JEM25W General Electric Microwave - Instructions

completly removed outer cabinet,discharged capicator,removed some internal parts so I could get at the magnetron,
.removed replaced magnetron,reinstalled inner parts& cabinet .tested microwave viola
everything worked again.
Thanks, PartsSelect
Ernie

Pulled it from the wall remove the front vent covers removed the control panel remove the door switches by a special screw driver bit which looks a star remove the electrical terminals pressed the plastic clip pulled the switch replaced it with new one then followed initial steps backward

llation

Removed three screws from the top front cover and slide it out and following I removed the touch panel and the housing that holds the switches and replaced the bad one.

Removed the control panel, one screw at the top. Removed 2 screws on the door switch holder and removed the door switch. VERY EASY.

remove cover, unplug secondary door switch (top switch)
remove switch from holder, install new switch, plug in wires, replace cover, very easy. door switches are a common problem
with microwave ovens.

remove cover-unplug wires from secondary switch-remove switch-snap in new switch-plug in wires-replace cover-works great. very easy to do.

every thing is working, but no hot

I took instant pictures at each step to make sure I put the wires back correctly. Removed the front panel. Discharged the capacitor with a voltage meter. Removed parts in front of the magnetron. Removed and replaced the magnetron. Reassembled. Works find now. Small hands, a flashlight and a magnet (for dropped screws) would help. I did not need the pictures.

Microwave would not turn on. Lights and fan worked fine. Before the microwave stopped completely, it would turn the microware fan on even when door was open. I read the reviews and they were exactly the same issue that others were facing. Once I opened the front panel and got to the switches it was easy to figure out which switch was bad as it was the one that was soft (When clicking it). It was hard to take it out though (it seemed stuck). So, I used a plier to yank it out. I put in the new switch and everything worked just great! I would like to thank other comments that were left on the site to make my task much easier. Thank you (to the commenters on PartsSelect), you not only saved me money, but also ensured that I learn about the microwave more and give me the confidence that I could fix it.

Turn off main power bracker. Removed fan vent, removed control panel, disconnect leads to the three monitor switches. Replaced the secondary switch (top). Reversed procedures.

Loosen the two long anchor bolts that screw into the top of the microwave cabinet. These are usually in a shelf or cabinet directly above the microwave. Tilt the microwave forward enough to remove the 2 Phillips head screws from the top of the microwave cabinet. They are near the front. When these two screws are out, remove the fan vent. Once the fan vent is off, remove one screw that holds the control pad in place. Let it hang down. Just to the left of the control pad, you will see wires leading to three switches that close when the door is closed. Use a torx driver to remove the two screws that hold the switch bracket in place. With the bracket out, unplug the wire harnesses. On the opposite side of the wiring connected, a tab holds each switch in place. Lift the tab and slide the switches out. Usually, the bad switch will be identified by a loose or broken spring. Test them by pressing down on the switch. If you notice the bad switch spring, this is usually the bad one. When you have the new one, simply push it back into the appropriate slot and be sure that the holding tab snaps back in place. Plug the wires back in and re-attach the bracket. Put the control pad back on, then the fan vent. When down with those, push on the bottom of the microwave to lift it back into place and tighten the two anchor bolts in the top.

First, unplug microwave. Unscrew two screws at top of microwave, slide grill cover left and remove. This allows access to single screw holding control panel. Remove this screw and lift up control panel to remove. Secondary door switch is black switch at lowest position. The switch is held in place by a lever in back and very hard to get to. Remove the wires plugged into the switch, then remove two screws holding the plastic switch mount that holds all three switches. These screws use a "star" type screwdriver. Once the plastic mount is free, lift it up, right, and tip it slightly to find the lever that will release the black secondary door switch (the lowest switch)...release the broken switch, snap the new switch in its place. Replace the plastic mount by lifting and replacing back into position and replace the two "star" screws. Now, replace the wires onto the new switch, and test operation. Replace control panel, and top grill. It goes faster than it writes...getting the old switch out through that difficult to reach lever was the hardest part...still less than thirty minutes.

Opened the microwave oven door, unscrewed two screws which held the control panel on, then I removed two of the door switches (each had two screws), and then used the continuity tester to see which one was not operating. It turned out to be the secondary door switch, replaced it and to my amazement, the microwave worked. I have never repaired an appliance before but I didn't want to replace our over-the-stove built in microwave. It was the best day ever when it was working again! The hardest part was getting myself to try the repair.

Watched How to repair a Microwave that turns on when the door is opened Video on the web. From this took a shot at the switch was the problem. When I removed the switch it was defective. The small button was in and when you turned the switch upside down the button would drop back into position. Ordered a switch for $25.oo , installed it and the microwave is working fine.