Patrick Cooper Key Takeaways
- E3 means the zone cannot detect a compatible pan, and on a working cooktop that is a statement about the cookware, not the appliance.
- E1 is overtemperature protection and usually points at a blocked ventilation path under the countertop rather than a failed part.
- E2 reports incoming voltage outside the safe range and often follows something else in the house switching on.
- E0 is the control module, E4 is the temperature sensor under the glass, and F15 is lost communication between the two boards — all three are service calls.
- Note whether the fault follows one zone or the whole surface: that single observation separates a sensor problem from a board problem.
The Bottom Line
Test the pan with a magnet before anything else, then check ventilation and supply if E1 or E2 keeps returning. If E0, E4 or F15 comes back after a five-minute power cycle, the fault is under the glass and needs a technician.
An induction cooktop that posts a code is easier to diagnose than almost any other appliance, because the surface has very few things in it: a coil under the glass, a temperature sensor touching the glass, a control board, and a user interface board behind the touch panel. The Electrolux induction cooktop error codes map almost one to one onto those four parts, and knowing which one a code names tells you immediately whether this is a two-minute fix or a service call.
| Code | What the cooktop is reporting | What you see | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| E0 | Internal electronic fault in the control module | Zones dead or erratic, code returns after reset | Book a diagnostic |
| E1 | Overtemperature protection has been activated | Zone cuts out during hard searing, fan runs on | Clear the vents, let it cool |
| E2 | Incoming voltage outside the safe operating range | Shutdowns that follow other loads in the house | Have the supply checked |
| E3 | Induction zone cannot detect a compatible pan | Zone will not start, no heat at all | Test the pan with a magnet |
| E4 | Temperature sensor is faulty or disconnected | Power limiting or refusal to heat | Sensor and its lead, by a technician |
| F15 | Communication failure between UI and control boards | Touch panel lights but nothing responds | Ribbon connection, then boards |
| PF | Power failure detected and recovered | Code on wake after an outage | Clear it and carry on |
What Actually Sits Under the Glass
An induction zone does not heat the glass. A coil below the surface produces a changing magnetic field, that field induces current in the base of a ferrous pan, and the pan heats itself. The glass gets hot only because the pan is sitting on it. That is why the codes divide the way they do: some describe the pan, some describe the glass temperature, and some describe the electronics that run the coil.
E3 Is Almost Always the Cookware
E3 means the zone cannot detect a compatible pan, and on a working cooktop that is a statement about the pot rather than the appliance. Induction needs a magnetic base and enough of it to cover a useful share of the ring.
- Test with a refrigerator magnet. If it does not stick firmly to the base, the pan will never work, whatever the box said.
- Match the pan to the zone. A small saucepan centered on a large zone can read as no pan at all.
- Check for a warped base. A pan that rocks only touches the glass around its rim, and detection drops in and out during cooking.
- Remove any diffuser plate unless it is an induction interface disc — most are not.
If E3 appears with cookware that has always worked, and appears on one zone only, then the coil or its drive circuit is the suspect and the pan has been ruled out for you.
E1 and E2 Are About the Environment, Not the Cooktop
E1 is overtemperature protection doing its job. The electronics under the glass are cooled by a fan drawing air through a vent, usually at the front or underneath the cabinet. Block that path — with a drawer packed tight against the underside, a filler panel, or a cooktop installed over an appliance that vents upward — and long high-power cooking will trip the protection. Let the surface cool, then look at the airflow before blaming the board.
E2 reports incoming voltage outside the safe operating range. Induction electronics are fussy about supply quality, and this code frequently follows a pattern in the house rather than in the kitchen: it appears when a well pump starts, when an air conditioner cycles, or on a circuit shared with something it should not share. It is a genuine warning and repeated occurrences deserve an electrician rather than a reset.
E0, E4 and F15 Are Service Codes
These three name components rather than conditions. E0 is an internal electronic fault in the control module, which is the board that drives the coils. E4 is a faulty or disconnected temperature sensor — the thermistor pressed against the underside of the glass that lets the cooktop limit power before the surface is damaged. F15 is a communication failure between the user interface and the control boards, so the touch panel is alive but its commands never arrive.
None of the three is a user repair. All of them sit behind the glass, on a surface that has to be lifted out of the countertop to reach, and the control module handles line voltage. What you can usefully do is record the exact code, note which zones are affected, and note whether the fault follows a zone or the whole surface. That distinction is what separates a sensor from a board, and it saves a visit.
What to Do Next
Work from the cheapest explanation to the most expensive, and stop as soon as the behavior changes.
- Clear the code by switching the cooktop off at the breaker for five minutes.
- Retest with a known induction pan on each zone in turn, noting which zones fail.
- Check the ventilation path under the countertop if E1 has appeared more than once.
- Keep the surface clean and dry around the touch panel — our cooktop maintenance guide covers what actually shortens the life of the glass.
- Book service if E0, E4 or F15 returns after a full power cycle.
Repairs to the module or the sensor are worth pricing before committing; our guide to induction cooktop repair costs sets out what drives the number. Our cooktop repair service covers the glass, the coils and both boards, with diagnostics from $120. The final price is confirmed after the on-site diagnosis and you receive a written estimate before any work starts. You can book a visit or read the detail on the E4 sensor fault and the E3 pan detection fault first.