The short answer
A EM machine that does nothing at all is usually unpowered, unlatched or locked rather than broken. A countertop machine shares a kitchen socket with everything else on the worktop. Three of the five causes below cost nothing to rule out and need no tools. There is one number under the EM label in the table below, so nothing here depends on which variant you own.
What you observe on these models
- The display is lit but nothing happens on start — Supply is fine, so look at the door and the lock.
- The machine is completely dark — Socket, cord and fuse, in that order.
- It died the instant the door was closed — That sequence is the signature of a failed door switch taking the fuse with it.
- Some panel buttons respond and others do nothing — A membrane fault rather than a board fault.
- NEAR MISS — it starts and then stops after a few seconds — That is a door or a thermal fault and it needs a different page.
Causes, most likely first on the EM family
- The door not latching properly — First on this platform: no microwave will start with its door switches unmade, and a latch hook that has worn or a door that has dropped will hold the door closed without operating them. A door that needs a push to start the machine has already told you the answer.
- No power at the socket — Second: kitchen sockets are shared, tripped and switched off more often than anything else in the house, and a microwave is usually the appliance that reveals it. Test the socket with something else before you touch the machine.
- A timer or clock waiting to be confirmed — Third: many machines will not accept a cook instruction while a clock or timer prompt is unanswered, and the panel gives very little sign of it.
- A start button that needs a firmer press than it used to — Fourth: membrane panels wear where they are used most, so the button that has been pressed for years is the one that stops responding first.
- A power interruption leaving the control confused — Last: isolating the machine for a minute and restoring it resets the control, and it resolves a genuine share of unresponsive panels.
Check in this order, and why that order
- Test the socket with something else — It is the commonest cause of a dead microwave and it takes ten seconds.
- Open and close the door firmly, then try again — A latch that has worn will hold the door without making the switches.
- Press each panel button in turn and note which respond — A dead area on the panel is a membrane fault, not a board fault.
- Answer any clock or timer prompt on the display — Several machines refuse a cook instruction until that is done.
- Plug it directly into a wall socket rather than an adaptor — Poor contact in an adaptor makes a machine that works sometimes.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Do it before the first panel rather than before the difficult one: the live parts are not where most people expect them.
Models in the EM family — The numbers this page covers.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| EM038K6BA | avanti:microwave:em |
When to call a technician
Sockets, doors, locks and timers are yours. On these models the line falls at the case, which on this appliance is the safety boundary rather than a cover. Call without working through anything at all for any scorching around the door opening, or a door that has been dropped or struck.
Nearest pages of this class
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