It's likely the magnetron overheated, and when its thermostat tripped, all power was interrupted for safety until it cooled back down.
You likely have a failed magnetron, which is sometimes due to a failed internal cooling fan or clogged filter.
Your owner's manual will help you on locating and checking the filters. Grease filters can be cleaned, but charcoal filters cannot, they must be replaced.
When I say internal
cooling fan, I do not mean the hood vent exhaust fan which you can turn
on and off manually.
I'm instead talking
about the internal fan which comes on automatically whenever you microwave.
It is vital that the
cooling fan runs, or the turntable and stirrer won't work, and magnetron will soon be destroyed.
Sometimes the cooling fan will not run after the cooktop lamps have failed. A surge from the filaments shorting can cause damage to the control circuit board, resulting in odd operation from lights, fan, or turntable.
We
regularly repair these control units for customers nationwide by
mail for $39.95 postpaid in about a week or so with a one-year
guarantee.
We have a sound clip here of what a microwave should sound like when the cooling fan and high voltage section are working.
A loud buzz, hum, or groan is usually a
shorted high voltage rectifier diode, but a sound like gurgling into an
empty coffee mug is one symptom of a failed magnetron, and yet the mag can
be bad without that sound.
Here are some links you
or someone you know can use (in order given) for test help, but read
the safety warnings first:
http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/diode.html
(if it is NOT shorted or burned looking,
it's probably fine)
http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/mag_test.html
(continuity can be good even
though mag is bad!)
You can find
links to helpful exploded view diagrams and part ordering help
here.
We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.
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