The turntable in your microwave helps your food cook evenly and avoid hot spots by rotating the food with the turntable during the cooking process. If your turntable motor has failed then your glass turntable won't turn or it may stick - and may affect the performance of your microwave. If this has happened to your microwave, it could be that the motor has failed, or it could be down to a broken or cracked drive coupling.
If you need to replace the turntable motor in your microwave, then you will be pleased to know that you have come to the right place! If you are unsure where to start there’s no need to panic. We’ll talk you through how to successfully replace the turntable motor without damaging your microwave.
This video shows an example on how to remove or replace the part on a typical machine, some models may be different but the procedure should be similar.
What You Will Need
Step 1 - Switch Off Your Appliance
Safety First! Please make sure that you have switched your appliance off at the mains before starting your repair.
Step 2 - Turn The Microwave On To Its Top
In order to find out what the problem is, the first thing to do is to remove the turntable and the roller from inside the microwave, and then put the microwave onto its cabinet top on a soft surface in order to access the motor from underneath.
Step 3 - Release The Access Panel
You will now see the access panel for the turntable motor, on this model it has been previously removed and then re-attached back into place via this screw, on your model it may well be that the access panel is attached to the bottom panel at various points.
What you may need to do is grab a pair of side cutters and snip through the metal releasing the access panel. To get to the turntable motor on this occasion you just need to undo the screw to remove the panel.
Step 4 - Lift Out The Drive Motor & Coupling
With the panel removed you now have access to the drive motor usually located behind the back panel on your microwave. Proceed to release it by undoing the screws either side and carefully lift the motor out with the drive coupling as well, (it’s a good idea when undoing these screws to have a magnetized screwdriver - as it's very easy to lose the screws inside the cabinet).
Step 5 - Determine If The Fault Is With The Motor Or The Drive Coupling
On the turntable motor for this model you can see that the drive coupling is inside, but on some models the drive coupling may well be accessed internally. Check the drive coupling to make sure that it can turn freely on the turntable motor, and that it doesn't have any cracks or fractures. If all seems ok then the issue is likely to be with the turntable motor.
Step 6 - Replacing The Turntable Motor
To replace the old motor you need to disconnect the electrical connectors, (you may have to get your fingernail into the connector to release them) and when they're disconnected make sure they don't fall back into the cabinet.
You can now proceed to transfer the electrical connectors to your new motor - follow this by fitting the drive coupling, and then carefully place it inside the microwave. You can then reattach the turntable motor with the screws (taking care not to lose the screws inside the cabinet).
Step 7 - Attach The Access Cover
With the turntable motor in place you can refit the access cover. This simply hooks into place on one side and then has a small screw to hold it in place on the other side. If you don't have a small screw to hand you may be able to use one of the cabinet screws on the microwave itself.
Well done to you for finding and resolving the issue with your turntable motor! You can now get back to being able to make quick and tasty meals in your microwave again, in the knowledge that you have fixed the turntable motor all by yourself.
Fancy Knowing A Quick Microwave Cleaning Tip?
Take a microwavable jug or bowl containing 300ml of water, squeeze in half a lemon and pop the whole thing in the microwave for 5 minutes on full power. Once that is done wipe away the condensation with a soft cloth and you will be left with a clean and fresh smelling microwave.
Need To Locate The Correct Turntable Motor For Your Microwave?
We have a wide-range of replacement microwave turntable motors for you to select from here at eSpares. Fixing your appliance yourself can be extremely rewarding and may even earn you some brownie points.
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