23 replies to this topic

[HermanA]

Okay, so my TWO WEEK out of warranty freakin $4000 oven has started doing something really baaaaaaad.  When in "trivection" mode, the upper oven emits a burned wire smell from the electronics/control area.  Gets pretty smokey in the kitchen, and that's BEFORE my Wife even starts burning food.   It works fine in conventional mode, so I'm sure this is something having to do with the microwave portion.

GE is of NO use whatsoever and refuses to look at it under warranty (bought $12k worth of Profile for our new house, and it will be my last).  Anyhoo..... went to take a look-see tonight and my first issue is getting the control panel off.  I found 3 hex head screws on the underside of the panel and removed these which seems to make the control panel loose, but I can't get it off either by lifting straight up or pulling forward.  What am I missing?  Does the oven have to come forward out of the cabinet slightly to let it release?

We'll get to the fried parts later, once I can get IN to the damned thing.  Thanks for any help in advance!  This is an AWESOME site!!

 

[BrntToast]

first 2 things to try.... one, go to the dealer and ask them if you can still buy extended warranty(i know some companies i do warranty for allow 3 months after one year for the extended purchase)

second, if you have never had warranty work done and didn't mail in your warranty registration cards, ask the dealer you spent 12k at if they will print you a new purchase receipt making the machine under a year old  :P

 

 

[HermanA]

Unfortunately, on both fronts I am screwed due to a rebate.  Bought the appliances during construction and stored them for a couple of months (before we really needed them) to get a $600 rebate.  So, the actual purchase is really more like 16months old.  Filing for the rebate "registered" the S/N's with GE.    When we started all this mess a few weeks ago, they acted like the extra couple of weeks was something they could review.  They requested that we fax closing paperwork on the house to them to prove move-in or actual in-service date, but even after all that, they have denied our warranty claim.  Today, the GE rep tells me "we have to treat all customers equally" to which I replied "good!  I'd expect you to do the right thing for ALL your Customers.  When can I expect a technician?"  She didn't seem to like that much. :X

Too, the ext warranty would probably be more than whatever parts I need.  Seems to not have much of anything to do with the high-dollar touch control/temp logic board stuff.  I'm thinking power supply board, capacitor, transformer, etc. all in the under $100 range.

 

 

 

 

[appl.tech.29501]

post the complete model # so we can try and find a breakdown....also I would pull the unit out an inch or so, that may allow for easy removal of the control panel.

[HermanA]

JT980SOK3SS

Thanks on the 1" tip....will try that tonight.

 

[appl.tech.29501]

Unfortunately the breakdown of your control panel section doesn't reveal and hints of a tear down procedure....really it doesn't show much at all....that's GE for ya. anyways just take your time...if you already have the 3 screws from under the control panel then there shouldn't be but a few more on top if any.

[RegUS_PatOff]

from 31-9115 Technical Service Guide:

Control Panel (Double and Single Wall Ovens)

Removal and Replacement

1. Remove the three 1/4-in. hex head screws securing the control panel to the vent trim.

2. The panel has keyhole slots at the top and is held very tight. Carefully push the panel up, then pull out at the bottom.

I could email the manual to any of ya's  ( 3 MB )

[HermanA]

Reg.....that email would be great! 

Was really hoping to get to the teardown tonight, but my 9 hour shift turned into a 13.  Grrrrrrr    Having the manual will definitely eliminate a lot of guesswork!  12 packs to all!

 

 

[RegUS_PatOff]

manual sent

[HermanA]

Awww geez......looks like the 340lb beast has to come out to access the power areas and the microwave components (I know, I know ground the capacitor:shock:).  Only thing accessible from the front panel is....well..... the front panel!  I'll need some help for that one, so it will be the weekend before I can pry it open. 

 

Till then, I'll take bets on the source of the terrible electrical burning smell........ transformer?  Cap?  PS board?  Winner gets a cookie.

 

 

 

 

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=32079]HermanA[/user] wrote:

Till then, I'll take bets on the source of the terrible electrical burning smell........ transformer?  Cap?  PS board?  Winner gets a cookie.

transformer ?

[HermanA]

Give that man a COOKIE!!!  Right on Reg, it was the transformer.  Fried to a crisp.  Now, on to the "why"'s...... is it possible that I don't have adequate ventilation in my cabinet?  This thing is running like 4 or 5 fans which feed air from inside the cabinet.   One of the fans directly cools this transformer (yes, I ran it through service mode to make sure it was blowing).  My cabinets are very tight, caulked to the wall, etc.  That oven is pretty much in a sealed box.  I've always noticed that the fans seem to run for a long time after cooking, usually for a half hour or more.  Any opinions on whether I should maybe add some outside air, even if just cutting a couple of 4-5" holes into my upper cabinet or running a piece of dryer vent up through the upper and out the top?  Or, should I just shut up and replace the transformer?

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  Transformer.JPG   53.36K   45 downloads
•  Transformer.JPG   53.36K   45 downloads

[RegUS_PatOff]

Transformer part # WB27T10544

there may be something else wrong also.

I'd put a fuse in-line with that transformer primary.

Attached Files

•  cookie monster.gif   21.57K   42 downloads
•  cookie monster.gif   21.57K   42 downloads

[HermanA]

They've got a 20a ceramic in the primary.  You think I should knock it down to 15 for a while and see what happens?  Could there be a prob with the mag causing the HVT to fry? 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  TransSchem1.JPG   26.07K   42 downloads
•  TransSchem1.JPG   26.07K   42 downloads

[RegUS_PatOff]

I didn't see that one...I was looking at the 2 lines coming in from the left.

You could use a 15A (ceramic) fuse while testing the new transformer, but it may not hold during cooking under various conditions, and may not be easy to access  :?

Although 20A @ 240v is a lotta watts (4800w)

It could still have a bad magnetron, shorted capacitor, or shorted HV diode.

You could use an ohm meter to test the diode & capacitor (after discharging), and maybe the magnetron.

You could install a TCO on top of the transformer, similar to the one on the magnetron:

• When the temperature on the magnetron TCO reaches 320°F, the magnetron TCO opens and removes power to the controls. When cooled below 140°F, it closes and restores power to the controls.

click on picture

[HermanA]

Thanks!  I'll get the meter out before ordering parts to make sure the diode and cap are to specs.  I'm not an expert on microwave theory, but I've always heard "no metal in the microwave".  However, this thing doesn't seem to care what you cook in or that there are metal racks in the oven, OR that there is a huge metal plate offset about an inch off the roof of the oven under which is the plate which the microwave comes from. 

[denrayr]

i am not saying this couldnt happen but i have never seen a high voltage short burn a transformer. They just internally short on their own. It wont hurt to test the other components but i am sure you will be just fine replacing the transformer.

In G.E.'s defense your product comes with a 1 year warranty and you are outside of it. Why should you get special treatment? I know you bought a lot of products from them but they arent doing anything dishonest. Had your product failed within the year mark they would have taken care of it for you.  

[HermanA]

[user=8]denrayr[/user] wrote:

In G.E.'s defense your product comes with a 1 year warranty and you are outside of it. Why should you get special treatment? I know you bought a lot of products from them but they arent doing anything dishonest. Had your product failed within the year mark they would have taken care of it for you.  

 On

I never said they were dishonest, just dishonorable.  I've been serving Customers for 25 years, and regularly administer warranty issues for them on electronics.  I can't ever remember stonewalling a Customer over a 2 week out of warranty issue.  At very least, there are compromises that can be achieved in the interest of Customer Satisfaction such as "we'll pay for the part, you pay for the labor" or "we'll fix it for half price just this once to make you happy".  I do this every day to keep my Customers coming back, something GE obviously has no interest in doing.  I realize that they don't "have to", but I would have been a lifelong GE Custie and cheerleader if they had invested a $100 part in me, or even just the labor to put it in.  At this point, unfortunately for them, they have lost me.  When we built our house, we contracted it ourselves.  We enjoyed the process so much that we have started a business on the side flipping and renovating.  We are going to be responsible for a lot of appliance purchasing decisions over the next few years.  Think they would have made the $100 back, even if they didn't have it in their profit margin on the 12k I already spent with them?

I guess the part that really steamed me was when we initially called CS and advised them of the problem, they said that they would take a look at it if we could prove to them when we closed on the house (when everything went "in service").  To me, this indicated that there was some possibility or (dare I say it) probability that they would take care of us.  SO, I take time off work, trudge down to the bank, get in the safety deposit box, pull out the closing paperwork, go make copies, fax to GE as they requested, wait 48 hours as they requested for them to "associate" the fax to the case number, never get a call back as promised, wait another 48 hours, and call them just to hear "well, you were 2 weeks out of warranty" JUST as I had told them on the first call.  The first operator just didn't want to say "no" and was hoping that I wouldn't jump through the hoops she gave me and I would just go away.  Why ask me to prove something when there's no way it will affect your decision?

I know this all comes off as sounding kind of "entitled" and it's not meant to be.  I just think that there's a right way to interact business with people, and this wasn't it.

"YMMV, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear."

  OFF

Thanks for the input on the other components.  My biggest fear in fixing this myself is that the money I save changing the transformer myself will go up in smoke when I fire it up the first time

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=32079]HermanA[/user] wrote:

Thanks for the input on the other components.  My biggest fear in fixing this myself is that the money I save changing the transformer myself will go up in smoke when I fire it up the first time

check those other parts for shorts.

start with a 5 amp fuse.

 

[HermanA]

Okay guys, I'm back......  Checked the cap and diode out and replaced the transformer.  The diode shows "open" in both directions which seems odd to me, but the SM states that it should read open in "at least one direction".  Anyway, still no microwave cooking going on.  I used the SM test procedure of putting a 1 liter glass of water in the middle of the oven and nuking it for 2 minutes.  It didn't change one degree, let alone the 12 it should have.  SO, I assume the magnatron is gone.  The SM doesn't give any actual test procedures or specs to look for other than "replace the magnatron and see if it works now".  Are there any ways to test the mag without dumping another $100?

According to their website, the magnatron has a 4 year parts only warranty, but I assume this would have to be replaced by one of their techs at their labor rate......