Goodman GMVC95 error code E6
Low flame signal
Quick answer
On Goodman GMVC95 (2000s-2010s), E6 is a fault. It means low flame signal. A first thing to check: Flame sensor dirty, corroded, or mounted at the wrong distance from the flame.
- Applies to
- Goodman GMVC95
- Goodman and Amana GMVC95, GCVC95, GCVC96 alphanumeric codes · Furnace · 2000s-2010s
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- Look at the flame pattern with the burner running. It should be steady and roughly straight, not leaning, fluttering or lifting off the port.
What E6 means on this model
The burner was running and the flame signal was not steady enough to trust. The control shut the burners down instead of running on a flame it could not read reliably. A sensor that is dirty, corroded, or mounted the wrong distance from the flame is the usual reason the signal wanders.
Symptoms you will notice
- Furnace starts, runs unevenly, then stops
- Long delay between the blower starting and heat at the vents
- Burner sounds rough or unsteady
- Furnace may restart on its own after a pause
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:
- Flame sensor dirty, corroded, or mounted at the wrong distance from the flame
- Flame sensor wiring loose or a poor ground at the burner box
- Dirty burner ports or a burner assembly that has shifted out of position
- Wrong burner orifice or a gas pressure problem producing a lazy flame
- Failing flame sensor that reads erratically
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.
- Look at the flame pattern with the burner running. It should be steady and roughly straight, not leaning, fluttering or lifting off the port.
- Clean the flame sensor rod with fine steel wool. Do not use sandpaper.
- Check that the burner assembly is seated and the sensor bracket is not bent.
Do not do these
- ×Do not adjust the gas pressure or change orifices yourself.
- ×Do not bypass the flame sensor to keep the burner running.
- ×Do not run the furnace if the flame looks yellow or orange rather than blue. Yellow means incomplete combustion.
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.
Sensor cleaning and replacement is fine homeowner work. Anything touching gas pressure is not.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Flame sensor $20 to $60. Orifice kit $20 to $60. Gas valve $150 to $400.
Labor
One to two hours for a sensor or orifice set.
DIY or technician
Sensor cleaning and replacement is fine homeowner work. Anything touching gas pressure 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 GMVC95, GCVC95, GCVC96 alphanumeric codes
- Models in scope
- Goodman GMVC95, 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.