Microwave runs but does not heat food either with sensor or manual timing. Occasionall will displasy 'SENSOR ERROR'. Have closed door and pressed CLEAR/OFF per manual instructions, but still does not heat.

It could be a door switch that arced open or closed. It could be a relay that arced open or closed etc

The sensor errors are probably just from opening the door and interrupting the sensor cook cycle.

By the way, you should always press "Stop" before opening the door of a running microwave. Otherwise, the door switches will prematurely fail.

I would first check the door switches and their mounts. See this help file.

You can usually find helpful exploded view diagrams and order parts by entering your full model number here.

There should be a "mini-manual" (tech sheet) hidden inside the unit behind the control panel or hidden on the left side behind the grille, which is very helpful when troubleshooting, testing, and locating components.



You can also download manuals, installations info, and parts lists here.

We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.

Hello


Power Supply

Check whether there is a proper power supply. Look to see whether the cord is connected to a grounded 3-prong outlet and the cord is fully plugged in. If the electrical system is built-in and no power cord is visible, replace or reset the household fuse or circuit breaker.

Microwave Functions

Some basic microwave operational steps may affect whether the microwave is heating. Open and close the microwave door, as the unit will not function with the door open, and push "Stop/Clear" to cancel any previous settings, such as the timer, which do not heat the microwave oven.

Setting the Microwave

Once the power to the microwave has been reset, or verified as working, and the microwave is ready to run, select a new cook cycle and press "Start" to see if the microwave begins to run and cook food as expected. Allow the food to cook for the alloted time and then open the microwave door and check to see if the food has cooked or heated. Choose a longer cooking time and restart the microwave if food is heating but is cooking slowly.

Repair

If all efforts to troubleshoot the function and power to the microwave still do not get the appliance heating food as expected, there may be a repair issue that needs to be addressed. Contact professional technician for advice.

There should also be a "mini-manual" hidden inside the unit behind the control panel or hidden on the left side behind the grille, which is very helpful when troubleshooting, & testing..

I'm not finding the one for for this model online.

At our Web site, we have a video available showing how to remove a typical over the range control panel assembly in under 5 minutes.

If it's a convection model, F5 would be a damper door sensing error, which is usually a bad switch.

More info on switches is here.

One of the damper-related components, either the switch or motor or the damper door may be binding.

The damper is a door inside that opens or closes depending on cooking mode. If the controller senses that the door is not in the right position, it will shut down the cook cycle.

If it's not a convection model, F5 is probably a sensor error.

On some models, "SENSOR ERROR" appears on the display when:

• Using the sensor feature, the door was opened before steam could be detected. Do not open the door until stream is sensed and time is shown counting down on the display.

• Steam was not detected in the maximum amount of time. Use Time Cook to heat for more time.

Here's some info from Samsung, which is the actual manufacturer of these ovens:

"Some models are equipped with a sensor that can automatically adjust the oven's heating time based on the amount of steam in the oven. If your microwave is displaying E1, E4, or E5, there may be an issue with the gas sensor. For an E1 error, press the Cancel button and check on the food.

"Other microwaves do not give specific error messages and just display "8888" on the LED. If you get this error message, your microwave needs service.

"If the message is either ERROR or E-6, it indicates a mechanical fault.

"For all error indications, including the SE or 5E error, try unplugging the microwave from the outlet for at least ten minutes and then plug it back in. If the error persists, the microwave may require service. Please use our ASC Locator to find your nearest Authorized Service Center."

Feel free to contact me directly if you need more help.

We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.

The clock must be set before you can use the microwave. When you plug it in, it should read all zeros. Enter the time, and press "Clock Set." Time is in 12-hour format. There is no daylight saving time.

For basic microwave use:
1. Press "Power."
2. Press the keypad corresponding to the desired amount of power, e.g., "High," or "Defrost." (The numbers on the keypad have little words on them, like "Warm," "Med," and "High".)
3. Press "Time."
4. Enter the desired cooking time, e.g., "1-0-0" will be 1 minute; you could also do "6-0" for 60 seconds. You can do as little as 1 second, up to 99 hours 59 minutes. "1-0-0-0" would be 10 minutes. "2-0-1-2" would be 20 minutes 12 seconds.
5. Press "Start."

NEVER operate the microwave when it is empty. Put at least a glass of water in it. Never put a glass in it empty; make sure the glass has something in it, like water. Be careful when taking out a glass of water that's been heated; the water has been known, in rare instances, to "explode" and severely scald people.

It is okay to use the approved metal rack (it's coated with ceramic to prevent arcing) when using the microwave in microwave mode. Of course, the metal rack is also fine for use in the convection/combination mode.

"Defrost" cycles between microwave and nothing, microwave and nothing, microwave and nothing. You can hear the cycles. If defrost takes too long, try "Low." Try to avoid using "High," as it kills most nutrients in the food. Opt for "Medium" for slightly longer time; it'll be more evenly heated and healthier. Some things, like popcorn, require "high" power.

To stop the microwave in the middle of cooking, simply open the door. (There's no such thing as microwaves escaping the oven and bouncing around the kitchen and zapping you. I have a microwave tester, and the moment you open the door, all microwaves dissipate; the reading at the door is "Zero" once it's opened.) Or, press "Cancel." If you open the door, you may test the food, and if it needs further cooking, you may close the door and press "Start," and it will resume where it left off. If you're all done, just press "Cancel."

There is no way to disable the 5 beeps at the end of the cycle. If the baby is sleeping and you don't want to hear the beeps, simply open the door right before the beeps when the countdown is at zero. Pressing "Cancel" will give you one beep.

If you have the Combination feature, that cycles between microwave and convection heat, giving the best of both worlds (cooking inside with microwaves and outside with convection), for things such as a whole meats.

To use Combination:
1. Press "Combination."
2. Consult the chart on the microwave (below the keypad) and choose a number from 1 to 4, depending on what type of food you're preparing (i.e., lamb, pork, etc.).
3. Press "Time."
4. Enter the desired time, using the method described above.
5. Press "Start."

The Convection feature simply blows hot air across the food, at the temperature and duration that you set. It's a great way to toast slices of bread for the whole family at once, or bake a pizza.

To use the Convection feature:
1. Press "Convection."
2. Choose the temperature (the degrees are printed on the keypad, such as "350 degrees."
3. Press "Time."
4. Enter the length of cook time, using the method described above.
5. Press "Start."

Be sure to cover foods (with a paper towel or suitable plastic cover) that are prone to splattering. Don't let foods explode and get up into the motor. Clean the inside regularly with a soft sponge and mild detergent, NOT harsh or abrasive chemicals like Comet. Then rinse the soap off with a clean sponge.

Be sure to close the door firmly before cooking, but don't slam it. Slamming it will wear out the latching part, but being too gentle in closing the door may cause the safety switch to not engage, and the microwave won't work (it'll count down and the light will turn on but the motor won't run).

Note: the Convection feature uses more wattage than the microwave counterpart. The volts and amps are listed in the door jamb; multiply them together and you get total watts (although the actual amount will vary depending on your "power" settings).

See this file on door switches.

Hi,

Many models of the GE microwave have sensors that can detect humidity from the foods you are cooking. This allows the microwave to make adjustments to the power levels used to cook your food. If "Sensor Error" appears, you should either press "Clear" to cancel the mode or leave the food in the appliance longer to give the microwave more time to detect the food.

Press "Time Cook" to manually enter the time if you receive an error message when trying to use the "Sensor Reheat" mode of your GE microwave. The error message may be caused by the food item being too large or too small to detect.

these are some other code error that will help you in case of next time.

1. Step 1 Press "Off/Cancel" (or "Cancel/Off" depending on your model) to clear the error code. Note the code if it reappears.
   
2. Step 2 Replace the touchpad if the code displayed is "F0," "F7" or "F10." A function key is stuck or shorted.
   
3. Step 3 Replace the touchpad or the clock (ERC) if the code "F1" is displayed. Disconnect the ribbon connector to the touchpad. If no code is displayed after an hour, replace the touchpad. If the code displays again, replace the clock.
   
4. Step 4 Replace the oven temperature sensor if "F2," "F3" or "F4" is displayed. "F2" indicates the oven temperature is too hot and the oven temperature sensor is suspect. "F3" or "F4" indicates the oven temperature sensor or shorted or open.
   
5. Step 5 Replace the ERC if "F5," F6" or "F8" is displayed. The ERC is the main control unit. "F5," F6" and "F8 are codes that indicate problems in the ERC functions.
   
6. Step 6 Inspect the door-lock assembly and circuit if "F9" is displayed. The door must lock when the oven is in use. If the lock mechanism is not functioning or if the detection circuit is malfunctioning, the stove will display "F9."
   

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"F3" codes mean your oven temperature sensor has failed or shorted out. The only thing you can do is to replace the sensor.

Take care.

Hello :

Many models of the GE microwave have sensors that can detect humidity from the foods you are cooking. This allows the microwave to make adjustments to the power levels used to cook your food. If "Sensor Error" appears, you should either press "Clear" to cancel the mode or leave the food in the appliance longer to give the microwave more time to detect the food.

Press "Time Cook" to manually enter the time if you receive an error message when trying to use the "Sensor Reheat" mode of your GE microwave. The error message may be caused by the food item being too large or too small to detect .

I hope this will help you .

please rate !

Hello :

Many models of the GE microwave have sensors that can detect humidity from the foods you are cooking. This allows the microwave to make adjustments to the power levels used to cook your food. If "Sensor Error" appears, you should either press "Clear" to cancel the mode or leave the food in the appliance longer to give the microwave more time to detect the food.

Press "Time Cook" to manually enter the time if you receive an error message when trying to use the "Sensor Reheat" mode of your GE microwave. The error message may be caused by the food item being too large or too small to detect..

good luck .

please rate !

I have the same problem. Everything seems to work except it doesn't heat up food.
I remember last time when it was working. I pressed the start botton before I closed the door. So it didn't start automatically, and I pushed start and it worked(it still heat up the food), but it doesn't work now. Help Please!!!
I have a Whirlpool Gold GH5184XPQ.

Thanks in advance