6 flashesGoodman, Amana · ASX13 · AC

Goodman, Amana ASX13 error code 6 flashes

Open compressor start circuit

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.

Amana ASX13 / ASZ13

Stop using it

Which models this applies to. This page covers the Goodman and Amana ASX13, ASZ13, ASXC16, ASZC16 air conditioner flash codes.

What is specific to the ASX13 platform

Air conditioner platform. These are not furnace codes.

Your control board does not print the code. It blinks an LED, and you count the flashes against a legend printed on the board or inside the access panel. Count a full cycle before you read it, because the pattern pauses and repeats.

Quick answer

On Goodman ASX13 (2000s-2010s), 6 flashes is a fault. It means open compressor start circuit. A first thing to check: Failed potential relay.

Applies to: Goodman ASX13; Goodman and Amana ASX13, ASZ13, ASXC16, ASZC16 air conditioner flash codes · Air Conditioner · 2000s-2010s
Type of code: Fault; Urgency: Stop using it
First safe check: Listen carefully during a call. A hum with no start is exactly this fault.

Checked 2026-09-26

What 6 flashes means on this model

The start winding circuit is open. The compressor has a separate start winding used only during startup, and this code means that winding or its relay is not being energised. On a unit with a potential relay that means the relay has failed; on a modern board it means the board output has failed.

Symptoms you will notice

Outdoor unit hums but the compressor does not start
Fan may run, compressor does not
Code appears on every cooling call

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:

Failed potential relay
Failed hard start capacitor
Failed control board start output
Open start winding in the compressor
Loose contactor or start relay connection

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.

Listen carefully during a call. A hum with no start is exactly this fault.
Check the contactor is closing fully when the unit calls.

Do not do these

×Do not hold the contactor closed by hand or block it, hoping the compressor starts.

When to call a technician

Stop using the appliance and call today

This one is a safety limit, not a nuisance. The control is shutting the unit down to prevent damage or a hazard, and it will keep doing that until the underlying cause is fixed. Running it anyway risks the expensive failure it was designed to prevent.

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.

Relay and capacitor swaps are reasonable. Compressor work is licensed.

What it costs to fix

Parts

Potential relay $30 to $80. Start capacitor $30 to $80. Control board $250 to $500. Compressor $900 to $2,000 if the winding is open.

Labor

Two to four hours. Half a day for a compressor.

DIY or technician