Sharp Microwave Problem

[Bilo Hak]

A few days ago the microwave portion of our Sharp R820bk Carousel convection oven ceased working.

The convection portion still works.

To put it on the local repair man's bench is $45. a new one is $280.

I opened the back and found the mounts of a cooling fan had shaken loose and fixed that -- but it still doesn't work on microwave.

I hate to discard something that may still have value if I can fix what is broke.

I talked to Sharp, two Airstream dealers, and the local repair shop and none of them had ever heard of such a problem. Could the magnetron have gone bad?

The unit is 9 years old.

Any ideas?

[Siegmann]

My magnetron went out after 5 years. The repair guy offered to replace with a used unit, at a low cost, but with no warranty. It has lasted 9 years of fulltime use. Knock on wood.

But to your issue. The repair guy gave me two tips, if it stopped working. One was a fuse. The other was a small screw on the side of the case, I can't remember where. It is a safety device that prevents the magnetron from operating if you have opened up the case, but could vibrate out part way and shut down the magnetron. Try looking for it.

[Protagonist]

At nine years old, it's about due for replacement anyway. But if you really want to tackle it, a couple of troubleshooting questions…

1 - Does the turntable turn?
2 - Does it make a buzzing noise or just sit there looking back at you?

The two most common problems are the internal fuse and the door latch. But if the convection oven portion still works, and the turntable still turns, chances are the fuse and door latch are both still working fine.

If you hear a buzzing noise, the most common problems are the power diode, the capacitor, or the magnetron. The capacitor in particular can shock the living daylights out of you, but all three parts are replaceable. I don't know whether you'll save any money replacing any or all of those compared to buying a new machine.

You might consult this webpage for instructions on how to replace a given component…
https://www.partselect.com/microwave+repair+repair.htm

[Bilo Hak]

Thanks for the knowledgeable response.

In answer to your questions: everything works as normal except the water I put in the oven does not get warm on microwave mode. The oven warns in convection mode.

As mentioned in my first post, I decided to dig into the unit and discovered the rear ventilation fan motor had worked loose and the fan was jammed. I thought I had it made. I remounted the fan motor, put it back together, and nothing changed.

The sound of the unit changed when this malady occurred. It got louder. I just hate to dispose of the entire unit if it can be fixed. I see a new magnetron can be got for $63.

[Bilo Hak]

The web site you directed me to does not support the model I have. Thanks anyway.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Bilo Hak

The web site you directed me to does not support the model I have. Thanks anyway.

General repair instructions on how to replace a magnetron, power diode, or capacitor should hopefully still be useful, though.

[Bilo Hak]

I can't get the control panel off. But I can pull it away from the unit -- a couple of mounting tabs have broken but the one on the upper left is good and the control panel will not lift up on that side due to interference with the outer case of the unit.

I can see the fuse and the glass is all cloudy. Does that mean anything?