GE JVM2070SH001 OTR Microwave

[DADoES]

 
Subject machinery (15 yo) is gone flaky a few weeks ago.  Exhaust was running, started a cooking cycle, it immediately went dead.  Came back on after a minute or so, with notice on the display about "power failure, cooking cycle interrupted."  Repeat two times, dead immediately upon Start, each time with a longer delay until it came back alive ... then it stayed dead until the next morning (even after turning off the breaker for a half-hour.

Heated a plate the next morning.  Then it went dead again immediately on Start later in the afternoon.  Turned the breaker off.  Tried it again the next day, still dead.

Pulled out a spare countertop micro, left the breaker off for a more than week, less than two weeks.

Turned the breaker on again late this afternoon, the display came on and the exhaust worked ... leery to try a cooking operation.  Tried heating a plate a few mins ago and it worked, but can't say if it'll continue to work or go dead again on the next try.

Any suggestions what may be the problem?  Most major parts are gone NLA.  I found a couple control panels online at off-the-beaten-path sources ... one for $505, one for $579 (touted as discounted from $1,005 LOL).

 

[repairguy]

I don’t work on microwaves, but I do know there are several micro switches in the door interlock assembly. Maybe jiggle the door handle if it looses power again and see if that will bring display back. Just a thought and easy to try.

 

[vacerator]

My GE microvent

from 2011 started on its own when brand new. I discovered it was because the film over the buttons was not removed, I suppose making them more sensitive to the slightest touch. I was touching it at the time. Has not done it since. It is the model with the keypad across the bottom of the door, like LG's have. It looks like a Profile style, like the former Profile curved dishwasher and range control panels, but is a lower end model. Bought it because of the lower price, and well, I don't really cook much with a microwave. Mostly for warming, melting, popcorn, and veggies. Made in China. Our previous 1996 vintage Profile model with temp. probe, and all the bells and whistles still worked perfectly last month when we donated it to Habitat. That was made in Korea. Used it a lot prior to our 2011 kitchen remodel.

 

[estesguy]

GE JVM

I and my in-laws both owned one of these. Very heavy on the electronics with a one of a kind touch screen. It was quite interesting to play with. But electronics and steam from cooking tend to doom OTR microwaves too soon. I replaced the control panel in my in-laws unit several years ago when the part was available on Ebay for around 125. The touch screen itself can also be problematic. When I moved out of my house, mine was 11 years old, but I noticed they replaced it a year or so later. I'd say given the NLA parts and the quirky touch screen, consider yourself lucky to have gotten 15 years out of it and move on.

 

[DADoES]

 
I don't have any experience with micro repairs but doesn't seem to me that the control panel is the fault.  When it does activate, wake-up, whatever, the panel works.  The exhaust function turns on/off, changes speeds, all the micro "buttons" work, I can set a cook time or select any other function.  It goes 100% dead (including the exhaust blower if it's on at the time) immediately upon pressing Start to run a cooking function.  It worked last night (for one cooking cycle), went dead a few mins ago when tried again.

Not a fuse fault because it (thus far) eventually will power-up again and a blown fuse wouldn't spontaneously fix itself.  Maybe a bad power supply/transformer, capacitor, diode, or other electrical part.  Power supply is NLA but a capacitor should be doable and I think a diode or other is still listed as available.

The dumb-ass builder or kitchen designer, whichever, surrounded it with a bunch of fancy trimwork that extends 5" above the top and 4" past the front such that the top anchor screws are inaccessible UNDER the trimwork so destruction is required to get the crazy thing down.

 

[whatsername]

My grandparents had two of these in rental vacation homes. Both ended up with bad touch screens and were replaced.

 

[nmassman44]

I have the same GE Profile microwave. We bought it in 2004 and it still works perfectly...so far...

 

[iowabear]

Great looking machine.  I like the green control panel.