Viking Induction Cooktop Code 9 flashes (with brief interval): Cookware Not Compatible

What 9 flashes (with brief interval) means

On Viking induction cooktops that use an LED flash code, such as the VICU105-4B and VICU165-6B, nine flashes with a brief interval mean the cookware is not suitable for induction. The same table is used on the VIRT301 and VCRT301 rangetops. The cooktop cannot detect a pan it can heat, so it will not start. Nothing has broken in the appliance.

Common causes of 9 flashes (with brief interval)

Cookware without a magnetic base
Pan too small for the zone
Pan not centered on the zone
Warped or uneven pan bottom

✓ One safe check you can try

1. Turn the zone off. 2. Check that a magnet sticks firmly to the pan bottom. 3. Center the pan on the marked zone. 4. Use a pan whose base is flat and about the size of the zone. 5. If a proper pan still triggers nine flashes, call us.

! Why to stop there

Often a different pan solves it, no repair needed
If proper pans fail on every zone, the cooktop needs testing
Coil tests need the glass removed

Opening a panel yourself does not automatically cancel a manufacturer warranty, but it can cause accidental damage, and some manufacturers set their own service conditions. Check your warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.

→Same appliance

Other Cooktop codes

FdViking Designer Cooktop Code Fd: LED On/Off Test Error FEViking Designer Cooktop Code FE: Temperature Sensor Has Failed 5 flashes (with brief interval)Viking Induction Cooktop Code 5 flashes (with brief interval): Power Device Temperature Sensor FHViking Designer Cooktop Code FH: EEPROM Control Error on the Board 6Viking Induction Cooktop Code 6: filter board error FJViking Designer Cooktop Code FJ: Key Error on the Touch Control 6 flashes (with brief interval)Viking Rangetop and Cooktop Code 6 flashes (with brief interval): Coil Temperature Sensor Trouble FLViking Designer Cooktop Code FL: Keyboard Error From Ambient Light

9 flashes (with brief interval)9 flashes (with brief interval) questions

Why does my pan not heat?

Induction needs a magnetic base. Aluminum, copper or glass pans do not work unless they have a magnetic layer. Nine flashes tells you the cooktop did not find a suitable pan.

Is the cooktop broken?

Usually not. Try a cast iron or magnetic stainless pan. If good cookware still gives nine flashes on all zones, call us, so try a heavy cast iron skillet with a flat base before anything else.

How do I test a pan?

Hold a magnet to the bottom of the pan. If it sticks firmly, the pan should work. Flat bases heat best. Tell us which pans you tried and we can narrow the cause quickly over the phone.