We bought a Sharp microwave last October (800W, R-27STM-A)

The digital display has stopped illuminating (it works, but isn't
backlit).

I've always been one to avoid "taking things back" -- it's *such* a
buggeration, and many a time I've made a very minor fix to something,
which has then continued to work perfectly ever after.

However I'm stuck with electronic things: is there anything I can do to
fix this myself? My general strategy is to open the item up, look at
how it's made, tighten wires/nuts/fixtures/whatever, and put it back
together. is there much point in me trying this with the microwave?

Cheers
John

Another John laid this down on his screen :
The digital display has stopped illuminating (it works, but isn't
backlit).

Works, but not lit - probably means an LCD display with either an LED
for edge lighting, or electroluminescent backing panel - if the
illumination was very even.

You might be able to replace the LED, but likely surface mount and
difficult to distinguish the LED from other components.


I've always been one to avoid "taking things back" -- it's *such* a
buggeration, and many a time I've made a very minor fix to something,
which has then continued to work perfectly ever after.

You paid for a fully working unit - take it back.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

"Another John" wrote in message
...
We bought a Sharp microwave last October (800W, R-27STM-A)

The digital display has stopped illuminating (it works, but isn't
backlit).

I've always been one to avoid "taking things back" -- it's *such* a
buggeration, and many a time I've made a very minor fix to something,
which has then continued to work perfectly ever after.

However I'm stuck with electronic things: is there anything I can do to
fix this myself? My general strategy is to open the item up, look at
how it's made, tighten wires/nuts/fixtures/whatever, and put it back
together. is there much point in me trying this with the microwave?

Cheers
John
Interesting that it's a Sharp.
Six years back or so, I was repairing microwaves on behalf of
an insurance co.
The majority of them were Sharps of various models, but they all
had the same fault, segments missing from the LCD (they were not backlit).

The display was connected to a little CPU card by a permanently bonded
ribbon so effectively it was a single unit, trade price for part alone was almost £40.

Take it back to where you bought it from & get it exchanged.
--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Fri, 21 May 2010 21:26:26 +0100, Graham. wrote:

The display was connected to a little CPU card by a permanently bonded
ribbon so effectively it was a single unit, trade price for part alone
was almost £40.

Funny you should mention that. Guess who has a Sharp with a duff
display due to the "permanently bonded ribbon"...

I've been meaning to ask for ideas on repairing this connection. It's
ages since I looked at it but IIRC the "ribbon" is a vaugely rubber
thing with alternate stripes of conductive/insulation that is just
pressed/glued between the main and display boards.

Take it back to where you bought it from & get it exchanged.

In my case way out of warranty... The *only* fault is this stupid
connection to the display.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote on 22/05/2010 :
I've been meaning to ask for ideas on repairing this connection. It's
ages since I looked at it but IIRC the "ribbon" is a vaugely rubber
thing with alternate stripes of conductive/insulation that is just
pressed/glued between the main and display boards.

Take it back to where you bought it from & get it exchanged.

In my case way out of warranty... The *only* fault is this stupid
connection to the display.

You can buy generic replacement strips, just clean up the contact
points first with a pencil eraser.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

On Sat, 22 May 2010 13:51:25 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

I've been meaning to ask for ideas on repairing this connection.
It's
ages since I looked at it but IIRC the "ribbon" is a vaugely
rubber
thing with alternate stripes of conductive/insulation that is just
pressed/glued between the main and display boards.

You can buy generic replacement strips, just clean up the contact
points first with a pencil eraser.

Nothing is damaged. It's just not making reliable contact along the
ends. I'm thinking of some form of conductive glue but the only thing
I can think of in that line is the (expensive) silver loaded stuff
and I suspect the chances of getting that to get where it
shouldn't(*) is quite high.

(*) Go from almost no elements of the display working to all of them
all of the time...

--
Cheers
Dave.