Goodman, Amana APG13 error code 3 flashes
Closed end centrifugal switch with no combustion motor
Goodman is the platform name, and your unit may not say it
Amana APG13 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 APG13 (2000s), 3 flashes is a fault. It means closed end centrifugal switch with no combustion motor. A first thing to check: Failed outdoor fan motor.
- Applies to
- Goodman APG13
- Goodman and Amana APG13, GPG13, APG15 combined furnace and AC flash codes · Furnace · 2000s
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- Check the outdoor unit breaker and the disconnect.
What 3 flashes means on this model
The outdoor unit fan is sitting still, and the centrifugal switch is reporting a closed contact when the control expects it to be open. In practice this means the fan is not being commanded on, and the cause is usually in the outdoor controls or the wiring rather than the switch itself.
Symptoms you will notice
- Outdoor fan never runs
- Compressor runs but the unit does not cool
- Blower inside runs, no air from the outdoor unit
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 outdoor fan motor
- Failed outdoor control board
- Open contactor or loose contactor wiring
- Failed centrifugal switch
- 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 outdoor unit breaker and the disconnect.
- Look at the contactor and see whether it is pulling in when the thermostat calls for cooling.
Do not do these
- ×Do not work inside the outdoor unit disconnect unless the disconnect is in the off position and you have verified 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.
- This is a fuel-burning appliance, so treat anything involving a burner, gas valve or flue as technician work. If you smell gas at any point, leave the property and call the gas utility from outside rather than continuing to diagnose.
- 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.
Contactor replacement is reasonable. Motor and board work is not.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Fan motor $250 to $500. Contactor $25 to $70. Outdoor board $150 to $350.
Labor
Two to three hours.
DIY or technician
Contactor replacement is reasonable. Motor and board work is not.
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 APG13, GPG13, APG15 combined furnace and AC flash codes
- Models in scope
- Goodman APG13, 2000s
- 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.