Symptom: Turntable stopped turning. Was able to remove the glass tray in the microwave and the little cam that drives the glass tray was barely turning. Control on microwave to turn the turntable on/off was working as evidenced by the cam not turning when I turned off the turntable. When I turned the cam manually, I could feel the moto
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r turn so I knew the CAM and motor shaft were not stripped.
Repair Procedure:
1) Unplug the microwave.
2) Remove the 4 screws from the bottom of the microwave while holding the bottom cover so that it does not suddenly drop. It is not very heavy so you are fine to hold it with one hand and unscrew the screws with the other. Don't drop it as it has a glass lens for your lights and two light bulbs that light up the cooktop below.
3) Swing the front of the cover down slowly. You wil notice that the back is held in by tabs that slide into the back of the microwave. The bottom cover comes off very easily with some forward motion to dislodge the tabs.
4) Now look up under the bottom of the microwave(assuming your microwave is mounted over the range like mine) and you will see the turntable motor (GEAR MOTOR) in the center.
5) Carfully remove the two wires from the motor by gently working the connectors off of the motor using neegle nose or regular pliers. Don't grab the wires as you may pull them out of the connectors. Work with the connectors on the motor terminals. You will find the job much easier to do if you also remove the wires from the light housing. This will allow you to set the bottom cover aside and will give you greater access to do the job.
NOTE: Now is a great time for you to clean the filters, filter slots, bottom cover, and the light lens. A lot of grease can accumulate on the bottom of the microwave if it is mounted over a range (like mine). If you remove the light assembly, you can clean the cover, filters, and and light lens in the sink. Make sure that you dry all components thoroughly before re-assembling.
6) Make a note of which wires go to which terminals on the motor and the lights.
7) Remove the two screws from the motor and remove it. Note that there is a little plastic insulator film, a very thin washer and a bushing associated with the motor. You will want to re-install these with the new motor. Replace the motor with the new one being careful to put the other pieces back in place as well. Note that the little black turntable cam has a tab on one side so if you want to put it out of the top, you will need to tilt it slightly.
8) With the motor and associated parts back in and secured with the two screws previously removed, re-attach the wires to the lights and motor.
9) Replace the cover and screws and you are done!
This repair is much easier than these steps would suggest but I wanted to be thorough.
I called Maytag and they refused to sell me the part because they said it was dangerous for the user to replace it - rubbish. As long as you kill the power to the microwave and confine your work to the bottom of the unit as described, you will be fine. Maytag wanted to send out a repairman at $80 just to show up. I did the entire repair myself in about 15 minutes for about $40.
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