disappear when I opened the furnace door?
A note on Goodman's troubleshooting chart says the flash code stops when power to the control is interrupted through the disconnect switch or the door switch. Taking the blower door off releases that switch and clears the light. Read the code through the window first, write it down, then do anything else. On display models, look through the sight glass.
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