Replace door switch | 318279620A PLEB27M9ECC

[NjM]

Model Number

318279620A

Brand

Frigidaire

Age

More than 10 years

I'm pretty sure my door switch on my microwave has failed. About a month ago, I was able to shim the door and make the switch work but it's completely failed now. I'm having a hard time figuring out how to take it apart for repair. All the YouTubes make it seem serviceable from the front. I hope I don't have to take the whole thing (oven included) out!

Anyhow, it's a oven/microwave combo (which is probably my first problem!). Frigidaire PLEB27M9ECC. The microwave specifically is a 318279620A (serial# 7G75003397, 12/2007)

Any insight on how to replace the door switch would be helpful, thanks!

 

[NjM]

I was able to pull the oven and microwave combo out from the cabinet. Had some family over for the Fourth to lend a hand. Once we got it out, I took the cover off the microwave and tested the three switches for continuity. The top most switch was open when the door was open, the middle most switch was the opposite, which was strange (closed was open, open was closed). But the bottom most switch wasn't working at all. Upon further inspection, it was burnt, and melted. I'll replace this one and retest to see if the middle switch responds differently. Maybe they are all interconnected somehow.

I ordered a few different replacement switches on Amazon. I'll go through my own QA and install whichever one appears to be the best.

Here are a few links to manuals that I used:

This one was the installation guide. It overviews how the unit might have been mounted. In my case, it wasn't mounted at all (scary!) but nonetheless, it helped me had I needed it:

User manual Frigidaire PLEB27M9EC (English - 12 pages)

Manual Frigidaire PLEB27M9EC. View the Frigidaire PLEB27M9EC manual for free or ask your question to other Frigidaire PLEB27M9EC owners.

www.manua.ls

This exploded view helped me understand how to take the microwave apart once removed:

https://www.appliancepartspros.com/upper-oven-parts-for-frigidaire-pleb30m9eca.html

Good luck!

 

[garin33]

I know this is an old thread but I have a very similar unit. I have worked on the microwave many times. Glad you got it worked out. The problem I had in regards to the door switch was that once it went bad the first time (after 7 years), it would go bad every few months. From reading all over the internet, I figured it was a common problem where all the 3 switches don't make contact at the exact same time. I tried replacing the latch and the latch assembly but it didn't help. It still goes bad every few months. I can see that one switch is releasing before the other when you open the door. I guess this causes a very brief short and eventually burns out the switch. I have not figured out yet how to remedy the problem. I think I may have to somehow adjust the two prongs on the door that slide into the switches. Just wanted to give you or anyone else a heads up if they run into this problem. Its huge nightmare when you keep replacing switches and have no idea why it keeps doing it, especially since it seems to work perfect for a few months.

 

[NjM]

I know this is an old thread but I have a very similar unit. I have worked on the microwave many times. Glad you got it worked out. The problem I had in regards to the door switch was that once it went bad the first time (after 7 years), it would go bad every few months. From reading all over the internet, I figured it was a common problem where all the 3 switches don't make contact at the exact same time. I tried replacing the latch and the latch assembly but it didn't help. It still goes bad every few months. I can see that one switch is releasing before the other when you open the door. I guess this causes a very brief short and eventually burns out the switch. I have not figured out yet how to remedy the problem. I think I may have to somehow adjust the two prongs on the door that slide into the switches. Just wanted to give you or anyone else a heads up if they run into this problem. Its huge nightmare when you keep replacing switches and have no idea why it keeps doing it, especially since it seems to work perfect for a few months.

Thanks for sharing.

In my troubleshooting, before replacing switches, I found my door hinge to be the culprit. After adjusting that I was able to get a bit more life out of switch (they were 15 years old). I wonder if your hinge is the culprit also and causing premature failure?

 

[garin33]

Hello NgM,
Thank you for your suggestion. I appreciate you sharing. I have been playing with the door all morning and on mine, the issue is when I release the door. I have button a press you, not the handle type and as you press the button, the two prongs release and release the switches. The top switch gets released first and the middle one is released a little later. The bottom seems in sequence fine with the top one. I tried looking at the hinges but it seems ok. It appears I need to adjust the position of the switch so they get released at the exact same time. Not sure how I am going to do that but fiddling around with it today to see what I can do. I'll post back if I come up with a solution. Thanks.