Maytag Oven Won't Turn Off? Here's Why

Kill power first#

Before touching anything, shut off the breaker or unplug the range, and on a gas Maytag close the gas supply valve too. The element is stuck energized, so this isn't a wait-and-see fault — leave the power off, because restoring it just re-heats a runaway element.

Which Maytag you have#

The problem turns up across the line: the MER6600FZ electric (welded relay), the MGR6600FW gas (sensor short plus gas valve), and the MEW9527FZ wall oven (stuck touchpad). Read your model off the serial plate — inside the door frame, on the rear panel, or under the lid — before ordering a part.

The three causes#

• A welded control-board relay (most common). A power surge welds the relay contacts shut on the board (W10834736), so the bake element gets continuous power regardless of the controls. The board is replaced.
• A shorted temperature sensor. A sensor at 0 ohms (WPW10181986) tells the board the oven is freezing, so it commands maximum heat with no end. A near-0-ohm reading with power off confirms it.
• A stuck touchpad key. Moisture working into the membrane holds a key down, which keeps sending a heat command.

Checking it safely#

With power off, note any error code the display showed, then meter the temperature sensor — near 0 ohms means a short, replaced before power comes back. If nothing's obvious, or you smell burning or see sparking, hand it to a technician instead of re-energizing the oven.

Maintenance before heavy use#

A little care prevents most of this: wipe up spills before they carbonize, test oven-temperature accuracy every 6 months with a thermometer and recalibrate if it's off by more than 25 degrees F, and check the door gasket yearly — all worth doing before a Maytag oven built to work hard takes on holiday baking. A single failure on a unit under 8 to 10 years old is usually worth repairing; book an EasyBear technician and keep the oven off until it's done.