YKEMC308KM01 KitchenAid Microwave Oven Combo - Instructions

I removed the bottom gasket retainer , single screw, with a screwdriver. The old gasket just pulls away. I cleaned the area under the old gasket with soap and water. I installed the new gasket whcih easily slips in place with the already installed retainer wires into the pre drilled holes.

Viola. Lokks like new.

The repair is straight forward. The only complication anyone seems to be having is removing the door ( which is a definate must to do this repair properly). So I would like to add some details about removing the door. The manuel shows the allen wrenches going into what looks like the hinge itself to release it from the oven. This is not the case. The holes that the 5/32 allen wrenches go into are actually behind the hinge itself. I wrapped the allen wrenches with some painter tape to protect the surface of the door and oven from scratching. Then, simply insert the short end of the allen wrenches, one on each side, into the holes behind the hinge. Then as it shows in the manuel, gently close the door. But not all the way. As you get about 80% closed you'll feel resistence. That is the time to grasp the bottom of the door and start to lift it from the bottom, while stablizing it with the other hand holding the handle on the door. The hinge will start to release from the oven as you continue to press it closer to being all the way closed. The hinges will release if you are doing this correctly before the door can be all the way closed.

Hope that helps. Otherwise, once the door is off. Unscrew all the screws...pay special attention to what you are unscrewing and how it all fits together, because you're going to have to put it all back together again. Some of the glass is held in place with clips and some of it is not. Just lay it down flat and be careful to not force anything in or out and you'll find it quite easy.

I removed the oven door by opening it to the horizontal position and inserting a small allen wrench in the open holes in each hinge. I then closed the door and lifted it free of the oven. I place the door face up on a packing blanket and removed the screws at the top of the door and the screws and clamps at the bottom of the door. I then lifted the outside glass door off the inner metal frame and set it in a safe place. I next removed the bracket holding the two inner pieces of glass and pulled the glass sheets out of the sheet metal holders. I then removed the screws which attached them to the metal door frame. Once the holders were off I removed the broken glass. I cleaned all the glass pieces and reversed the process to finish the repair.

Recieved the part promptly. From looking at the diagrams, we knew the overload thermostat was located on the back of the oven. We removed the screws, brackets, etc, slid the oven out, which for us was fairly easy as it's an under counter oven. Located the thermostat, removed it, replaced the new one, connected two clip wires, replaced the oven, turned the power back on and it works like a champ. Total cost was under 50 bucks.

We had to remove two screws from the bottom of the outer glass door that held two brackets. Those brackets held the glass door in place. Then we had to remove two more layers of glass after that using a screwdriver. Then the inner glass, which was the one broken, we had to use pliers to bend the metal tabs that were holding it in place. We got the new glass in, bent the metal tabs back, returned the other two layers of glass, and then slide the outside glass door back in and returned the two brackets at the bottom. The hardest part was figuring out how to get started. Once we removed those bottom brackets, it was pretty easy after that.

I went online to read the instruction. Started doing it and was done in less than 30minutes. It was easy and the replacement part was inexpensive and got shipped in really fast. I probably would have spent hundreds of dollars if i called a handy man to repair it. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Here's a 21st century tip for all repairs: Get out your cell phone and take pictures of the steps as you go so you'll always have a reference if you forget something.

The replacement of the tension spring is easy. Getting there is the hard part. First, you need to remove the grill between the oven and microwave doors. There are 2 screw in the center and one on each end. Then just pull it away from the oven. This allows access to the the two clips that hold the bottom of the door on.
Next, remove the 2 u-shaped clips on the bottom of the door on both sides. 1 screw each. The bottom of the door will be loose, so be careful on the next step.
Open the door. Clamping the outer part of the door and the inner part with one hand, remove the 2 screws on the the inside of the door cover. They are closest to you at 10 and 2 o'clock. The outer door trim will now come off. Put it aside and close the door. On the bottom of the door frame, locate and remove 2 more screws about 6 inches from the ends and the inside plastic cover will be free to remove.
Now you will be able to remove the broken tension spring by lifting and threading it out of the groove it sits in. Replace with the new tension spring by threading the looped side into that groove first and criss-crossing it over the other tension spring. Then locate the hole on the opposite hinge and slide it in place. This will lock it in. Reverse the procedure for putting the door back together as you did removing it. You may want to get someone to help you hold the door open considering the new spring will snap it shut without the weight of the door on it. After you reassemble the door, replace the vent grill between the doors and you're done.

Thanks to those who replied to my intitial distress call...because of them I had the courage to attempt the repair.
First I flipped the main electrica breaker.
then I removed the screws from the main door. The next step was to pop out the pins holding the hinges. I couldn't do that no mater how much WD-40 and lubricant I used, or how hard I tapped center mass.....SO I took all the OTHER components out staring with the side facings. (1 screw right left and 2 for bottom.)
Next I took the screws holding the door together out -- then the two screws holding the clamps on the bottom of the door. At this point I lifted off the the front facing of the door by the handle and placed it with its glass, to the side.

I then had access to the two inside panes of glass. They are secured with a metal plate screwed into the metal of the inner door. When I removed the two screws securing the plate, two plates dropped to the floor and it was fortunate I was holding the glas securly as it two would have dropped.
Next, I cleaned each of tpieces of glass with oven cleaner and set them carefuly to the side.(they were crusted with brown) Lastly I wiggled the broken glass out of the small inner window, working from both the inside and the outside of the window. Becuase I couldn't open out the door.. this was an extrememly time consuming activity..but do-able.

Once the inner glass was in screwed one of the screws o the clamp plate so I could rest the glass while screwing in the second screw. Once screw two was in place I took out the retaining screw and replaceed in with the glass clamped between. Aftern that the tough stuff was done and I just reassmebled all the door parts.

This SHOULD have been much simplier! IF I could have removed the hinge pins as directed.

Anyway, mission acomplished. Oven works fine.
Thanks!

I removed eight screws to disassemble the oven door. I removed the old insulation and the brackets that held class panel in place. I installed the new insulation, tempered glass and reassembled the oven door.

Replacement of the thermal overload safety thermostat very straight forward after sliding unit out, killing power and removing two covers. Tested both old and new and both show continuity (= good). Installed new, restored power and tested for proper operation. Didn't happen. Replaced original and now have new as spare. Now suspect the double line break relay on electronic control board is failed and source of problem. It is common to both elements and immediate before the suspected thermostat in circuit.

Used flat tip screw driver to pry front clip holding glass cover out of position. Pulled out dead bulb and pushed in new one. Slid clip back on glass cover and slid back into place. Simple. .

The repair was pretty simple. I removed the old door front from the oven door, there were only 4 screws to remove. I then removed the handle off the old door and placed it onto the new door front. Finally, I placed the new door front over the oven door lining up the srew holes and screwed them in. I would recommend attaching the bottom plates first to make sure the oven door front and oven door are flush at the bottom.

No repair - just open the box and put the rack in my oven - voila - repaired!!! BUT let me tell you PartSelect sent the right part at the best price and I received it even ealier than I expected!!! I can DEFINITELY recommend these people and I do that very sparingly!!!! THANX!

The KitchenAid stainless steel microwave model appears to be a bit different from other install instructions posted:

1) Removing the two inside-door screws will completely release the fairly heavy exterior door panel from two holding clips at the bottom of the door unit. So BE PREPARED and HOLD THE DOOR HANDLE while removing the two screws or panel will crash to the floor. Fortunately I did. Consider help to hold and "catch" the exterior door panel.
2) The inside-door (which the exterior door is attached to) has a plastic frame that needs to be removed to gain access to the springs. However, removing the two screws holding the plastic frame located in the bottom-edge of the inside-door required removing stainless steel framing around the sides and bottom of the MW unit. This additional SS framing around my microwave/oven combo might be the result of a custom cabinet install.
3) Inserting the spring (torque tension rod) was a bit tricky using screw driver and needle nose plyers to hold and twist both ends into place. Again, a second set of hands might help. At this point, the door spring action feels too strong but when re-installed, the weight of the exterior door will normalize this.
4) Re-install plastic frame, SS cabinet framing if applicable, exterior door centered onto holding clips, and you should be finished. Check that two screws in step # 1 holding exterior door are tight without stripping to ensure your repair job doesn't result in the exterior door crashing to the floor following normal use.
5) In all, the spring cost $45 w/tax and 3-day delivery and the repair time was about 30 minutes vs. repair estimates starting at $129.

1)Power off 2) Remove frame covering front timer display - screw on the bottom 3) unscrew time display - 4 screws 4) unsnap lamp spring clip 5)replace lamp