Damn Digital Disaster

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bajaespuma

bajaespuma

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I have a Jenn-Air Convection oven, 30", Electric that I purchased about 6 years ago. Wonderful oven as far as baking, broiling and all that other stuff. About a month ago, I noticed the digital display is dimming. Now I can't see the numbers at all, even in a dark room! I noticed on an ebay ad for a replacement circuit board(that cost $200.00!) that "this is the replacement part you need when your display starts to dim"! Is this what happens normally to these ovens?! And if I shell out this money for a replacement, am I just going to have to do it again 5 years from now? I am so over this digital crap if this is what I'm going to have to put up with. And, by the way, no surprise, the morons, and I mean MORONS, on the jenn-air "help" line were absolutely no help. I will never buy another Jenn-air product again.

bajaespuma++3-25-2010-09-09-8.jpg
 
Appliance manufacturers took two dependable analog components, the mechanical clock and oven controls and put them into an electronic component that not only is fragile and does not last very long, but is often NLA when replacement is needed. GE ovens with the turquoise display are famous or infamous for having to be junked at a young age because GE only had a small number of the boards made for replacement part sales. After those were gone, there was nothing that could be done to make the ovens work. I'm glad my stoves have mechanical controls.

I'm sorry for your misfortune, Ken.
 
I hear ya. Our KA range digital display lost a segment or two of its digits at about 3 years of age so you couldn't tell it numbers were 6's 8's or whatever. We were moving so I didn't bother and left it with the house. I figured it was going to be costly to repair and why bother. Got the same range again, second hand this time for $200 and its display is still fine
It is frustrating especially since so many things now have a digital display you just know some of them are going to fail.
 
I have the same problem with My Maytag range

Unfortunately, besides the display dimming, the controller was/is causing the convection fan to shut down. I had the repair man out like six times, charged me $398, they replaced the controller, and it still doesn't work.
 
There must be reliable, sturdy digital electronics available for use. The digital equipment on airplanes and space shuttles take a beating but seem to be far more reliable than the two-penny crap we get in modern appliances.

In brief, I think digital is here to stay. I doubt manufacturers are going to revert to analog controls. So, manufacturers, how about putting some higher quality parts in your appliances!
 
True story

"Ken, in an absolutely dark room, with your hands cupped around the display (and I mean, absolutely dark!) do you see two or more small horizontal wires glowing?"

To answer that question simply, "NO". I saw nothing.

I tried cupping my hands around my eyes so hard that I poked myself in the eye on the third go around. It was funny, although since it happened to me (and not the other guy) it was really tragic.

Does anyone even make a wall oven without a digital panel anymore? Talk about built-in obsolescence.
 
VFD displays will dim some with use overtime,but at least in
my experience takes many many years-only slight dimming
evident with my '82 panasonic VCR,no dimming noticed on my
'84 hotpoint microwave,so that dim display problem might only
be a bad part on the circuit board-as stated on a post above,
the tiny horizontal wires in the VFD need to heat in order to
better"boil off"electrons to illuminate the phosphor segments.
A display that has been "overdriven"might degrade much faster
than normal.LED displays will also dim some-the GE green LED
clock radio i got new in 1980 used to light up a room on full
brightness,it's a bit dimmer now.
 
Ken, my nephew had the same problem with their Jenn Air built in double ovens. For theirs the repair was right around $700 of course this was Sears price. LUCKY that they had a service contract.
 
Sounds to me like the VFD filaments aren't getting power. They only need a few volts and realistically, zero digital control, but I'm betting for whatever reason a transistor drive is in-line. If everything is dead on that panel, then the "no filament power" could jive with a bum power supply. 50 cents worth of parts, several hundred dollars markup.

It's not that the manufacturers can't make solid electronics, it's that they chose to use the cheapest available, lowest spec, parts to save a buck or two (literally). -Cory
 
The digital equipment on airplanes and space shuttles take a beating but seem to be far more reliable than the two-penny crap we get in modern appliances.

In modern airliners the electronics bay underneath the flight deck has cooling fans and cooling ducts to cool the electronics.
Maybe if our appliances had something similar they may last longer.
 
Pc boards vs mechanical timers - ASKO case

- mechanical parts and timers are more easy to test by manufacturers. Sometimes buying a pc board from a contractor rather from another one is sort of a blind date

- average repairmen have mechanical/electrical skills but not same electronic skill

As a clue ASKO appliances have all complaints about the pc board, but almost non existing ones about mechanical parts

The reason is this one : since Asko was aquired by antoniomerloni.it these moroons started using the same"el cheapo" Elmarc pc boards they use on their budget brands (Servis, ARDO .....)

elmarc.com - This website is for sale! - elmarc Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! elmarc.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, elmarc.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!
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it's the VFD...

I've replaced *just* a few... That display is a module that is separate from the main relay/control boards that actually mount to the side of the cavity behind the panel. Once you get past the part cost, the actual repair is a 10 minute piece of cake. If you need to, post the model/serial number and I'll get the part number...

Also, how old is the oven? Depending on age, I might be able to 'coach' you on how to get help from them...

RCD
 
Part of the problem I have with Jenn-Air is that the morons who designed the oven, put the model/serial number plate right underneath the oven gasket and, rather than using a permanent embossed label, made it out of temperature sensitive material with similar inks. The first time I used the self-clean feature, the model/serial numbers burned off. How's that for planned obsolescence? I'm searching through piles of papers to find any of the receipts from the store I bought the thing from to see if the model number is listed. I usually register all of my appliances when I buy them, but according to the first Jenn-Air moron, the only appliances I have registered with them is my Maytag washer (not the dryer) and a dishwasher. I'll find the model number eventually and get it to you, but I'm really pissed at this oven right now. It works fine, except I have no way of telling whether I've set it right or not. I HATE stupid design. At the rate I'm going, I'll probably find a cheaper replacement oven at ReStore or Green Demolitions. and I'd much rather give them my money than give one penny more to Jenn-Air. This is why I'm such a commie: I'm so sick of American Corporate greed.
 

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