How do I use this oven? Is it working correctly?

There is no such thing as a hidden heating element.

I will say that is the control board that is not working properly. Have you try to unplugged for phew minutes?, this will reset the current settings. If not, I will star replacing the control board. Good Luck!.

it could be the oven temp sensor rod located near the top of the inside of the oven,or possibly the bake element has a hot spot on the element and can no longer pass enough current thru this spot to correctly heat to your settings a hot spot on the element will look discolored in this area

mlong9876 - I am having the same problem as you posted re: Maytag (mgs5870adw). I am trying to arrive at the same resolution changing the lower igniter in my same model oven. Were you able to remove the lower oven plate to access the top of the burner and igniter with the convection bake fan housing in the back? I am having difficulty getting to the igniter.

on the back of oven there is a hi limit thermal fuse /it is a one time fuse /eplace it cost about 23. to28 .00 . / you willhave to remove oven from wall ( two are best .. set it on a small table /cable may be short.. hope this helped /pls leave feed back ..

ensure that your convection fan is turning
a hum on this model usualy means that the convection motor can seize up a bit
sometimes all you need to do is redjust the fan blade

most model numbers are located around the frame of the stove, inside the drawer area or on the oven door, call the manufacturer, most have a toll free number. Check to see if the fuses are okay first, if one is out, that could weaken the system. The fan is probably convection, and your controls will have a convection feature. If the fan has ceased to work, just use the regular bake mode.

Fan is automatically controled by a thermostat.
Please don't bother rating, as anything but a Fix-Ya lowers my scorel. Thanks.

Did you try going to the GE website? If not, try it:

http://www.geappliances.com/

When you pull up the website, you can click on the blue down arrow located in the box at the top of the web page, next to the work SEARCH and click on "USE & CARE MANUALS. Put your model number into the next box to the right and hit GO.

If you are having trouble after entering what you believe is the proper model/serial number, you can look at the FAQ (frequently asked questions) section to determine whether you have actually entered the proper number.