Microwave digital display: quick Q

[Another John]

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

[Harry Bloomfield]

Another John laid this down on his screen :

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.

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

[Graham.]

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.

[Dave Liquorice]

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.

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

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Liquorice wrote on 22/05/2010 :

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

[Dave Liquorice]

rubber

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...