[nigebirch]

Hi, Abadfish69, et.al.,

Tis I, Nigel. Before Christmas I came here asking about the vent lights and fan on my microwave which became inoperable after changing one of the vent bulbs without unplugging the microwave. You advised me of a fix, which I wasn't able to attempt until yesterday. By the way, the link to our previous dialog about how to fix this is here:

http://forum.appliancepartspros.com/microwave-repair/17721-how-chamber-bulb-ge-microwave.html


Anyway, yesterday I removed the control board and found the burnt trace on the reverse side of the circuit board per your instructions. I have a great photo that I'd like to send, but don't know how to post it here. Nonetheless, you advised me to use (4) twisted pieces of 16G wire to repair this. Here's where I'm confused. The burned out area on the control board is approximately 1/4" long, copper foil, on the dog-legged bend going to the 4th pin of the 5-pin vent-blower connector (CON A). Must wire be used to re-establish this connection?

Forgive my ignorance, but 16G wire to my knowledge is something that looks like speaker wire. Don't I just need some kind of conductor (like a small piece of copper foil taped over this area and then maybe tinned); or might just solder work to bridge the burned-out gap between the existing foil traces in this particular circuit? I would much appreciate some more expert help here. I'm hoping that you, abadfish66, get this post, since your previous answer was nearly the ONLY answer here (amongst many other posts from people asking the same question re bulb changing without unplugging the microwave causing the loss of their vent lights and fan) that did not merely advise "send it in," or say "your control board is trashed, too bad." I respect that and thank you.

If it is possible to send you or post a photo, please let me know.

Best,

Nigel