NOTES ON MICROWAVE OVEN FAILURE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR INDEX V2.00 (3/28/96)

	Table of Contents
	Chapter 1) About the Author
	Chapter 2) Introduction
	2.1) Radar Range anyone?
	2.2) The simplest problems
	2.3) Repair or replace?
	Chapter 3) Installation and Preventive Maintenance
	3.1) General microwave oven installation considerations
	3.2) Microwave oven maintenance
	3.3) How long do microwaves hang around?
	Chapter 4) Microwave Oven Troubleshooting
	4.1) Safety
	4.2) Safety guidelines
	4.3) Troubleshooting tips
	4.4) Test equipment
	4.5) Safe discharging of the high voltage capacitor in a microwave oven
	4.6) Getting inside a microwave oven
	Chapter 5) Principles of Operation
	5.1) Instant (2 minutes on HIGH) microwave oven theory
	5.2) How a microwave oven works
	5.3) Controller
	5.4) Sensors
	5.5) Cooling fans
	5.6) Microwave generator
	5.7) Interlock switches
	Chapter 6) Troubleshooting Guide
	6.1) What can go wrong
	6.2) General system control problems
	6.3) Totally dead oven
	6.4) Oven works but totally dead display
	6.5) Whacked out controller
	6.6) Erratic behavior
	6.7) Incorrect operation for some or all types of cycles
	6.8) Some of the keys on the touchpad do not function or perform the wrong action
	6.9) Microwave generator problems
	6.10) No heat but otherwise normal operation
	6.11) Loud hum and/or burning smell when attempting to cook
	6.12) Arcing in or above oven chamber
	6.13) Fuse blows when pressing start or immediately
	6.14) Oven heats on high setting regardless of power setting
	6.15) Oven immediately starts to cook when door is closed
	6.16) Oven heats but power seems low
	6.17) Oven heats but shuts off randomly
	6.18) Fans or turntables that do not work
	6.19) What to do if the door handle breaks off
	6.20) Replacing the light bulb
	6.21) Repairing damage to the oven interior
	6.22) Microwave/convection oven problems
	Chapter 7) Testing and Replacement of Components
	7.1) Testing the oven - the water heating test
	7.2) Testing and replacement of interlock switches
	7.3) Testing the high voltage components
	7.4) Testing and replacing the HV diode
	7.5) Testing and replacing the high voltage capacitor
	7.6) Testing and replacing the magnetron
	7.7) Testing and replacing the high voltage transformer
	7.8) Testing for bad connections (and replacing them with good ones)
	7.9) Testing and replacing the triac
	7.10) Testing and replacing the power relay
	Chapter 8) Items of Interest
	8.1) How safe is a repaired microwave oven?
	8.2) Problems with running a microwave oven with metal inside or totally empty
	8.3) Microwave ovens and grounded dedicated circuits
	8.4) Microwave ovens and GFCIs
	8.5) Taking a microwave oven oversees (or vice versa)
	8.6) Using the control panel from defunct microwave oven as an electronic timer
	Chapter 9) Service Information
	9.1) Advanced troubleshooting
	9.2) Suggested Reference
	9.3) Cost of repair parts
	9.4) Interchangeability of components
	9.5) Repair parts sources