LD10D - Instructions

I had to unmount the over-the-range microwave oven to be able to gain access to the interior of the oven. Complicating removal (and re-installation) was the fact that there is a "pot-filler" faucet installed directly underneath the oven. In retrospect, I should've removed the faucet before doing the repair, but "c'est la vie."

After I got the microwave down, removing the case was also "interesting." I get bonus points for the fact that the previous owner must've had to replace the same diode before - and then re-assembled the microwave case incorrectly - thereby adding to the confusion (BTW, the service manual that I found online said nothing about how to remove the oven's case).

To remove the case, undo all the screws holding it on, and then rotate the case upwards from the back while also pulling the case backwards. There are crimped folds on the inside of the case that mate with the back edges of the front of the oven's chassis, and these folds have to be unclipped from the chassis in order to remove the case.

Replacing the diode itself was the easiest part of the job. The two connectors on the diode are of different types, making it impossible to install the diode with the wrong polarity.

BTW, the diode that had failed was not an OEM diode; I suspect it was a generic component that had been installed by a repairman sometime between 2004-2008 (when our home's original owners still owned the home). On the other hand, the new diode from PartSelect is an OEM part (it came packaged in a sealed Whirlpool bag).

The fact that the oven had stopped heating indicated that it was either the high-voltage diode or the magnetron that had failed. Since a replacement diode costs ~ 1/10th as much as a replacement magnetron, I figured it made sense to replace the cheaper part first. Fortunately, this fixed the problem.

One last thing: I tried testing both the old and new diodes for conductivity and polarity using my volt-ohm meter (VOM), but I was unable to get either diode to "turn on," even though my VOM is powered by a 9-v battery, and I used the 2-Mohm range setting. I guess the test voltage of my el-cheapo VOM isn't high enough to exceed the diode's threshold voltage, (even though I have successfully used this same VOM to test low-voltage diodes).

removed a dozen screws-discarded large cap-replaced diode-replaced a dozen screws(took longer to replace them than remove for some unknown reason). Microwave now works(wife happy).

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!

I want to preface this review by stating that I do some DIY from YouTube, but have no experience in electronic repair. The microwave is over the stove with the extendavent. First I unplugged the microwave, removed the vent and started to unscrew the microwave from the mount. I used a power drill to speed things up. I was able to remove the microwave on my own. I unscrewed the lid on the microwave and took the lid off and there is the magnetron. I opened up needle nose pliers to have each end touch the terminals of the capacitor (holds the power, Dangerous). I made sure to keep my hands on the rubber handles and avoid touching the metal part of the pliers. I used the pliers to remove the plug of the capacitor to the magnetron as well. The magnetron has 4 screws (2 top, 2 bottom). There is a magnet that can hold the screws to keep from falling but I’d still recommend a screwdriver with a magnet on the end. The magnetron has another set of wires connected by a metal bracket like a holder, not really connecting any wiring to the magnetron itself. I had to unscrew 1 screw to removed that. Adding everything back on was easy, same steps back. I plugged in the microwave and tested a cup of water before I mounted it back above the stove. Voila! I did need my wife’s help to hold the microwave on the hinge while screwing into the mount. It doesn’t take a lot of muscle for the help. $85 for the part and ~40 mins to fix a $400 microwave!

Remove from cabinetry, take cover off and had a very difficult time removing the plastic form that has the switched in. Replace the lowest of all the switches, and then again very difficult time getting the plastic form back in. Some of the plastic even broke during the process but not any that could prevent it from working as it did before. I had ordered a fuse, 2 packs of 2 switches as there are 3 switches but only had to use 1 to get it working again. Tested after switch install, put the cover back on and reinstalled in the cabinet.

Used a Motor cycle Jack to remove both unites combined. Removed side panels exposing internal working parts. Removed nonworking Magnetron and replaced it with new Magnetron. The process was completed in about 1 hour.

I verified I had 120 volts going into transformer when the microwave was supposed to be running. The capacitor and HV diode both tested good. Be sure to discharge the capacitor before working in this area. This isolated trouble to either the transformer or magnetron. The windings of the transformer measured good. So ordered a magnetron. It was very easy to swap. There were 4 screws and one connector. This fixed our microwave.

I UNPLUGGED the microwave and removed the cover, using a phillips and a Torx screwdriver for the machine screws. I set these screws aside, so as not to confuse them with the later encountered screws. I photographed the magnetron to assure proper placement of the 6 phillips machine screws involved in reassembly (marking the the locations on the old magnetron would do as well. I marked the old magnetron "old", to avoid later confusion. I removed the two screws holding the shields to the magnetron. I removed 3 of the 4 screws holding the magnetron to the microwave, leaving one of the top screws. I held the magnetron securely and removed the last screw, pulling out a the part of the magnetron that penetrated the microwave. I installed the new magnetron in reverse order. One problem I encountered was locating one of the six screws, which had been pulled into the old magnetron by magnetism.

Initial failure of over range microwave Aug 3rd. Control Panel worked but no heat. Took to local LG authoriaed local repair place. They fixed it quickly and we re-installed it. Worked fine for 2 months then had similar failure again. Agaim took to same authorized repairer. They kept unit for 3 months but finally concluded theu could not fix it and suggested we contact LG for a partial refund. When they tested the unit during re-assembly in my presence, there was a blue flash and the fuse blew. Since we had built a custom tile mural back splash around this unit, I brought it home, ordered a number of time delay fuses new capacitor and two new high voltage diodes. However, using my Fluke DMM, I checked the existing capacitor and high voltage diode and they checked OK so I just replaced the time delay fuse. The high voltage transformer leads had 2 possible ways to connect to capacitor and diode. Tried one way, plugged unit in and turned it on, and immediatly blew the fuse. Replaced the fuse and reversed the high voltage transformer connections,amd turned unit pn, and it worked perfectly. Since we had experienced several power failures during the time of the original failure, the repairer concluded that power spikes might be at fault, so I also purchased a TrippLite ISOBAR4ULTRA 3300 Joule surge protector between wall outlet and microwave, and re-installed over range. It has worked perfectly since.

unplug the unit then pull down , lot of screws are on top. open the cover . you could see the parts that need to replace on the right hand side (heavy side). disconnect wires then test the parts that need to replace by a tester to make sure that it's really broke .then unscrew part and replace .

The built-in microwave was removed by taking off the front plate that was secured by 3 screws at the bottom. The unit was moved to the side slightly so that the power cord could be disconnected. Then the entire unit was withdrawn. The outer shell of the unit was taken off by removing the six screws holding it in place. The shell may need to be shifted slightly to separate it from the unit. Once removed, the bracket latch and opening mechanism for the door was revealed. The latch is inserted simply by aligning the two nipples with the correponding holes in the opening mechanism and gently pushing it into place. The latch is plastic and appears to be vulnerable to breakage over time through constant use, so I have ordered a spare should the problem reoccur.

hardest part was taking the microwave down off of the wall to gain access to the diode. Thought if was the transformer but ended up being just a blown diode. remove and replace and bench test. that part took 15 minutes . moral of the story don't boil water under the side of the microwave that holds the electric components.

I simply went on line to Part Select, placed my order, made payment, and was astonished to see the package with a new dish sitting on my doorstep the next day.Great service.

I started by calling a reputable service company to diagnose my problem. The repair tech told me it was the magnetron and it was a "very difficult" repair that required two people because the over-the-range unit needed to be taken down. I asked for a detailed estimate. He quoted $550 including parts and labor. After he left, I researched the part costs on this site and realized his costs were very inflated. I purchased the magnetron for $220. It arrived at my door two days later. Installation was very easy. First, I unplugged the unit. Then, while my wife was making sure it did not fall off the wall bracket, I unscrewed the two mounting screws from the top of the cabinet. I lifted the unit down from the wall and set it on the kitchen counter. The shell needed removed from the microwave which involved about 20 screws. This provided access to the magnetron on top. The magnetron is secured by five screws and a plug. I unplugged it, unscrewed it, and removed the old part. Then, I installed the new magnetron, and tested the microwave to make sure this did the trick. It worked. I put the outer shell back on the microwave and cleaned the microwave. (This is a great opportunity to clean the areas you do not typically see!). I then remounted the unit and plugged it back in. Saved myself a bit of money so I took the family out to dinner and a movie to celebrate. Microwave was in working order for heating up left overs the next day! Thank you!!!

Information provided on the web site by Part Select, were helpful and encouraging to select and buy the part needed to repair the appliance. No doubt, a skilled person having background in the repair of appliances should attend such repair job.