ACO1840AB (PACO1840AB1) Amana Microwave - Instructions

Microwave vented up toward the ceiling discoloring it. I positioned the charcoal filter over the vent holding it in place with scotch tape. It keeps the ceiling clean and dose not affect air flow from the exhaust vent. I change the filter every year.

I thought that if I went one more time to visit my son, and the microwave tray was still gone (due to their having broken it), I would just order the part MYSELF!! So, that is what I had to do. They have been without this for at least 3-4 months........ Well, it was sitting at my door in less than 48 hours after I ordered it! Easy, easy, easy..........thank you!

We needed a phillips head screw driver to remove the single screw holding the light bulb cover in place.
Removing the old bulbs was a little work, because they had come loose from the sockets. We unplugged the microwave, so we could grip the sockets with a tool. I think my husband used a needle nose plier for this.
The new bulbs screwed in easily, and then we refastened the light bulb cover with the phillips head screw driver.

Turn off power supply at breaker . Replace old bulb with new bulb .

removed old covers which were cracked and dirty.
the repair part looked exactly like the original but did not fit correctly. i had to do some changing of the size to make it fit. it does not clip in place as it should but we are living with it as it does cover the light bulb. the grease filter is perfect

screwed in new bulb

removed a dozen screws-discarded large cap-replaced diode-replaced a dozen screws(took longer to replace them than remove for some unknown reason). Microwave now works(wife happy).

Husband replaced the bulb

I had to unmount the over-the-range microwave oven to be able to gain access to the interior of the oven. Complicating removal (and re-installation) was the fact that there is a "pot-filler" faucet installed directly underneath the oven. In retrospect, I should've removed the faucet before doing the repair, but "c'est la vie."

After I got the microwave down, removing the case was also "interesting." I get bonus points for the fact that the previous owner must've had to replace the same diode before - and then re-assembled the microwave case incorrectly - thereby adding to the confusion (BTW, the service manual that I found online said nothing about how to remove the oven's case).

To remove the case, undo all the screws holding it on, and then rotate the case upwards from the back while also pulling the case backwards. There are crimped folds on the inside of the case that mate with the back edges of the front of the oven's chassis, and these folds have to be unclipped from the chassis in order to remove the case.

Replacing the diode itself was the easiest part of the job. The two connectors on the diode are of different types, making it impossible to install the diode with the wrong polarity.

BTW, the diode that had failed was not an OEM diode; I suspect it was a generic component that had been installed by a repairman sometime between 2004-2008 (when our home's original owners still owned the home). On the other hand, the new diode from PartSelect is an OEM part (it came packaged in a sealed Whirlpool bag).

The fact that the oven had stopped heating indicated that it was either the high-voltage diode or the magnetron that had failed. Since a replacement diode costs ~ 1/10th as much as a replacement magnetron, I figured it made sense to replace the cheaper part first. Fortunately, this fixed the problem.

One last thing: I tried testing both the old and new diodes for conductivity and polarity using my volt-ohm meter (VOM), but I was unable to get either diode to "turn on," even though my VOM is powered by a 9-v battery, and I used the 2-Mohm range setting. I guess the test voltage of my el-cheapo VOM isn't high enough to exceed the diode's threshold voltage, (even though I have successfully used this same VOM to test low-voltage diodes).

Spouse just screwed in the new bulb and reinstalled the light cover plate with the two screws. Took under a minute. Works great.

Access is via RT. SIDE Panel as you face microwave. There are three screws on the bottom right edge to loosen. After that the side panel slips down and off. the fuse is located in the rear near where the power cord comes in. It is the white ceramic tube 1/4" in dia. and 1-1/2" long. Pull it out like any fuse and replace with new one. Reassemble and you are done!

replaced door frame assy

Watched a you tube video prior to installing new switch. Followed the video which gave me confidence i was up to the task. After removing the touch pad I found my design was not exactly like the you tube model but I found the defective switch, replaced it and put the microwave back together. Works great. Again watch the videos

Did an online search for repairs and found PartSelect. Simple to order the part and had it installed myself less than a week later. Thank you!!

Unplug the microwave. Then remove the six screws that hold the lower panel which has the light bulb cover and a couple of vent filters. The light bulb sockets are on a fixture that is connected by a quick connect electrical connector. Disconnect that and the whole panel is free to access the bulbs. My bulbs were very fragile and trying to twist them out resulted in the glass twisitng loose with the base still in the sockets. I needed to use a needle nose pliers to remove the bases and then I replaced the bulbs and put every thing back together