Goodman, Amana ASX13 error code 3 flashes
Compressor short cycling
Goodman is the platform name, and your unit may not say it
Amana ASX13 / ASZ13 is the same board with a different badge, so this page covers all of them. The fault, the checks and the parts are identical, which is why there is one page rather than one per brand.
Quick answer
On Goodman ASX13 (2000s-2010s), 3 flashes is a fault. It means compressor short cycling. A first thing to check: Low refrigerant charge or a leak.
- Applies to
- Goodman ASX13
- Goodman and Amana ASX13, ASZ13, ASXC16, ASZC16 air conditioner flash codes · Air Conditioner · 2000s-2010s
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- Check the capacitor for bulging and the contactor for pitting.
What 3 flashes means on this model
The compressor is starting and stopping on a cycle much shorter than it should. Either it is losing pressure between starts, it cannot get up to speed, or the control is cutting it off. Sustained short cycling will kill a compressor, so this is worth dealing with even if cooling seems adequate.
Symptoms you will notice
- Outdoor unit starts and stops every few minutes
- House never holds set temperature
- Compressor sounds strained or clicks
- Code appears on repeated cycles
Common causes
The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:
- Low refrigerant charge or a leak
- Failed compressor, unable to build pressure
- Failed capacitor or contactor
- Failed outdoor fan motor
- Frozen or restricted metering device
- Low voltage supply to the outdoor unit
What you can safely check
These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.
- Check the capacitor for bulging and the contactor for pitting.
- Check the condenser fan spins freely and at speed.
- Check the outdoor unit breaker voltage at the time of start. A sagging supply will stop a compressor.
Do not do these
- ×Do not keep resetting the unit. Each short cycle stresses the compressor windings and the contactor.
- ×Do not add refrigerant as a first step. If the compressor has lost its charge internally, refrigerant will not fix it.
When to call a technician
Book a technician, do not keep resetting it
This fault will not clear on its own. Every power cycle gives the control one more failed attempt, and repeated attempts are what turn a cheap part replacement into a seized or contaminated system.
- The refrigerant circuit is sealed and legally requires licensed handling. Opening it without certification releases refrigerant and can put the whole system in violation of regulation, so a low-pressure or high-pressure fault on this equipment is a call-out, not a weekend job.
- If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.
Capacitor and contactor are reasonable. Compressor work means recovering refrigerant and is licensed.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Capacitor $25 to $60. Contactor $25 to $70. Compressor $900 to $2,000. Charge $150 to $400 including labour.
Labor
Half a day for a compressor.
DIY or technician
Capacitor and contactor are reasonable. Compressor work means recovering refrigerant and is licensed.
Typical US part and labor ranges, 2026. They vary by region, model and contractor, so treat them as a planning figure, not a quote.
Scope of this code
- Code table
- Goodman and Amana ASX13, ASZ13, ASXC16, ASZC16 air conditioner flash codes
- Models in scope
- Goodman ASX13, 2000s-2010s
- Checked
- Confirm on your own unit
- Find the model number on the data plate, then check this code in the service manual for that model. Manufacturers revise code tables between model years, and a revised board can renumber a fault.