[suttonbe]

A few days ago, this microwave quit cooking. All other functions seem to work fine. When cooking starts, the light comes on, plate turns, etc. but no heat. I can smell a small amount that seems to be electrical.

I've taken the microwave apart and located the different components that it could be. I have disconneted the magnetron from part 75 below it. Resistance on the magnetron (from the two connections on the lower large plug) read about .4-.5. with ohms set to 100. Probes to either tab and the housing shows fluctuating readings from 20-90+.. With ohms set to 1M, the reading to the housing goes to 0. Not sure if the prob is with the magnetron or my tester...

Measuring the diode shows nothing.

Not sure how to go about testing this particular capacitor. The coverings dont give access to short it easily, and think I'd rather just get a new one than get a jolt trying to test the thing!

Is there anything else that could be a problem while I've already gotten this thing taken apart? Should I just replace the diode, or does the magnetron seem to be defective as well?

[suttonbe]

ok... got a little gutsy (with the help of a thick rubber kitchen heat glove) and used a pair of plyers to try shorting the cap. no pop.. its been unplugged for about 30 hours, so im guessing any charge has drained on its own. tested the cap.. one lead to each side goes to zero then back to infinity.. reversing leads then gives the same down to zero back to infinity..

so now im back to the diode and magnetron.. could anything else be bad? is there any way to test the transformer?

[suttonbe]

so, one more update... GE gives a 10 year warranty on magnetrons.. call them up (1-800-437-9283) and they will ship you a new magnatron kit (including diode) free.

WOOT! =o)

[Was999]

Thanks so much for this information, especially the GE number. My GE microwave (same model) just quit a couple days with exactly the same symptoms.

[suttonbe]

very welcome... i called them late last monday night, they shipped it out wednesday, and I had it thursday afternoon.

the rep i spoke with said she couldnt find the replacement magnetron in her database. i gave her the model number for the kit and she shipped that out for me.

the kit for my model was WB27X10489 and includes the magnetron, diode, and stirrer...

if you are fixing it yourself, MAKE SURE IT HAS BEEN UNPLUGGED FOR AT LEAST A DAY... that should be enough to drain the capacitor, BUT STILL BE VERY CAREFUL

if you need any instructions on how to get everything apart, i'd be more than happy to help

[df99]

I have a JVM1630WB004 Spacesaver, about 8 years old. Following the advice here, I contacted GE and was successful in getting them to ship me the WB27X10489 repair kit directly to my home, free. I had to toss around some terminology and sound very confident, as I got some resistance at first.

When I pulled the old magnetron, the end antenna cap was completely burned away, with obvious overheating and discoloration of the waveguide near the antenna cap. I brushed and vacuumed the interior of the waveguide to remove any debris and installed the three parts in the kit. The repair worked perfectly! The oven seems to heat about 33% better than immediately before it failed. I am a bit concerned about the burned waveguide, but figured as long as the metal was not perforated, it should be fine.

Pctures of the magnetron and waveguide damage:

[xxxdunnoxxx]

Yesterday my 11 year old calls me at work to tell me his food wont cook in the microwave. Finally today I had a chance to check it myself. Sure enough, powers up, turntable turns, but it is not heating-and ohhhh the electrical smell. I love the internet and do many searches online for questions or products, and low and behold, I came across this beautiful thread. I have called the phone number listed and talked to a team member that seemed to understand my position. I have a case # and was sent to the parts department to order my warrenteed magnatron. Unfortunately that dept is closed for the day, so I must call back tomorrow. I will keep you posted on my adventure......

Did I mention the electrical smell? PUTRID!!!

[suttonbe]

good luck.. when you take it apart, just write down everything u are removing so u know how to put it back together.. lots of different screws in there =o)

and be careful around that cap! good idea to leave it unplugged for 24 hours before touching anything.. should be good after that

[df99]

Originally Posted by suttonbe

good luck.. when you take it apart, just write down everything u are removing so u know how to put it back together.. lots of different screws in there =o)

and be careful around that cap! good idea to leave it unplugged for 24 hours before touching anything.. should be good after that

Getting at the magnetron is fairly involved. I had to drop the oven from the wall (read the installation manual from GE first!), remove the outer cover, remove the control panel and wiring harness, remove the magnetron cooling fan, unbolt the transformer mounting screws so the transformer can be slid aside (tough, as the screws are on the oven bottom), then unbolt the magnetron from the top and drop it down where the transformer was and remove. Lots of screws to keep track of.

The replacement diode in the repair kit requires connecting one side directly to the capacitor. There is a bleeder resistor in the cap that drops the voltage to safe levels minutes after the unit is unpowered, BUT DON"T TRUST IT. I was hit once by a high voltage cap in a ham radio transmitter, and it was VERY unpleasant. Short the terminals with an insulated screwdriver first. This can be difficult, as the terminals are recessed in plastic insulators.

The new stirrer plate installs from INSIDE the oven. Push the plastic cover pin out from the inside, rotate the cover, and it will fall out with the old stirrer. Reverse to replace with the new stirrer.

Reverse the procedure to re-assemble. I had my son to help. It took about an hour to fix.

[xxxdunnoxxx]

Pretty exciting night at our house!! When I returned home from work, the 11 year old presented me with a box..THE BOX!!

I opened it, checked out the new parts and looked at my microwave for a clue as to where this new equipment belonged.

Thanks to the previous poster df99-I knew what to do next..
Wait for the hubby to come home to help me remove the microwave from the wall.

We completed that and I was off to work fixing the microwave.

I removed the outer cover, disconnected the wiring harness, and removed the plate in hiding the magnetron and fan. I unbolted the old magnetron and removed it, having the push slightly on the metal box below it. I was surprised to see that it didnt look like the picture that df99 posted earlier. Mine looked just like the new one, only more worn.

I replaced the magnetron, and re-assembled the microwave and plugged it in...SHAZAAMMMMM!! She works-and works well.

Thanks to the previous posters in aiding me on my quest - it was truly much appreciated.

The hubby and kids are very please too!!