Won’t your RCA microwave turn off? Keeps running, or stays stuck on after you press Cancel or Off, the most likely cause is a failed door switch. Microwaves use three or four switches, including the primary, secondary, and monitor switches, to confirm that the door is closed. A shorted door switch can let the fan run even when the door is open, making this a serious door switch problem. Next, the user control and display board may not be registering the Cancel button, especially if none of the control panel buttons respond correctly. If some buttons work but others do not, the touchpad and control panel or the separate touchpad may be defective. A less common cause is a failed main control board with a shorted relay or triac that continues sending power after the microwave should shut off. Testing switches requires a multimeter, but opening the outer cabinet exposes a high-voltage capacitor that can store a lethal charge even after the microwave is unplugged. The capacitor must be properly discharged before interior work, so use a qualified technician if you are not familiar with that procedure. Enter your RCA microwave model number to find the exact replacement part.
01 - RCA Microwave Door Switch
Most microwaves have three or four door switches. When the microwave door closes, the door switches actuate in sequence to ensure that the door is closed properly. If any of the door switches fail, the microwave will not start or heat. In some rare cases a door switch may short out and allow the fan to run even when the door is opened. To determine if any of the door switches are defective, use a multimeter to test each of the switches for continuity. If any of the door switches lack continuity, replace the switch. (Caution: The microwave oven can store thousands of volts of electricity in its high voltage capacitor, even ...after the microwave oven has been unplugged. Due to the potential for electric shock, it is extremely dangerous to replace the electronic components in a microwave. Only a licensed technician should replace a door switch.)
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The cancel or off button on the user control and display board may not be activating. To determine if the control and display board is defective, try pressing each of the buttons on the control panel. If none of the buttons are responding correctly, replace the user control and display board.
The cancel or off button on the control panel may not be activating when it's pressed. To determine if the touchpad and control panel are defective, try pressing each of the buttons on the control panel. If some of the buttons respond correctly while others don’t, replace the touchpad and control panel.
The cancel or off button on the touchpad may not be activating. To determine if the touchpad is defective, try pressing each of the buttons on the control panel. If some of the buttons respond correctly while others don’t, replace the touchpad.
The main control board has relays that send power to several components to make the microwave work. If one or more of the relays or triacs short out, some of the components can keep running when the controls are turned off. (Caution: The microwave oven can store thousands of volts of electricity in its high voltage capacitor, even after the microwave oven has been unplugged. Due to the potential for electric shock, it is extremely dangerous to replace the electronic components in a microwave. Only a licensed technician should replace the main control board.)
The control board has relays that send power to several components to make the microwave work. If one or more of the relays or triacs short out, some of the components can keep running when the controls are turned off. While you can often replace just the control board, some microwave models sell control panels as an assembly with both the touchpad and control board included.