Microwave Oven Shuts Off After 2 Or 3 Seconds – How To Fix

My microwave oven shuts off or resets after about 2 or 3 seconds of cooking. The lights on the digital display panel ALL light up for about 10 seconds and then it resets and tells me to enter the time. After 3 seconds it resets and goes back to the enter time prompt. Have to re-enter time, am/pm and date. The clock needs to be reset every time. How do you fix this? Is something shorting out the power? Is it an electrical issue or possibly a bad control board or touch panel?

Microwave turns off after 3 secondsMicrowave turns off after 3 seconds

It will depend on the brand of your microwave. It may be a bad or failing part on your microwave. You could have a door switch that is bad, a main control board that is faulty, and a few other parts that can be causing your microwave to shut off. We will list ALL replacement parts below.

Here is what happens frequently with a microwave oven that turns off after a few seconds:
You put a cup of water in your microwave, press ONE MINUTE, and the microwave runs for 2 or 3 seconds and shuts off or resets itself. Almost like when you first plug it in, all lights on the digital display come on and then it asks you to enter in the time. It is like the microwave is resetting itself each time. You will have to do some troubleshooting to find the exact part that is causing your microwave to keep shutting off.

microwave oven parts identificationMicrowave oven parts identification

Here is a list of the most likely parts that will need to be replaced if your microwave turns off after a few seconds, in order of MOST LIKELY:

1 – Microwave door switch = Check each door switch for arcing or burning. If there are no visible signs of damage then use a multimeter to test the switch for continuity. If there is no continuity or there is visible burn marks on the switch we recommend to replace the switch.

2 – Main Control Board = Check all other parts first. If the components are working as designed and you find nothing else bad then replace the main control board.

3 – Touchpad or Control Panel = Press each button on the control panel. If any buttons respond but some do not then replace the touchpad and control panel.

4 – Transformer = This component will produce a burning smell if it goes bad. DO NOT replace this yourself as it can hold large amounts of electricity even after being unplugged. If this part is bad, either throw your microwave away or hire an electrician to replace because of safety reasons.

5 – Thermoprotector = When the microwave runs for a few seconds and stops then the thermoprotector may be tripped. The thermoprotector is a safety device to make sure the microwave does not overheat. Use a multimeter and test for continuity to see if it needs to be replaced.

6 – Thermostat = Thermostat may be bad. Test it to be sure before replacing.

microwave oven replacement partsMicrowave oven replacement parts


How To Take A Microwave Oven Apart – GE Microwave Disassembly – Microwave Repair


Microwave Oven Troubleshooting – STEP BY STEP

If your microwave is working properly (but sometimes it turns off on its own) and want to try a test to see what may be bad, read on below…

We had this same issue with our GE Model JVM Microwave. We replaced the turntable motor as we thought it was shorting out the microwave. This did not fix the microwave. We then unhooked the wire harness from the microwave turntable motor thinking this would help. This did not help, the microwave would shut off on its own every time after 3 seconds. We then took the microwave apart by first unplugging it from power and removing 2 screws from the grill at the very top of the microwave. After removing the top air inlet portion, we removed one screw that holds the control panel on. We removed the control panel by lifting UPWARDS on it. It then popped out and we looked at the control board and display panel. There was no sign of a damaged capacitor on the board or any burn spots whatsoever. The wiring looked fine and everything was plugged in as it should be. The control pad was in perfect condition. We then examined and tested the door switch with a multimeter and it tested good. So we then tried a few things…

We then thought that if the problem happens after 3 seconds, maybe it had something to do with when it started to actually microwave (cook). The first 2 or 3 seconds was just a short waiting period before the microwave would actually start to cook. The magnetron was possibly shorting the control board somehow? Once the magnetron was running, the microwave oven turned off.

Instead of replacing parts one by one, we tried an experiment. We wanted to make a barrier between the magnetron and the main control board. We put a piece of aluminum foil in a computer style anti-static bag. We used 4 thick pieces of aluminum foil in each bag. We put one foil filled bag near the top of the back of the main control board, and one foil filled anti-static bag near the bottom of the control board. We made sure that no aluminum was touching any electrical components. We gently put the main control panel back in place and put the screw in to hold it in place. We plugged in the microwave and tested it. The problem was fixed. Somehow RF was leaking from the magnetron and sending a frequency to the control board strong enough to reset it. By adding a barrier to the back of the main control board, the issue was fixed and we did not have to replace a single part. We hooked up the turntable motor, put all the parts back on the microwave and everything worked perfectly. We DO NOT recommend you do this as it is just meant as a test. If you try this and it fixes your microwave from shutting off, you should replace the magnetron in your microwave or buy a new microwave.

Have other reasons or parts that could be causing a microwave to stop working after a few seconds? Please leave a comment below.

14 thoughts on “Microwave Oven Shuts Off After 2 Or 3 Seconds – How To Fix”

  1. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have a Frigidaire, had been fumbling with the Clock & Settings button, and your remedy worked like a charm! Made my life a lot easier today!

  2. Kottil Rammohan

    I have a Kitchenaid over the range microwave oven. One day the breaker was tripped but after resetting, power came on but the oven never functioned right. I had a “door Open” error. I went ahead and changed all three door switches as well as the interlock switch holders. Now it comes on for just 2 seconds and shuts off. The fuse is fine. Can it be the control board? What else can I check for without taking the unit down? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

  3. ALLEN VETTER - DIY Repair Assistant

    Jim Gaylord,
    Bosch microwave runs at high power level and stops, but lower power level microwave does not stop.
    The Bosch microwave may have an issue with the fuse or control panel – overheat issues.
    All microwaves are not the best DIY projects as the transformer holds voltage which can cause shock.
    Use caution if you do attempt to work on it yourself.
    It is BEST to simply replace the microwave.
    -RR

  4. I have a Bosch Microwave/convection oven Model HMB8050/02.
    If I run it at power 10, it runs for about 10 seconds and stops, ready for another start.
    If I lower the power level it will run longer, at power level 7 it never stops.
    Any idea of what I can do?

  5. Our LG LCRT2010 turned off after a few seconds of heating. The problem turned out to be a bad connection at the over temperature thermostat mounted to the outside of the oven cavity. The thermostat disconnects power to the microwave if the oven gets too hot, so it carries the full current of the microwave, which can be large. When the Magnetron turns on, the large current flow through the bad connection causes the connector to heat up. The heat from the bad connection warms the thermostat, which then pulls the plug on power to the microwave. The behavior is the same as if the plug to the microwave had been pulled. The root cause is probably inadequate pressure of the faston connectors used to connect to the thermostat. I removed the connectors and soldered the wires to the thermostat to fix the unit. It’d probably be a good idea to replace the thermostat for less than $10, but I didn’t bother.

  6. The reason it shuts off after a few seconds is because who ever was pressing all the buttons put it in Demo mode -op-6. Hit the Clock and Settings button 6 times on your Kenmore and then hit start and it will work fine. Yeesch!!

  7. DIY Project Help Tips

    Andre F,
    Yes it would have been helpful, however….
    It is not an APPROVED repair or fix method for Microwave ovens.
    This is why we did not include any pics as it is more of a TRICK than a solution however it works for about 70% of microwaves with this issue.
    Simply search Google for HOW TO ADD A BARRIER BETWEEN CONTROL BOARD AND MAGNETRON IN A MICROWAVE OVEN and you will see pics.
    -RR

  8. Regarding the barrier solution that blocks leaking RF, it would be very helpful to have included a few pics or diagrams.

  9. My Panasonic Microwave turns off after a few seconds and I have tested every part in the microwave and they all test good, what is my next step, how do I fix this problem?

  10. DIY Project Help Tips

    Saqib Saeed,
    Have you used the info above to attempt to solve the problem with your Microwave?
    What is the make and model of your Microwave oven?
    You may have interference with the board that needs to be blocked or a possible bad board…
    -RR

  11. Microwave oven reset within a second after start.
    All parts are working good, other than the board.
    What is the problem and how to rectify it?

  12. DIY Project Help Tips

    Bill Q,
    You may have an issue with the Magnetron putting out excess and actually making the board malfunction and therefore it shuts off after a few seconds.
    You can try the trick we have above by putting Aluminum foil in a thick bag and placing it in behind the board to disturb the interference.
    -RR

  13. My question is on a Quasar Panasonic high-end microwave convection unit from about 1992.
    It runs well… but the microwave function will quit after 1 to 5 minutes.
    I have wondered if it was moisture related but did not see the part in your video (if its there) relating to finding, identifying, testing or replacing a moisture sensor.
    But this may well not be the issue.

    Q: Where would you suggest I begin testing?
    In the past it had arcing on the upper door latch switch and I soldered that and fixed it.
    And the door ‘button’ external plastic part broke years ago and I now just push inwards with my finger has worked well for 10 years this way.
    The inside switch actuators are all solid and working well.

    It has had some logic board oddities in the past, like failing to keep the mag fan on when the unit is running… but this ‘cleared up’ on its own some years ago.
    And I have a manual fan switch to force the fan to stay on as needed.

  14. On our microwave, the RF signal was leaking therefore shorting the control board. Adding an aluminum barrier (in a plastic bag) helped stop the RF from interfering with the control board and fixed the issue.

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