When one cooktop burner stops working but the others are fine, you've got a localized failure — usually a $20–$80 part swap. The right fix depends on whether you've got gas, coil electric, smooth-top electric, or induction.
Most cooktop symptoms get diagnosed and fixed on the first visit. Flat $129 diagnostic — fully waived when you approve the repair.
Step-by-step
Gas: open flame from burner ports. Electric coil: visible spiral coils that glow red. Smooth-top: glass surface, hidden radiant elements. Induction: glass surface, only heats with magnetic cookware.
Lift the cap off the dead burner. Clean the small holes around the rim with a toothpick or pin (NOT a wooden toothpick that snaps off). Wipe the igniter (the small ceramic post) with a dry cloth. Reseat the cap level. Test.
If you hear clicking but no flame: gas valve to the cooktop is closed, the burner is misaligned (cap not seated), or the burner is so clogged that gas can't reach the igniter. If no clicking: igniter or spark module bad.
Remove a working coil and a dead one. Plug the working coil into the dead one's receptacle. If it heats = original coil was bad ($25–$45 part). If it doesn't heat = receptacle or switch is bad.
Pull the cooktop up (it lifts on hinges from the front edge on most models). Disconnect the dead element's wires and ohm it out — should read 30–80Ω depending on wattage. Open = bad element ($60–$120 part).
Try a pan you KNOW is induction-compatible (a magnet sticks firmly to the bottom). If still no detection, the coil or sensor under that burner has failed — induction repair is technician-only because the boards are often paired with specific coils.
Order the OEM part for your model number (the model tag is usually under the cooktop or on a sticker just inside the rim). Most swaps are 15–30 minutes with a screwdriver. Follow the wiring diagram exactly.
Stop and call
Safety + model triggers
Gas cooktop and you smell gas at any time during testing.
Leave the kitchen, ventilate, and call your gas utility FIRST. Do not flip switches or use the igniter.
Multiple burners dead at the same time, OR breaker trips when you turn one on.
Switch panel, control board, or supply wiring fault — direct short risks panel damage.
Smooth-top with cracked or chipped glass surface.
Replace the entire cooktop — the glass is bonded to the elements and won't seal again.
Built-in cooktop with downdraft, or premium induction (Wolf, Thermador, Bosch Benchmark, Miele).
Coils are paired to specific control boards by serial — wrong part means no detection.
Induction cooktop with no detection on multiple zones.
HV inverter and IGBT modules — same shock risk as a microwave; not DIY-serviceable.
Other reasons to call
FAQs
Almost always a clogged burner port or a wet/dirty igniter. Clean the port holes with a sewing needle, wipe the igniter dry with a cloth, and make sure the burner cap is seated level. Fixes ~80% of single-burner gas failures.
Coil cooktop: swap the element with a working one — if it doesn't heat in the new position, the element is bad. Smooth-top: ohm out the radiant element (30–80Ω good, open = bad). Induction: test with confirmed magnetic cookware first.
The pan isn't induction-compatible (magnet test: if a magnet sticks firmly to the bottom, it works). Some induction cooktops also need the pan to cover at least 50% of the burner ring.
Yes if you can lift the cooktop and aren't afraid of a screwdriver and wire connectors — about 30 minutes with the OEM part. Watch a YouTube video for your specific model number first.
Gas igniter: $189–$260. Electric coil + receptacle: $189–$280. Radiant element (smooth-top): $260–$380. Induction coil: $400–$600 (usually not worth it). Our flat $129 diagnostic is waived with repair.
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Gas, electric, smooth-top radiant, and induction cooktops — we fix every kind. Same-day windows across the Twin Cities and Central MN with OEM parts on every truck and a flat $129 diagnostic that's waived when you approve the repair.
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