KCMS185JSS - Instructions

Over the stove microwave installed in top cabinet row.
1. Unplug device.
2. Two people to remove from wall/cabinet (remove two, large, top mounting screws and rotate entire microwave down and off the wall mount). Should be some wood spacers between top of device and bottom of cabinet.
3. Remove screws from sheet metal cover.
4. Remove one screw holding blowers in place and rotate out of the way, in order to gain access to 2 of 5 screws that hold the magnetron in place.
5. Unplug magnetron and remove the 5 screws.
6. Drop in new magnetron and re-assemble microwave in reverse order (steps 5-3).
7. Two people restore micro to wall/cabinet. Replace wood spacers, re-install two, large mounting screws (finger-tight). Test device. Secure the two large screws.

Removed each switch (3) and checked them with multi-meter; got intermittent readings on two of the three. Also broke of a piece of the frame that holds the switches trying to remove them (old, exposed to heat and moisture over the years caused the plastic to become brittle and the wiring connectors were also hard to disconnect probably because of heat and moisture over the years).
Went to PartSelect web site and discovered the three switches and frame were bundled in to one part number, 43501A. So, I called and spoke with a very knowledgeable technician and she explained why plus helped me order the part over the phone. When I received the part, the switches were already mounted in the frame and the frame was modified compared to the OEM frame. As I began to remove the old frame, I discovered why the new frame was modified. It was as if PartSelect had done many of these door interlock repairs and they knew exactly where and how to modify the frame and communicated this with the manufacturer, because the new frame installation was very easy, there was nothing hard about installing the new frame with the switches already in place. I then reconnected the wiring to the switches and tested the microwave and it works fine now, Problem solved, Thanks PartSelect.com

Note: also had to replace turntable. Removed top cover using secure driver set. Placed microwave on it's front, using a soft towel. Removed edge screws from bottom plate (leaving 4 screws in center attached to heavy transformer). Separated bottom plate from body of microwave (leaving transformer wires still attached) exposing Synchronous motor. Removed two screws holding motor and electrical plug. Swapped new motor in its place. Re-attached bottom plate with its screws. Placed microwave onto it normal position. Re-attached top cover with its secure screws. Installed new turntable inside.

I could just set the new whirly gig in the bottom hole of the micro and it worked. The new part was delivered in 24 hours of my order and hence fixed in 24 hours. Thanks so much Part Select

Removed micro bottom - 5 screws. One screw on the motor and a clip. Reversed the sequence, turned it on and watched it turn.

Remove 2 Philips Head screws on left side of microwave. Remove 3 Philips Head screws from bottom rear of microwave. Remove 4 security screws from back of microwave (holding the cover to frame). These are the security type tips that are like a Torx bit, but need to be hollow in middle to accommodate pin in center of screw. Then back plate of microwave with heavy transformer still attached slides up and away. The wires aren't long enough to allow it to rest flat on the bench, but weight is low so it's easy to hold it upright while removing the motor unit. Separate connector from motor (simple) Remove motor by unscrewing 1 phillips head screw and rotating counter-clockwise a tiny bit. Remove Motor. Reverse steps to re-assemble. Note that there are a series of tabs at the bottom of the back cover that fit into holes in the baseplate of microwave. It can be a little tricky to line them up with the weight of the transformer, but it's not too bad. Once lined up, it drops in nicely and all the various screw holes line up. The microwave is a bad cooker when the plate doesn't spin. This simple and inexpensive fix saved me from having to buy a whole new oven.

Initially we started looking to buy a replacement microwave to replace our 13+ year old built-in microwave. It was a real pain finding a replacement to fit the exact dimensions. So I thought I'd try to find an old KitchenAid microwave. However, I was pleasantly surprised when this site came up on my search. Their website allows me to input the problems and then it showed two possible parts that needed to be replaced. I emailed tech support and asked them which part I needed. They responded very quickly and said I needed to replace the magnetron. I watched a couple YouTube videos and then pulled my microwave apart. It was incredibly easy to pull the outer cover off. The magnetron had 5 screws that needed to be removed and one electrical plug. Took me maybe 10 min to complete the entire repair. It was one of the easiest repairs I've done and so thankful for this site They saved me a ton of money from not buying a new microwave and we now have our microwave working again. In hindsight, I wouldn't hesitate. I'd order the Part now and get it fixed.

Unplug microwave! It's NOT necessary to remove microwave from above stove. Removed two Philips head screws on top front of unit to remove front grille. Removed one screw to remove control panel, letting it hang down. Found inline fuse in cabinet where line cord wires come in. Pulled out blown fuse with thumb and forefinger. Snapped in new fuse, replaced control panel and grille with the three screws. Plugged in the microwave. -Worked great! Good opportunity while grille was off to clean it and replace the charcoal filter inside the cabinet.

Removed the MW from the wall. Took the top screws off the air vent. Then removed the two screws holding on the display. I then moved the display to its side and it revealed the micro switches. I removed the plug in leads from the micro switch one at a time. I did this with all three micro switches only one at a time. I reinstalled everything and plugged it in. No more fans starting when the door is opened.

Removed outer cover

removed lower door switch

installed new switch

Wa La!

Unplug the microwave. Remove the Philips head and safety Torx head screws along the bottom of the sides and rear of the microwave which hold the black cover on. Lift the cover up at the rear and slide it backwards to disengage the tabs on the front top. Remove the cover. Discharge the capacitor by shorting the terminals to each other and then ground. Do this with a well insulated object and be aware there may be a pop when you do this. Keep hands, etc. on the insulated part of the object (screwdriver handle, etc). There's a lot of stored energy in that capacitor. I'd advise first checking the diode to make sure its not bad. Replace it if it is. The Magnatron is held in with a couple of screws on the top and sides. Unplug the connector and remove the screws. Remove the Magnatron. Installation is the reverse of removal.

well I unplugged the microwave one day prior to working on it. shock precaution smart way to do this job. very easy pullout the screws behind the unit pull off the outer casing. minor screws inside the unit you have to remove a couple things out of the way. unplug the magnetron and remove first gives you more room to work on the side panel to replace the micro switches. I only replaced one the bottom micro switch. only one bad, but since I was in there I clean the bulb and changed the magnetron any ways. I read other reviews and made my choice to do so. it works perfectly now. Thanks PartSelect for having parts.

The instructions on the website were incredibly easy and I saved myself a lot of headache by using this site.

-it was built in unit - so I needed to pull the decorative grill from around the outside to remove it from the wall
- removing the back of the case involved removing phillips head screws from along the side and back of the unit. the only issue I encountered on removing screws was the fact that the "torx / star" screws could not be fit with the wrench that I had (they had a pin in the center that would not allow the wrench to fit into the star). However, a pair of pliers was handy and they were removed just easily.
- I had ordered both the high voltage diode and magnetron because I didn't know which item was the problem. I grounded the diode with two screwdrivers while wearing rubber gloves to be safe. the warnings on this did the trick as it was the only scary part of the operation.
- the diode was a little hard to spot looking at the schematics, but is is found on the lower right corner of the right side of the panel and easily pulled out and replaced. I tried the microwave again to see if it worked...and it did not. So I confirmed that the magnetron was the issue.
- removing the screws for the magnetron and putting in the replacement was a dead easy and I tried the microwave again before putting cover back on. Worked like a charm. Super easy!

The power on the microwave went completely out when I went to use it, but there was no power failure for the house or neighborhood. We removed the microwave from above the oven. Took out the screws on the sides and back of the microwave and slid the top back. The line fuse was located on top unobstructed, NOT behind the button panel like some microwave models. As the appliance is over 20 years old the line fuse was quite old. It was really hard to pry it out of its holder and actually broke. I used a vacuum to suck up the dust and glass and it was easier to get out the ends once the middle broke. Popped the new line fuse in, slid the top back on, put in the screws and put the microwave back in its compartment above the stove. Good as new!! We were about to spend money on a new microwave, but thankfully I came across this site. So happy I did!!

This repair was really easy. The part that took the most time was taking it down from it's compartment above the oven and putting it back up there once repaired.

Turned the microwave on its side. (Recommend turning it on its top. i had to fish the wire connection back to the center after it dropped away from the motor.) There is a spot under the rotation motor where an access port was stamped in the tin but not cut out. Used the small side cutter to complete the cut where tin had been left between holes. I unplugged the wires, removed the old motor by removing one screw, and installed the new one by reusing the same screw. The motor must have a reduction gear inside the case. The motor coil tested good, about 128 ohms, but it acted like there was a stripped gear inside. I wasn't interested enough to try to open the motor and confirm.

Had to go to the garage and get a small sheet metal screw to close the new trap door.

The "new" motor had scratches on it, made me wonder if it was really new, but it works fine and will probably outlast me.