I believe I have a compound problem with my microwave. Several months ago, after absentmindedly operating a grill off the same circuit as the microwave, the microwave oven light no longer works and the display automatically returns to 95.00, rather than 0.00 when finished. All other functions worked as normal. Several days ago, the microwave stopped working but the cooling fan, turntable, grill, bake and all other preprogrammed operations still are functioning normally. This seems to be more than just a door switch issue. Is this worth fixing or should I get used to the idea of a large toaster oven with no microwave features on my counter? Thanks.
First of all, how old is the oven? It sounds like 3 separate problems, but I would doubt that any were caused by using the grill on the same circuit. Most often, that will just blow the breaker. Importantly, have you had any other electrical items fail in the last few months? Have you had an unusual number of light bulbs blow in the home, or have they blown much sooner than you'd expect? A "yes" to these questions could indicate a fault in your house wiring which must be quickly addressed by the power company or an electrician. Barring those complications, here are my thoughts: I would say the oven light just failed. It could have had its life shortened or ended due to door slamming. For the display to return to 95.00 instead of 00.00, I would suspect that the control dial is worn, damaged or contaminated by grease, dirt, etc., causing a slight shorting effect. 95.00 is the maximum cooking time - the extreme top setting of the dial. This kind of controller problem could also be caused by grease or moisture on the control circuit board. This is most likely to build up when boiling on the stove without first turning on the hood fan (a must) or if the hood fan has a clogged filter or restricted air flow in the duct work. It could also be due to spraying cleaners directly on the control panel / keypad instead of using a slightly damp cloth. Lastly, the lack of cooking operation is most often caused by (yes, door switches or door switch mount trouble) a loose connection at the magnetron, or a bad magnetron. First to address would be the cooking problem, and the first thing I would check is door switches and switch mounts. The lamp would just need to be replaced, but in most newer models, you have to remove the outer cover, which means taking it down from the wall. Safety dictates that this is a two-person job, and you might need to have your original installation instructions on hand to do it. If you or a friend decide to work on it, we have *critical* safety, disassembly, and troubleshooting info (as well as a text file which helps in diagnosing and repairing door switch problems) at our site, which is linked at our listing here on FixYa: http://tinyurl.com/yzjozk If you need to order any parts (other than a light bulb, which should be available at the grocery store) I would recommend Tritronics at http://www.wehaveparts.com If you have a problem with the controller, that would have to be professionally repaired. We do that for customers nationwide for $39.95 in most cases.
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