ACO1840AB - Instructions

Philips screwdriver
Removed screw (1)
Removed light bulb
Put in new light bulb
Closed door to bulb compartment
Returned screw.

Pro tip! Check how many bulbs you need before ordering. Mine only needed two. I got two. I suspect I’ll buy a new microwave before new bulb burns out again. Ordering/delivery was fast. No need to have spare on hand.

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).

Husband replaced the bulb

Took microwave out of builtin cabinet with 4 screws.
Put microwave on center island and removed cover.
Tested interlock switch with volt meter and it appeared ok so I put my kit back in box and sent back.
Took out magnetron unit and replace with new part.
Put cover back on and test.
All is working and installed back in cabinet. Two weeks later all still working great.

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).

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 had a son put in the new light bulbs. Rather simple

Unplug appliance. Remove total of 7 phillips screws from sides and front of bottom panel . Panel front drops down, remove one socket screw and socket. Now have access for lineman' s pliers to unscrew bulb base. Reinstall socket, replace bulb and 7 panel screws. Restore power.

Watched a you tube video prior to installing new switch. Followed the video which gave me confidence i was up to the task. After removing the touch pad I found my design was not exactly like the you tube model but I found the defective switch, replaced it and put the microwave back together. Works great. Again watch the videos

replaced door frame assy

Did an online search for repairs and found PartSelect. Simple to order the part and had it installed myself less than a week later. Thank you!!

Had to put one screw in each. A little hard to reach up. also hard at first to get them in.

Sawed off edges of covers.

Removed screws. replaced bulbs with led bulbs install new covers replace screws led bulbs no heat wont crack covers

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!