ARVT96

Normal run states on the triple display. idle = standby. Ht1 / Ht2 = low / high heat. CF = continuous fan. CL1 / CL2 = cooling stage.

1. 1 Confirm this is not a fault

   On the Amana ARVT96 this readout (idle / Ht1 / Ht2 / CF / CL1 / CL2) is run status, not a lockout. Write what the display actually shows and whether W/Y/G is present at the IFC.

   Expect: Idle / Ht / CF / stage+CFM words change when you apply and remove the call.

   If fail: If the word never changes on a real call, the call is not reaching this IFC.

   If pass: The board is alive. Diagnose the comfort complaint, not this code.

2. 2 Prove the call at the board

   Measure R to W / Y / G at the Amana ARVT96 IFC, not at the thermostat. Communicating plates need the data pair and a live indoor address — 24 V on W is not the test.

   Expect: Do not replace the board because it says Ht1 or CF.

   If fail: Fix the stat, harness, or data pair before you change parts.

3. 3 Watch one full sequence

   Leave power on. Watch ComfortBridge IFC · three 7-segment digits + UP/MENU/DOWN · CoolCloud through one cycle and write the first real fault that replaces this status word.

   Expect: Call: Communicating stat requests heat capacity, or a single-stage 24V stat closes W. CFM still comes from the IFC tables, not taps.

Control failed to sense flame after retries and shut off gas.

1. 1 Watch one full try — do not reset

   Write the Amana ARVT96 code. Watch inducer, HSI glow, valve click, flame, µA. The step that dies is the repair. Resetting only burns another try into a harder lockout. Watch one full try: inducer, HSI glow, valve click, flame, µA.

   Expect: Call → Prove limits → Low inducer / LPS → HSI / low-fire valve → Blower → High fire → Satisfied

2. 2 Gas and the valve

   Cock open, inlet pressure, then manifold on the stage that is failing vs the rating plate. 24 VAC at the valve during trial? Coil ohms? A valve that never opens looks like a ‘bad igniter’ if you did not watch the sequence. Gas supply and manifold (low then high).

   Expect: Manifold low / high: Natural ~1.6–1.9 / 3.2–3.5 in. w.c. class — rating plate wins. Clock input if in doubt.

3. 3 Flame prove, then the lockout timer

   Glow + valve + no prove → rod, ground, or IFC sense. Prove then drop → µA / PS / limit. Soft lockouts on this family often auto-reset on a long clock — do not sit on resets. Ground and flame-rod cleanliness.

   Expect: Stable µA after light-off. No new PS/limit code.

Low-stage pressure switch is made with the inducer off.

1. 1 Unplug the switch with the inducer off

   On Amana ARVT96 this code is the switch made when the inducer is not running. Unplug that switch only. Unplug the LPS. If the code changes, the switch is welded or the hose is holding residual draft.

   Expect: Code changes when the harness is open.

   If fail: Wrong switch, or the IFC input is shorted.

   If pass: Switch/hose path. Go to step 2.

2. 2 Water in the hose vs a welded switch

   Blow the hose. Water holding residual draft is more common than a welded switch. Confirm the hose is not teed and not routed uphill. Ohm the switch with the hose off. Hose routed downhill? Water fakes a closed switch.

   Expect: Hose empty. Switch opens with no draft.

3. 3 IFC input last

   If the switch ohms open, the hose is dry, and the code does not change with the harness off, the Amana ARVT96 IFC input is shorted. Do not keep swapping switches. IFC input shorted — only after the switch ohms open.

   Expect: Known-good open switch + open harness = code gone. If not, IFC.

Inducer is on low and the low-stage switch will not close.

1. 1 Prove inducer and the live code

   Do not pull power — that clears the Amana ARVT96 active code. Write E2. Is the inducer spinning on this call? Silent inducer is not a pressure switch. Inducer spinning? 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call.

   Expect: 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call. Wheel turning.

   If fail: 120 VAC missing → IFC / door switch / incoming power. Voltage + dead motor → inducer.

   If pass: Inducer running + this code → trap, hose, switch, vent (step 2).

2. 2 Trap, collector, and the hose

   A drowned 96% trap will not make collector pressure. Pull the trap, flush it, confirm the collector box and inducer outlet are not full. Hose cracked, off the port, or full of water fakes an open switch. Collector box, inducer outlet, and condensate trap — this 96% will not make pressure with a full trap.

   Expect: Trap flowing, hose dry and downhill, ports not swapped on a two-switch board.

3. 3 Switch ohms, then vent load

   Ohm the pressure switch: NO, must close when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint. If the switch is good, walk the PVC — bird screen, ice, long 2" run, wind, shared chase. PVC intake/exhaust (bird screen, ice, long run, wind).

   Expect: LPS / HPS: Both NO. Two hoses, two taps, never teed. Closed only when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint.

   If fail: Replace the open switch only after the vent and trap are proven.

   If pass: Switch closes on draft and the code stays → IFC input.

A limit opened. Airflow or overfire. On this plate, heat ESP above 0.5" is a documented hard limit.

1. 1 Treat this as flame outside the exchanger

   Do not reset the Amana ARVT96 rollout and walk away. Write the code, kill the call, and look for flame at the burners, crossover, and vestibule before you do anything else.

   Expect: No flame outside the exchanger. Burners seated. Crossover lit.

   If pass: Still inspect secondary / flue / condensate before you reset.

2. 2 Secondary, condensate, and flue

   Blocked secondary, drowned collector, or a plugged flue pushes flame out the front. Pull the inducer/collector look, confirm the trap is flowing, and check PVC/vent. IFC heat CFM vs the SS rec. CFM for this SKU — not a 9-speed tap. Total external static in HEAT. SS p.7: do not operate above 0.5" w.c. ESP in heating. 0.5–0.8" tables are cooling only.

   Expect: Dry collector, open flue, trap clear.

3. 3 Reset only after the cause is fixed

   Manual-reset rollout. Recurring rollout on Amana ARVT96 is a CO / fire call — cracked primary, misaligned burners, or a failed secondary. Confirm CO in the space before you leave. Filter, wheel, coil, return size. Bottom-return flanges unfolded (SS: ~18% loss if left folded).

   Expect: One clean cycle after the cause is fixed. No second reset as a repair.

Rod sees flame with both solenoids de-energized.

1. 1 Shut the gas cock first

   On Amana ARVT96 the rod sees flame with the valve de-energized. Shut the cock. If flame stays, the valve is leaking — replace it. Do not jump or energize it as a test. Shut the gas cock. If flame stays, leaking valve — replace, do not jump.

   Expect: Flame dies when the cock is shut.

   If fail: Leaking valve. Replace. Do not leave the unit.

2. 2 Rod and IFC flame circuit

   If flame dies with the cock shut, the rod is shorted to ground or the IFC flame circuit is lying. Unplug the rod, inspect ceramic, and check the harness for a rub-through on the collector. Rod shorted to ground or IFC flame circuit.

   Expect: Rod isolated from ground. IFC does not report flame with the rod unplugged.

3. 3 Confirm valve solenoids are actually off

   Measure 24 VAC at both solenoids after the call drops. A welded IFC relay or a shorted W will keep a solenoid wet and look like ‘unexpected flame.’ Replace the IFC only after the valve and rod are proven.

   Expect: 0 VAC at both solenoids after the call. No flame.

Low-voltage fuse on the IFC is open.

1. 1 Find the 24 V short before you replace the fuse

   On Amana ARVT96 an open IFC fuse is a short on W, Y, G, HUM, EAC, or a data pair landed on 24 V. Unplug the thermostat / data harness first. 24 V short on W, Y, G, humidifier, EAC, or a leftover data pair landed on R/C.

   Expect: Fuse out. 24 V transformer still good. Harness isolated.

2. 2 Replace the fuse with the harness off

   New fuse, harness still off. If it holds, the short is in the field wiring or accessory. Plug one circuit back at a time (W, then Y, then HUM/EAC). Unplug the tstat / data harness and replace the fuse.

   Expect: Fuse holds with harness off. Dies when the shorted lead lands.

3. 3 If it blows with the harness off

   Short is on the Amana ARVT96 IFC or the gas-valve harness. Unplug the valve and try once more. Repeat blow with valve unplugged = IFC.

   Expect: Do not keep feeding fuses into a welded valve coil or a burned IFC trace.

Flame is present but the micro-amp signal is below the IFC threshold.

1. 1 Measure µA while it is running

   Do not clean first and guess. Series-µA the rod on Amana ARVT96 during a call. Falling µA is oxide, ground, or a dying flame. A hard drop is often the pressure switch or limit opening, not the rod. Clean rod with a non-scratch pad — not sandpaper.

   Expect: Typically ≥ 1.0 µA DC on this family — confirm the door card. Rising while running.

2. 2 Rod, ground, then gas

   Clean the rod with a non-scratch pad — not sandpaper. Chassis ground to burner box and IFC (painted screw and missing star washer are classic). Then manifold on the stage that is dropping and confirm LP conversion leftovers. Chassis ground to burner box and IFC.

   Expect: Manifold low / high: Natural ~1.6–1.9 / 3.2–3.5 in. w.c. class — rating plate wins. Clock input if in doubt.

3. 3 Prove it is not a switch opening

   Watch the live Amana ARVT96 display when flame drops. A PS or limit code that appears at the drop means the rod was a victim. Inducer, hose, vent wind, or a limit on a wrong heat tap. Manifold / orifice / LP conversion (this plate is LPM-34 on every SKU).

   Expect: µA stable and the live code stays a flame code — then rod/valve/IFC. Otherwise chase the new code.

Igniter is open, not connected, or the IFC failed its ground check.

1. 1 Ohms at the igniter, then at the IFC

   On Amana ARVT96 measure cold ohms at the igniter plug, then at the IFC connector. An open at the plug is the element or local harness. Open only at the IFC is the harness rub-through on the collector. Nitride ohms per sticker. 120 VAC during warm-up.

   Expect: HSI: Nitride, 120 VAC during warm-up. Cold ohms per sticker.

2. 2 120 VAC during warm-up

   Call for heat and measure 120 VAC at the igniter during the warm-up window. 0 V + good ohms = IFC igniter relay. Voltage + no glow = cracked nitride. Burner-box ground screw and painted-cabinet star washer.

   Expect: 120 VAC only during warm-up. Visible glow before the valve opens.

3. 3 Do not keep cycling a cracked element

   A cracked nitride can ohm ‘good’ cold and open hot. If ohms and voltage are good and there is no glow, replace the igniter. Confirm polarity/ground (this plate’s polarity code) before you condemn a new igniter.

   Expect: One clean light after a known-good igniter and a proven ground.

High-stage pressure switch is made with the inducer not on high. Furnace runs low only.

1. 1 Unplug the switch with the inducer off

   On Amana ARVT96 this code is the switch made when the inducer is not running. Unplug that switch only. This is the second switch — do not confuse with E1.

   Expect: Code changes when the harness is open.

   If fail: Wrong switch, or the IFC input is shorted.

   If pass: Switch/hose path. Go to step 2.

2. 2 Water in the hose vs a welded switch

   Blow the hose. Water holding residual draft is more common than a welded switch. Confirm the hose is not teed and not routed uphill. Ohm the switch with the hose off. Welded HPS or water-filled hose.

   Expect: Hose empty. Switch opens with no draft.

3. 3 IFC input last

   If the switch ohms open, the hose is dry, and the code does not change with the harness off, the Amana ARVT96 IFC input is shorted. Do not keep swapping switches. IFC calling high when it should be low — W2 shorted to W1 on 24V fallback.

   Expect: Known-good open switch + open harness = code gone. If not, IFC.

Inducer on high, high-stage switch never closes. Classic ‘runs on low, will not go high.’

1. 1 Prove inducer and the live code

   Do not pull power — that clears the Amana ARVT96 active code. Write E9. Is the inducer spinning on this call? Silent inducer is not a pressure switch. Inducer actually changes speed on a high-fire request? Listen / amp it.

   Expect: 120 VAC at the inducer on a heat call. Wheel turning.

   If fail: 120 VAC missing → IFC / door switch / incoming power. Voltage + dead motor → inducer.

   If pass: Inducer running + this code → trap, hose, switch, vent (step 2).

2. 2 Trap, collector, and the hose

   A drowned 96% trap will not make collector pressure. Pull the trap, flush it, confirm the collector box and inducer outlet are not full. Hose cracked, off the port, or full of water fakes an open switch. HPS hose on the high-fire tap, not teed to the low switch.

   Expect: Trap flowing, hose dry and downhill, ports not swapped on a two-switch board.

3. 3 Switch ohms, then vent load

   Ohm the pressure switch: NO, must close when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint. If the switch is good, walk the PVC — bird screen, ice, long 2" run, wind, shared chase. Vent capacity / wind / shared chase. High fire needs more draft than E2 ever saw.

   Expect: LPS / HPS: Both NO. Two hoses, two taps, never teed. Closed only when that inducer speed is making the collector setpoint.

   If fail: Replace the open switch only after the vent and trap are proven.

   If pass: Switch closes on draft and the code stays → IFC input.

L1/N reversed or chassis ground missing. Furnace will not operate.

1. 1 Hot and neutral at the IFC, not the disconnect

   On Amana ARVT96 polarity/ground is measured at the board. A correctly landed disconnect with a swapped whip at the IFC still throws this. Hot and neutral at the IFC, not just the disconnect.

   Expect: L1 hot, N neutral, ~120 VAC L1 to N, ~0 VAC N to ground.

2. 2 Burner-box and IFC ground

   Green ground to cabinet and IFC. Painted screw and missing star washer fail the ground check and kill flame sense. Burner box to IFC ground screw.

   Expect: Near-zero ohms burner box to IFC ground screw.

3. 3 Then flame and HSI

   Polarity/ground faults take out HSI and flame sense together. After the wiring is right, run one heat cycle and confirm µA and igniter glow before you change those parts.

   Expect: Code cleared. One clean light. µA in range.

No line voltage reaching the IFC, door switch open, or an internal control condition. This is power, not a ComfortBridge data-pair code.

1. 1 Measure at the IFC under load

   On Amana ARVT96 line-voltage codes are incoming power. Measure L1/L2 (or L1/N) at the board while it is trying to run, not just at the disconnect. Furnace switch, breaker, and blower-door switch fully made.

   Expect: Voltage in the rating-plate window under load.

2. 2 Drop, breaker, and the whip

   Large drop from the disconnect to the IFC is a loose lug or damaged whip. Breaker that will not hold under inducer/blower start is the circuit, not the board. 115 VAC at L1/N on the IFC.

   Expect: Minimal drop. Tight lugs. Correct breaker size.

3. 3 Transformer 24 V last

   If line is good and 24 V is low, load the transformer (stat + valve + accessories). A collapsing 24 V looks like a comm or fuse call. If the IFC is alive and the stat is dark, that is the data pair — not EE.

   Expect: 24 V holds under load. Line stays in window.

IFC commanded the serial ECM and does not detect it running.

1. 1 Reseat the serial plug

   On Amana ARVT96 this is a communicating / serial ECM, not a tap motor. Kill power, reseat the 14-pin (or OEM serial plug) at the motor and at the IFC. Pins straight, no corrosion. 14-pin harness seated at motor and IFC. No tap plugs on this motor.

   Expect: Plug fully seated both ends. Correct motor for this cabinet.

2. 2 Power and the data pair at the motor

   Line voltage at the motor, then the serial/data pair continuity. A half-seated plug or a pinched harness throws comm on a good motor. 120 VAC to the motor, wheel free, no wet winding.

   Expect: Line voltage present. Data pair not shorted to chassis.

3. 3 Motor vs IFC serial driver

   Known-good motor still throws this code = Amana ARVT96 IFC serial driver. Known-good IFC still throws it = motor module. Do not put a PSC or 9-speed tap motor on a serial IFC. Do not install an AR9T96 9-speed motor as a ‘cheaper ECM’ — it will not talk this serial bus.

   Expect: One clean CFM request after a known-good pair.

IFC cannot communicate with the variable-speed blower.

1. 1 Reseat the serial plug

   On Amana ARVT96 this is a communicating / serial ECM, not a tap motor. Kill power, reseat the 14-pin (or OEM serial plug) at the motor and at the IFC. Pins straight, no corrosion. Same 14-pin harness — pins bent, corrosion, half-seated.

   Expect: Plug fully seated both ends. Correct motor for this cabinet.

2. 2 Power and the data pair at the motor

   Line voltage at the motor, then the serial/data pair continuity. A half-seated plug or a pinched harness throws comm on a good motor. Motor vs IFC: if a known-good motor still b1s, the IFC serial driver is the fault.

   Expect: Line voltage present. Data pair not shorted to chassis.

3. 3 Motor vs IFC serial driver

   Known-good motor still throws this code = Amana ARVT96 IFC serial driver. Known-good IFC still throws it = motor module. Do not put a PSC or 9-speed tap motor on a serial IFC.

   Expect: One clean CFM request after a known-good pair.

Connected motor horsepower does not match the value in the furnace shared-data set.

1. 1 Read the plug / card on THIS cabinet

   On Amana ARVT96 the model plug or shared-data card must match this cabinet size. A 100 kBtu plug in an 80 cabinet overfires and limits. A leftover memory card after a control swap throws d0/d4-class codes. Wrong replacement motor for this cabinet size.

   Expect: Plug / card part matches the rating plate and the replacement control bulletin.

2. 2 Reseat, then confirm the menu

   Kill power, reseat, restore power. On communicating plates open the setup and confirm unit size / motor HP. Wrong memory card after an IFC swap (see d0/d4). An AMVC96 card is the usual miss on this new plate.

   Expect: IFC recognizes the plug. No size-mismatch code.

3. 3 Do not run it mismatched

   A wrong plug is not a ‘temporary’ fix. It will throw limit, ignition, or blower-band codes that look like bad parts. Fit the correct plug, then re-run the original complaint.

   Expect: One clean sequence on the correct identity.

b3 = folding back on power/speed/temp. b9 = airflow below calculated minimum.

1. 1 Airflow before you touch the limit

   On Amana ARVT96 a limit is airflow or overfire until proven otherwise. Do not replace the limit first. Filter, blower wheel, A-coil, and the heat-speed setting for THIS motor (tap, model plug, or communicating CFM — not a sister SKU chart). Filter, coil, TES. Heat ESP must stay ≤ 0.5" on this SS — a brick duct is b9 / E3, not a bad motor.

   Expect: Heat CFM: SS rec. high-heat: 0403BN 1025 · 0603BN 1200 · 0803BN 1400 · 0804CN 1760 · 1005CN 1770 · 1005DN 2000 · 1205DN 2150.

2. 2 Measure static and temperature rise

   Total external static vs the Amana ARVT96 blower chart for this cabinet size. Supply minus return rise after 8–10 minutes. A new 5" media cabinet or closed supplies will trip this all winter. IFC heat CFM vs the SS rec. CFM for this SKU (1025–2150).

   Expect: Rise typically 35–65 °F — rating plate wins.

   If fail: Fix the restriction or the heat-speed setting. The limit is doing its job.

   If pass: Airflow in range → step 3 (overfire / limit itself).

3. 3 Overfire, then the limit circuit

   Clock the meter / manifold on the stage that is tripping vs the rating plate. Then ohm the limit after it cools — a limit that never recloses is failed. Rollout in the same circuit is a different call (see rollout on this door card). Return undersized or a 5" media cabinet the installer added.

   Expect: Manifold low / high: Natural ~1.6–1.9 / 3.2–3.5 in. w.c. class — rating plate wins. Clock input if in doubt.

b4 = lost rotor or overload. b5 = locked rotor after start attempts. b7 = failed to start / missing parameters.

1. 1 Is the wheel free?

   Spin the Amana ARVT96 blower by hand. Ice, debris, or a seized bearing is not a control problem. Confirm the motor type on this plate — serial ECM, 9-speed tap, or X-13 — before you grab a capacitor. Wheel rub, debris, seized bearings.

   Expect: Wheel free. Correct motor family for this IFC.

2. 2 Command vs rotation

   Call for G or heat and confirm the IFC is actually requesting CFM (taps, serial, or communicating). Amp the motor. Locked rotor + a good command = motor. No command = IFC / harness / shared data. Static so high the motor cannot start the wheel — prove TES before a motor.

   Expect: Heat CFM: SS rec. high-heat: 0403BN 1025 · 0603BN 1200 · 0803BN 1400 · 0804CN 1760 · 1005CN 1770 · 1005DN 2000 · 1205DN 2150.

3. 3 Static and the wrong motor

   High static will trip current/limit codes and look like a dead motor. Measure TES vs this cabinet. Wrong horsepower or a leftover memory card after a control swap is the other half of this call. Harness intermittents look like b7. Prove the 14-pin before a motor or IFC.

   Expect: Static on the blower chart. Matching motor / shared-data card.

d0 = IFC has no shared-data set (replacement board, missing card). d4 = card rejected (wrong model card).

1. 1 Read the plug / card on THIS cabinet

   On Amana ARVT96 the model plug or shared-data card must match this cabinet size. A 100 kBtu plug in an 80 cabinet overfires and limits. A leftover memory card after a control swap throws d0/d4-class codes. After an IFC swap the ARVT96 memory card must be installed and seated.

   Expect: Plug / card part matches the rating plate and the replacement control bulletin.

2. 2 Reseat, then confirm the menu

   Kill power, reseat, restore power. On communicating plates open the setup and confirm unit size / motor HP. An AMVC96, AMVM97, AVPTC, or AR9T96 card is d4 on this plate. The card is labeled for THIS model, not ‘any ComfortBridge 96%.’

   Expect: IFC recognizes the plug. No size-mismatch code.

3. 3 Do not run it mismatched

   A wrong plug is not a ‘temporary’ fix. It will throw limit, ignition, or blower-band codes that look like bad parts. Fit the correct plug, then re-run the original complaint. Do not run the furnace on empty shared data and guess CFM.

   Expect: One clean sequence on the correct identity.