How I Fixed My Microwave in 15 Minutes

after reading this article from hackaday i decided i should probably try and figure out why my microwave hasnt had a display for the last  few years  the following  was my experience 


legal .....microwaves have killer rabbits hiding in big black tubes these rabbits move so quickly most people blame unnecessary death on electricity used to power such  devices .

do not attempt the following unless you can follow proper repair etiquette or are a trained zookeeper with a quick draw on your dart gun

also if you manage to release a killer rabbit please have you next of kin nearby to wipe you browser history (for my and your sake)

Step 1: Dismantle

this is what my microwave was doing ...no display or random characters  everything was still functional 

the model is a sharp r-510ak just for posterity's sake

opening the microwave was a breese 4 screws on the back and two on either side and the cover lifted right off

Step 2: Remove Panel

find the tab bend it out of the way pull panel up  take note of wiring (take a picture or two its better )  then unplug all those connectors

Step 3: FIX THAT

apparently this microwave was suffering from Nintendo cartridge envy as the ribbon connector was corroded
clean the contacts with a pencil eraser or denatured alcohol  but never acetone.


then put it all back together  

Step 4: Results

taa daa a working display  and for the record most of the fifteen minutes was trying to get the stupid  cover back on ...

now i no longer have to hit the button the estimated number of minutes i want to destroy food

there are websites online trying to sell this service for $35

hopefully someone find this information useful save your electronics fix them


*(no rabbits were harmed in the making of this instructable )

Comments

[GordonM39]

On my Carousel MW, while two of the four back screws were Phillips head, the other two were Torx with a tamper proof center peg. Using a Dremel narrow cutting wheel, I cut slots in the screws to receive a flat head screwdriver. The control panel was mounted to the chassis with notched tabs so that the panel must be lifted to remove. Before the panel can be lifted, a Phillips screw had to be taken out. The plastic screw receiver shattered when this was attempted. A tab shattered as well. The display ribbon connector was hard-wired between the display itself and a dedicated circuit board, therefore it was irreparable, so I put the microwave back together again. I had to drill a hole through the top of the control panel and bolt the panel to the chassis in place of the broken screw receiver. A total waste of time in my case. I will continue to use the MW without a display as I have for the last decade or so.

[DeborahP29]

I just purchased a used Rival microwave model RGST902 for $10. The display partially works - the last digit doesn't light up. I opened it up & cleaned it up, but still no light.
Any ideas? I plan on google-ing some more, I do not give up easily... sometimes it goes on a 'to-do' list until I can tackle it again.

[ZacharyB16]

Nice. Will have to give this a shot first. My display is completely dark, though the rest the functionality is there for the device

[rimar2000]

My old old old microwave oven still functions. Each three or four years I partially dismantle it, clean all the contacts and reassemble it. That is enough to relive it.