Start here
A gas burner that will not light, or lights and goes out, is about three things: gas, spark and the burner parts being in the right place. That puts a burner cap or head out of position at the top of the list here and a flame-supervision device or thermocouple at the bottom.
What the machine is doing
- The igniter clicks but the burner does not light — Spark is present; gas or the burner ports are not.
- Only one burner is affected — That points at that burner assembly rather than at the supply.
- NEAR MISS — the oven does not heat but the hob does — That is a separate system with its own igniter and safety valve.
Causes, most likely first on this unit
- A burner cap or head out of position — The cap has one correct orientation. Burner hardware is checked first because it is designed to come apart and it is where most of these complaints live.
- Blocked burner ports — Boil-overs and cleaning residue plug the small ports around the burner head, producing a partial ring of flame or none. It ranks here because a burner part out of place is both the likeliest and the easiest thing to correct.
- A wet, dirty or failed igniter electrode — The ceramic electrode beside the burner sparks to light the gas. Wet or greasy, it clicks without sparking properly. It is placed here because the checks above are quicker, not because this one is unlikely.
- Gas supply or a conversion mismatch — A closed valve, an empty cylinder, or a machine set up for the wrong gas type produces weak or absent flames across all burners.
- A flame-supervision device or thermocouple — It proves the flame and holds the gas open. A dirty or failed one lets the burner die as soon as the knob is released.
Where to start, and what each check rules out
- Lift the burner cap and refit it squarely — It is free, it takes seconds and it explains a large share of these.
- Check whether all burners are affected or only one — All of them points at the supply; one points at that assembly.
- Dry the burner area thoroughly after cleaning — A wet igniter clicks without lighting, and it is a very common call.
Step by step, as far as it is safe to go
- Remove, clean and dry the burner cap and head — Warm soapy water, a soft brush on the ports, and let everything dry fully before refitting.
Tools: soft brush, cloth
- Refit the cap squarely and test each burner in turn — Compare a working burner with the failing one; the difference is usually visible.
- STOP before touching the igniter module, the valve or any gas fitting — Gas work is licensed work, and the ignition system runs at mains voltage.
Safety
Safety
Gas work is licensed work: burner caps and ports are owner cleaning, everything beyond them is not. If you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. Switch off the supply at the appliance isolator before cleaning around a burner.
The line between a fix and a service call
Call a licensed gas technician when the burner hardware is clean and correctly fitted and the burner still will not light, when flames are yellow across every burner, or whenever a flame goes out on its own. Call immediately, from outside, if you smell gas.
The same problem on other machines
What is deliberately not here
Generalized information: this describes the gas range class, not your serial number. Anything tied to a chassis — pinouts, part numbers, diagnostic key sequences — is absent by design. A family- or model-level page, where one exists, is linked below and takes precedence. The brand overview page linked below covers the other problems on this machine.
Links: - [Common Café Gas Stove Problems](/blog/caf-gas-stove-problems) - [Café Gas Stove: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/caf-gas-stove-abnormal-noise)
Adjacent pages worth reading
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
