Top 20 Whirlpool MH3184XP Microwave Oven Questions & Answers

All units have an internal fuse. Of course the unit is still plugged in. Check in the cabinet above the microwave.

You must dismantle the circuit board and check if some grease vapours between touch buttons and the the circuit film. Clean with some wet soft cloth.

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1. Unplug microwave oven or disconnect power. 2. Open the microwave oven door. 3. Pry the choke cover away from the top door pin, and remove the top pin from the pivot bracket. Lift the door off the bottom bracket, and remove it. 4. Place the oven door front side down on a padded surface. 5. Remove the choke screws from the door frame. 6. Starting at the top right corner, pry the choke cover out with a putty knife, and unsnap it from the choke. Only remove the top, bottom and right sides of the choke cover at this time. You will remove the handle end of the choke cover later. 7. Starting at the top edge of the door near the center and working clockwise, use a putty knife, and pry the latching tabs of the choke out of the door frame slots. Lift the choke as you release the tabs so they do not snap back into the slots. NOTE: When you reach the handle side of door, pull both the choke and the choke cover away from the door frame, and then separate the two components. 8. To remove the door switch actuators from the choke, remove the screw from each actuator. REASSEMBLY NOTE: When you reinstall the door on the oven, insert the top pin into the pivot bracket and press down on the pin until it snaps into place Read more: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/whirlpool-microwave-door-handle-w10246505-ap4418092.html#qa1#ixzz2qpA2P5CA http://www.appliancepartspros.com

There is a problem with the control pad. The membrane, or surface, of the pad may be broken or damaged somewhere, resulting in the F2 error code. This is common for Whirlpool microwaves. Press "Stop/Cancel" twice and select a new cook program. Press "Start" to begin. If the error code persists, press "Stop/Cancel" again and unplug the microwave. Wait several minutes and plug it in. If the F2 code appears again, it requires repair.Replacement membranes can be found online http://www.appliancepartspros.com/whirlpool-panel-asy-control-8205376-ap3775860.htmlbut the internals of a microwave are dangerous, having high voltages even when unplugged. With the cost of parts and labour from a service tech, you may be best buying a new oven.

follow this test and fix it. God bless you

1. Inspect the power cord Unplug the power cord and check for voltage at the outlet. Also inspect for damage, shorts, or burn marks that can be a possible safety hazard.
2. Bad door switch If your microwave does not work at all and you know everything is plugged in properly and the outlet is functioning, then also check the door hooks and the door release button. Using a volt-ohm meter on RX1, check your terminals. When your microwave door is closed you should have a reading of zero. Once the door is open the reading should change to infinity. If these readings do not match up, replacement of the door switch is necessary.
3. Blown fuses To determine if your fuse has blown out, which may attribute to your microwave not running, you need to pull the fuse out using a pair of fuse pullers. Lay it down and using a volt-ohm meter on RX1, check both ends of the fuse in question. If you do not get a reading of zero, then you will need to replace the fuse.
4. Bad fan motor Locate the fan and remove the leads. Again using the volt-ohm meter on RX1, check the terminals. If an infinity reading is displayed, it means that the fan has gone bad and requires replacement.

see the next steps: use the common sense God bless youFirst check is the main fuse of the unit. On countertop units, you will need to take the shell off. The fuse will be close to where the cord comes through into the unit. OTR units, this main fuse is usually behind the control panel or possibly behind the vent. Usually the fuse is obvious if blown, otherwise test with an OHM meter, if open, replace fuse.Some brands will also have a thermal cut-off fuse in the incoming voltage line to the control board. Older Maytags and Samsungs have this fuse in it. This thermostat looking fuse is usually above the oven cavity somewhere under the outside shell. Sometimes you can get to it through the vent of OTR models. Test with an OHM meter, replace if open

The magnetron has more than likely failed, "heart of the system" the fact it burned the cookies in 15 seconds is a concern, suggesting magnetron was burning out.

This is quite unusual and should be checked, since I have never run into this before I would be speculating, but I strongly recommend a professional go over it to see if danger is lerking inside the device for piece of mind and safety.

Hello, welcome to Fixya!The unit not powering on is an indication that it has a power fault.First, remove the microwave's power cord from the wall, wait for about 30mins, then plug it back in. It may cool by then and might power on. If it doesn't power on, plug it into another outlet, to make sure there electricity entering into the unit.If plugging into another power outlet doesn't power it on then the unit is most likely having a power problem.When electric current comes from the power outlet into the microwave, it goes straight into the power supply board which then circulates the current into the unit. So if the microwave doesn't power on, the first thing is to make sure there is power entering into the machine.So check the power cord, if it is a 3-pin plug, it must have a fuse in it. check the fuse if it is not blown. if fuse is intact, then power supply board should be checked.If any machine or electronics device doesn't power on, it means its having a power problem. It might have worked fine in the past, but that's electronics for you. Power surge, irregular power supply, excess power supply, etc can affect the unit thereby not making it to power on.This microwave must have a power supply board in it where power enters from the mains. A capacitor, fuse, diode, etc may have been defective on the power board and maybe that's why its not making the microwave turn on. There might also be some disconnection or something, inside the unit which is not making it to power on.To actually find out what's wrong, you need to disassemble the unit with a screw driver and check what's wrong. You will be needing a meter and continuity tester in order to read the components on the power board, once you detect any bad component, you can make necessary replacement at any electronics accessories store within our vicinity.You might also find visible bad component without testing with a meter. This is the only way by which you can detect the problem.Of course, testing the power board with a meter will require someone that has the ability. So it you can't, then you might be needing the help of a repairman or you can call a friend that has the ability to help you out.I wish you the best of luck.Regards.s

On this model, this is usually a blown fuse or thermostat.This model has three fuses, a 20A, a 4A, and a .25A and three cavity thermostats.There should be a "mini-manual" (tech sheet) hidden inside the unit behind the control panel or hidden on the left side behind the grille, which is very helpful when troubleshooting, testing, and locating components. At our Web site, we have a video available showing how to remove a typical over the range control panel assembly in under 5 minutes. Accessing the cavity thermostats for testing and possible replacement will require you to remove the oven from the wall. If so, the installation instructions are very handy, and it's best to have two people since the microwave can be heavy and awkward. If for some reason you don't still have yours, you can download Whirlpool owner's manuals and installation instructions here.You can find helpful exploded view diagrams and order parts by entering your full model number here.If none of the fuses or thermostats are blown, then the problem is probably on your control circuit board, which is especially common if you recently had trouble with your cooktop lights or exhaust fans.We see (and repair) this a lot. The problem is on the control panel, which we regularly repair nationwide by mail for $39.95 postpaid with a one year guarantee. We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.

Hello,Investigate these three areas if your microwave won't heatPower DiodeA diode is an electronic component that readily passes current in one direction only and blocks the flow of current in the opposing direction. If your microwave's diode has become defective, your microwave will not heat. Test the diode to determine if this is the cause of your problem. Replace it if it is defective.Testing a diodeNOTE: Before you test your diode, make sure your microwave is unplugged, and that you discharge the microwave's capacitor.Whether it is shorted or open, a defective diode will most likely show some sign of defect. Defective diodes will usually emit an electrical burning smell, signifying its defectiveness. Also, it may have split in two, or it may exhibit a burned crack, or possibly even a blistered spot.A shorted diode is indicated by a loud humming noise from the high voltage transformer, and no heat produced when a cook cycle is initiated. Whereas little or no heat produced in your microwave, with an absence of a humming noise is indicative of an open diode. In either case, the diode has to be replaced.With your microwave unplugged, and your capacitor discharged, use extreme caution to remove the lead that leads to the capacitor. You can leave the ground connection attached. The side of the diode that goes to the ground is usually marked with a dot, stripe, or arrow. Set your ohmmeter to R x 10,000 or higher. Touch the positive meter probe to the anode and the negative meter probe to the cathode to measure the resistance across the diode terminals. Remember that the cathode is on the side that goes to the ground, which is often marked by a dot, stripe, or an arrow.A normal diode, that is a non-defective diode, will read anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000 ohms. Differences in microwave make and model account for this large range in resistance readings.Reverse the meter probes and measure resistance while touching the positive probe to the cathode and the negative probe to the anode. Reversing the probes like this should result in a reading of infinity. Unless a bleeder resistor is present. The presence of a bleeder resistor would produce a reading of the value of the resistor.High Voltage CapacitorA capacitor is an electrical device which stores electricity. A defective capacitor may be why your microwave is not heating. The capacitor will have to be tested to determine if this is the cause of your problem. A defective capacitor will have to be replaced before your microwave will work again. Make sure you discharge the capacitor before you test it, though.MagnetronA defective magnetron is the third possible cause of why your microwave is not heating. Test your microwave's magnetron. Replace it if it is defective.Testing a magnetronNOTE: Before you test this component, make sure your microwave is unplugged, and that you have discharged the capacitor.There are two tests to conduct in order to determine whether or not a magnetron has become defective. If you receive results other than what are detailed below, you will have to replace your microwave's magnetron. Each test is described for you here:TEST 1: Locate your magnetron and label each of the wires attached to it so that you know which wires are to be replaced where. Set your ohmmeter to the lowest resistance scale. Take a resistance measurement between each of the magnetron's terminals by touching each probe to one terminal each. Reverse the probes and take a second resistance measurement. Each measurement should read less than one ohm.TEST 2: Set your ohmmeter to its highest resistance scale. Touch one of the meter's probes to a magnetron terminal. Touch the other probe to the metal magnetron housing. Take special caution to not touch the two probes together. This could result in an inaccurate reading. This test should produce a reading of infinity - indicating an open circuit.Read the tips on the below links on how to replace your microwave oven's diode and how to discharge the capacitor.http://www.fixya.com/support/r7088355-replace_microwave_ovens_diodehttp://www.fixya.com/support/r7088317-discharge_microwave_ovens_capacitorI hope the above is helpful.Regards.

You should keep the oven unplugged until it is fixed or unless it is being tested.

I would first check to see if the oven is heating when it should not be.

You can place a cup of water in the oven, close the door, and let it set for about 30 seconds. (No longer or it may be damaged from overheating).

If it is, then I would suspect door switch trouble (see this text file) or an issue on the control circuit board, which we regularly repair with our $39.95 repair service.

For more information on door switches, see these help files:
http://031d26d.namesecurehost.com/mwd/safety.txt
http://031d26d.namesecurehost.com/mwd/disassembly.txt
http://031d26d.namesecurehost.com/mwd/doorsw.txt

Once you've checked it out, if you need further help, feel free to contact us here.

We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.

You can use a regular glass fuse as long as it's rated the same and fits the holder. Microwave ovens use a ceramic fuse to prevent the possibility of little pieces of glass under the cover if the fuse should break. But other than the body the fuses are the same.

Since the microwave is humming, that tells me that the diode is bad and needs to be replaced.

Have you recently had a failure with the cooktop lights?

If so, we see (and repair) this a lot. The problem is on the control circuit board, which we regularly repair nationwide by mail for $39.95.

At our Web site, you can get details of our service, plus we have a video available showing how to remove a typical over the range control panel assembly in under 5 minutes.

This light failure often occurs when a bulb goes out and the filament shorts, or when the bulbs are removed or installed without first unplugging the oven from the power line. Either can cause such a failure on the controller.

The lights can can be inoperable or stuck on or stuck in "night light" mode. Sometimes this will similarly affect the fan operation or inside light, too.

Even if you've not had a recent failure with the lights, i would bet it's a leaky hood fan triac on the control circuit board.

We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.

Double check and make sure that the rack did't scratch the paint inside the cavity. Could be two possible reasons for it not to heat. Could possible be the magnetron or the diode. Normal when the magnetron goes bad, the microwave will still sound almost normal, bit just wouldn't heat. when the diode goes bad the microwave tends to make a humming sound when turned on

If you measure the temperature of 1/2 litre of tap water. Place it in the oven and heat on full power for 1 minute.
Take it out and measure the temperature again. If the difference is 10 degrees Celcius or more difference the magnetron is healthy if not, it is low emmission and must be treated as a lower output machine.

Dead appliance, power on wall outlet.

YOUR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT!

Attempt this only if you are competent.

If your appliance has absolutely no functions at all, remove it from the mains supply, remove the case and see where the mains lead goes in to the appliance and follow the cable until you find the main fuse.
ONLY USE THE SAME TYPE AND RATING OF FUSE TO REPLACE IT.
The usual cause of this fuse failure is the door switches are contaminated or sticking. Check the door switches before putting power back on to the appliance.
Hope this helps.