Microwave light is no longer turning on
The light bulb is burn out
"It's so dark in there!"
All light bulbs reach the end of their time eventually. Visit Replacing Light Bulb for guidance.
Microwave is not heating
"Your food is still cold!''
Magnetron may be dysfunctional
The magnetron is the element which creates the microwaves. One reason for food not heating up could be a magnetron that isn't working. This could be due to a faulty magnetron, faulty wiring, or other reasons. The magnetron is perhaps the most dangerous element in the microwave so fixing it may be dangerous if the proper precautions are not taken. We recommend getting an entirely new microwave if this is the case, but keep reading! It might be something else that's wrong!
Other components may be broken
Testing other components is dangerous as well but with rubber gloves and some caution, anyone can get away unscathed. One component that may be broken is the capacitor. The capacitor is what stores energy and if it is broken, it may cut the effectivity of the microwave in half or kill it completely. Visit Replacing the Capacitor to learn how to replace it.
Sparking
"My microwave is producing an unexpected light show"
Dirty Microwave
Unclean microwaves may have some material inside that causes sparks. Stray pieces of tin foil or other items may cause sparks.
Misaligned Magnetron
The magnetron is responsible for creating the microwaves which heat the food. If it is somehow misaligned, it may be aimed at spots which cause sparking. We do not suggest trying to fix this problem. Sparking Microwave will give you guidance.
Door Won't Open
"The lever isn't opening the door"
The mechanism is broken
Open up the microwave. The door/lever mechanism will probably be visible and look like white plastic pieces and levers that move one another. Visit How to Repair the Door Handle to learn how to fix the levers.
The door is jammed
Find out what's jamming it. Press down the lever and pry open the door if you have to.
Microwave is too quiet
"It used to be loud and obnoxious but now it's great!"
Broken fan
If your microwave used to be loud and is now suddenly quiet, stop using it. This means the fan is broken. The fan is there to prevent overheating and operating a microwave without a working fan is dangerous. Visit Repairing Microwave Fan to learn how to solve this issue.
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Cal Poly, Team 2-12, Propen Fall 2012 Member of Cal Poly, Team 2-12, Propen Fall 2012
CPSU-PROPEN-F12S2G12
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2 Comments
Trying to troubleshoot problem with not heating.
After not using it for several years, I used it about 10 or so times and it was fine.
My wife used it to reheat something and said it made a noise just as she started it.
It didn't heat the food, and the fan or some other mechanism sounds louder now.
Nothing heats in it at the moment.
Looking to repair it, or find a repair service near San Jose, CA.
Last serviced at Freedman's Microwave in Sant Clara, and E&J Service(cannot find them) in San Jose.
Carl Baltrunas - Reply
Oh, by the way mine is a Motorola Quasar Model MQ6620TW (1981)
Carl Baltrunas - Reply