[edge130]

Thermador MCB265 Micro-Covection Built in- has convection/microwave on top, electric oven bottom..manufactured Jan 1989.

Last night my wife told me she didn't think the oven was working OK. She thought that the "bake" element was colored red only on the right side, and not red color on the left side.

Tonight, she was using the broiler element and she called me to check something. I came upstairs and noticed odor that smelled "electrical".
Perhaps the smell of wire insulation burning, something electrical burning.
I didn't see anything that may have spilled and melted on the elements.

I went to the electrical panelboard and checked the current on the 2 pole 40 amp breaker with a Fluke clamp on meter.
When BAKE selected the red wire if the 2 pole breaker read 12 amps; the black wire on the 2 pole breaker read 18.4 amps.
When BROIL selected the red wire on the 2 pole breaker read 15.7 amps;
the black wire on the breaker read 14.8 amps.
Black to red voltage measured 238 volts .

I checked the wires of the 2 pole breaker and neutral connection in the panelboard, they were all tight.

The name plate data in the oven indicated 30 amps.

I have not had any electric oven experience before. I always thought that if a broil or bake element went bad, it would only be an open circuit and the element would not work at all and you would then replace the element.

I'm not sure what is going on here.

Any suggestions on how to proceed would be helpfull.

[denman]

Here are your parts
Replacement parts for MCB265 models | AppliancePartsPros.com

Cannot find info/wiring diagram for this unit so the below is just comments.

Last night my wife told me she didn't think the oven was working OK. She thought that the "bake" element was colored red only on the right side, and not red color on the left side.
What can happen sometimes is that the element will short out at one of the feet. Then this section of the element heats and uses the foot as a ground to complete the circuit. Run a bake cycle and confirm that this is happening. if yes; pull the element and check that the feet are open (infinite ohms) from the element connectors also check the elements resistance.

Tonight, she was using the broiler element and she called me to check something. I came upstairs and noticed odor that smelled "electrical".
Perhaps the smell of wire insulation burning, something electrical burning.
I didn't see anything that may have spilled and melted on the elements.
This I cannot really comment on other than open the unit up and check the wiring for any signs of overheating. Also check that in broil it is only the broil element that is on. Check the wires at the units terminal block.
Try to narrow down where the smell is coming from.

When BAKE selected the red wire if the 2 pole breaker read 12 amps; the black wire on the 2 pole breaker read 18.4 amps.
This does seem a little too lopsided

When BROIL selected the red wire on the 2 pole breaker read 15.7 amps;
the black wire on the breaker read 14.8 amps.
This looks OK as one side of the line is used to run the control board lights etc.

Black to red voltage measured 238 volts .
This looks good

[edge130]

1.Does this mean I have to pull the entire wall oven unit out all the way?
2.Can a bake element be replaced without pulling the wall oven out?
3.Do the bake/broil elements just "pull out" from sockets,[and therefore can be replaced with the wall oven in place, or are are they hardwired somehow and the oven has to be pulled out?

I'm dealing with a unit that is 20 years old. The problem is that it is a 24" model. I don't think anyone offers something like this anymore in 24".
I've only been able to see 30" and 27" models.

I checked the cutout dimensions for some 27" models and saw one that said 25" min cutout width, 251/4"max cutout width. I think I might be able to "squeak buy" on this. The cutout height may be less than what I have now, so that might present some creative carpentry fixes.

[edge130]

Today the trouble came clear.
I had shut the circuit breaker off. I sequenced the selector push buttons a few times, turned the timed start, timed off clock dial knobs.
I then removed the top aluminum trim piece. This gave me access to remove the top control panel glass. I then removed a few screws and the top contol panel could be pulled out a little. I could then get a decent view what was inside the top behind the control panel.
I could see the terminal block, hot wire relay, a few smaller enclosed relays, etc. I then put the breaker on and pressed the BAKE pushbutton. No odor and I saw the entire bake element glow red.
Then I shut it off and pressed the BROIL pushbutton. Again, no odor and I eventually saw the entire broil element glow red.

Last night my wife manually cleaned some debris off of the botton of the oven.

I forgot to mention that a week ago she had inserted a digital meat thermometer, NOT TO BE USED INSIDE A HOT OVEN, in a turkey breast.
I had called her and she left it in the turkey breast with the oven door open awhile. Well the thermometer was destroyed by the heat and the plastic part had melted. But she didn't think it could have melted on the oven bottom as the turkey was in a r pan.

Anyhow, I don't know if the odor was residual plastic piece burning or aa problem with the oven.

BUT I AM HAPPY NOW, OVEN WORKING OK

If it happens again, maybe I would replace the selector switch.