The short answer
On an older single-stage Goodman or Amana furnace in Northern Virginia, a solid red light that isn’t blinking means the board has power and is fine. On the two-stage GMEC96, a solid red light means the opposite: the control board has an internal fault, and a new board is $550 to $1,180. No light at all usually means no power reaching the board, and a rapid flash points at reversed wiring or a poor ground. The model number decides which one you’ve got.
Find your board first
You can see the light through the little window in the lower door without taking anything apart. The model number is on the sticker inside the door or on the side of the cabinet.
- GMSS9, GMS8, GDS8, AMSS9 and the like: the older single-stage board, one red light you count.
- GMEC96 or AMEC96: the two-stage board with green, amber and red lights, and its own chart.
- GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and the like: a small display with letters and numbers. I dL means it’s idle and normal.
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Steady, dark or rapid, board by board
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Your furnace shows | Which Goodman board | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Steady red light | Older single-stage (GMSS9, GMS8 and the Amana twins) | Normal. The board has power and is waiting or running |
| Solid red light | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Control board internal fault: the board needs replacing |
| Solid green light | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Normal. Waiting for the thermostat |
| Amber 3 or 4 flashes | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Thermostat wiring fault |
| I dL on the display | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Normal |
| No light, or a dark display | Any | No power to the board, a blown fuse on the board, or a failed board |
| Rapid, continuous flashing | Older single-stage (GMSS9, GMS8 and the Amana twins) | Reversed 115 volt polarity or a poor ground |
| Rapid red flashing | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Twinning error, on two furnaces wired to run as a pair |
| Red 9 | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Poor ground or reversed polarity |
| EEA | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Reversed 115 volt polarity |
| E10 | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Grounding fault: a poor neutral |
| EE5 | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Open fuse on the board: a short in the low voltage wiring |
| EEE | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Internal fault in the board |
From Goodman’s service manuals for the GMSS9 single-stage, GMEC96 two-stage, current single-stage furnaces. Every code for every Goodman board is in our Goodman furnace codes chart.
A steady light and no heat
On an older board, a steady light with no heat means the board has power but isn’t getting a call. The problem is upstream: the thermostat, its wiring, or its batteries. Our thermostat troubleshooting guide walks through it. On the GMEC96, amber 3 or 4 flashes say the same thing more precisely: the thermostat wires are sending the wrong combination of calls.
No light at all
- The breaker. Check the furnace breaker in the panel.
- The furnace switch. It looks like a light switch, on or near the furnace, and it gets flipped off by accident more than you’d think.
- The door. Goodman furnaces have a door switch that cuts the power when the lower panel is off. A panel that isn’t pushed all the way in looks like a dead furnace.
- Still dark? Then it’s inside: the 3 amp fuse on the board, the transformer, or the board itself. The fuse is a small part, and the tech’s real job is finding the short that blew it. Our furnace won’t turn on guide covers the rest of the list.
Rapid flashing: polarity and ground
Goodman’s boards check which wire is hot. If the hot and neutral are reversed, the neutral is loose, or the ground is poor, the board won’t run the furnace. It tends to show up right after electrical work, a new furnace, or a board swap. On the older single-stage boards Goodman also lists the transformer’s orange and gray wires being swapped. It’s a wiring fix at 115 volts, so it’s a tech’s job.
What a tech does on the visit
The tech checks line voltage and polarity at the furnace, the 24 volt side, the fuse, the door switch and the thermostat wiring, and reads the stored faults: L 6 F in the menu on a display board, or the LAST ERROR button on a GMEC96, which flashes back the last five faults. A board only gets replaced once everything feeding it checks out, because a new board on a shorted circuit blows the same fuse. You get the price in writing before any work starts.
We fix Goodman and Amana furnaces across Northern Virginia, in Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling, Herndon, Chantilly, Fairfax, Arlington and Manassas. Every furnace repair price we charge is on our heating page.
Other Goodman codes, one at a time: pressure switch: 3 flashes or EE2; limit switch: 4 flashes or EE3; lockout and weak flame: 1 flash, EE0, EE6; rollout switch: 6 flashes or E11; Goodman heat pump and AC codes.
Get it fixed
Call (703) 997-9757 and we’ll get a tech out to look at your Goodman furnace. We answer day or night. Rather book online? Pick a time here and a box of warm cookies comes with the visit. A repair visit starts with our $99 diagnostic, and you get the price in writing before any work starts. Already have a quote? We’ll give you a free second opinion. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
What does a solid red light mean on a Goodman furnace?
On the older single-stage boards, a steady light is normal: the board has power. On the two-stage GMEC96, a solid red light is a control board internal fault, and a new board is $550 to $1,180.
Why is there no light on my Goodman furnace?
No power is reaching the board. Check the breaker, the furnace switch, and that the lower door is pushed all the way in. If all three are fine, it’s the board’s fuse, the transformer, or the board.
What does rapid flashing mean on a Goodman furnace?
On the older single-stage boards, reversed 115 volt polarity or a poor ground. On the GMEC96, rapid red is a twinning error. On display boards the same wiring faults show as EEA or E10.
How do I see old codes on a Goodman furnace?
On the current display boards, press the left or right button until L 6 F shows, then the center button. On a GMEC96, hold the LAST ERROR button for a moment and it flashes the last five faults, newest first. The older single-stage boards lose the code when the power is cut.
How much is a Goodman furnace control board?
A new control board, installed, is $550 to $1,180. The diagnostic is $99, and the tech checks everything feeding the board first.
