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Goodman gas furnace 3 amber flashes: Second-stage heat call without first stage

Gas furnace, Canada and United States

The thermostat is sending a second-stage heat signal (W2) without the first-stage signal (W1), and the furnace does not run.

This needs a licensed gas technician. There are a few safe checks you can do first, marked below. Anything inside the unit is a job for a professional.

What causes it

  1. The thermostat wires are connected wrongly or the thermostat wiring is faulty.

    Book a licensed gas technician

  2. A faulty thermostat.

    Check the thermostat and the power to the furnaceYou can do this

    1. Check the thermostat is working and set to HEAT above the room temperature, or to COOL below it if the problem is with cooling.
    2. If the blower runs all the time, look at the thermostat's fan switch. ON runs the blower constantly; AUTO runs it only while heating or cooling.
    3. Check that the power switch for the furnace, often a switch on or near it, is turned on.
    4. Check the electrical panel for a tripped circuit breaker or a failed fuse for the furnace. Reset the breaker or replace the fuse.
      If the breaker trips again, leave it off and call a qualified servicer.
    5. Make sure both furnace doors are in place. A switch stops the furnace from running while the blower door is off.

    Book a licensed gas technician

How to read this code on your unit

Booking a licensed gas technician

Book a licensed gas technicianlicensed gas technician

  1. Turn the unit off and leave the covers on. Gas components must only be serviced by a licensed technician.
  2. Note the code, how often it appears, and the model and serial numbers from the rating label.
  3. Book a licensed gas technician and give them those details.

Models that show this code

30 models in 1 range
RangeModels
GMEC96 / GCEC96 / AMEC96 / ACEC96GMEC960302BN, GMEC960303AN, GMEC960402BN, GMEC960403AN, GMEC960603AN, GMEC960603BN, GMEC960803BN, GMEC960804CN, GMEC961004CN, GMEC961005CN, GMEC961205DN, AMEC960302BN, AMEC960303AN, AMEC960402BN, AMEC960403AN, AMEC960603AN, AMEC960603BN, AMEC960803BN, AMEC960804CN, AMEC961004CN, AMEC961005CN, AMEC961205DN, GCEC960403BN, GCEC960603BN, GCEC960803BN, GCEC961005CN, ACEC960403BN, ACEC960603BN, ACEC960803BN, ACEC961005CN

Where this comes from

Checked against the manufacturer's manual on 9 October 2026.

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Other Goodman gas furnace codes

Code Meaning What you can do
b2 Blower motor size does not match the shared data Call a pro
d0 No shared data loaded on the control board Call a pro
d4 Invalid memory card data Call a pro
Eb2 Blower motor size does not match the shared data Call a pro
Ed0 No shared data loaded on the control board Call a pro
Ed1 Invalid shared data Call a pro
Ed8 Invalid call, outdoor unit setting does not match Call a pro
EEH Twinning error Call a pro
2 amber flashes High-stage or single-stage heat call You can often fix it
4 amber flashes Cooling call without a fan signal Safe checks first, then a pro
9 red flashes Configuration error or electrical fault (depends on model) Call a pro
red light flashing rapidly Electrical fault or configuration error (depends on model) Call a pro

See all configuration error codes on gas furnaces across brands.