Panasonic Microwave Dial Not Working?-5 Easy Fixes!

 ( Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases at NO additional cost to the customer.)

Is your Panasonic Microwave dial not working?

Then you came at right place!

There are various reasons for occurring this issue.

In most cases, lack of response from the Panasonic microwave dial not working would indicate that the touchpad or the control panel are defective or have been damaged.

Excessive cleaning of the touchpad can cause this.

Certain microwave models require that the door be shut before the dial is used.

Another issue with machines like this is that they tend to go into ‘sleep’ mode quickly.

Simply opening and closing the door once should be enough to re-activate the oven.

A ‘confused’ controller may also be responsible for this type of situation.

You can unplug the device for 1-2 minutes to let it reset.

Let’s dive into detail.

Causes For Panasonic Microwave Dial Not Working

Following are the main reasons for Panasonic microwave dial not working.

Inverter Malfunction/ Faulty Magnetron

There are one of several reasons why the Panasonic microwave dial stops working.

If the digital programmer circuit / controller does not receive a feedback signal from the inverter for 3 seconds, the cook cycle is terminated.

In most situations, this is due to an inverter malfunction or a faulty magnetron.

Dirt or Paint

There are a few difference possibilities believe it or not, but soil build up around the dial, cavity walls, inlet covers, or vents can result in arcing.

Make sure your microwave is cleaned a minimum of once per week to prevent this from occurring.

The paint from the cavity of your microwave maybe chipping.

Inspect your microwave for paint that has fallen to the bottom of the microwave or chips in the cavity.

When turning the time knob clockwise, the cook time input does not increase smoothly.

The cook time will increase then decrease then increase etc. while turning it clockwise.

Short circuit

Sometimes it’s due to the short-circuit and it’s hard to set the time on a Panasonic microwave oven.

The time is set by turning a knob, but it is almost impossible to set.

The display does not increase with the degree that the knob is turned; random numbers appear, the set time decreases and sometimes disappears altogether.

Fixes For Panasonic Microwave Dial Not Working

Following are the easy solutions for Panasonic Microwave Dial Not Working.

Clean the Microwave Dial

The dial is too dirty to use. Food or other dirt has gotten in the dial and around the microwave’s buttons, rendering them unusable.

To resolve this issue, clean your microwave dial with warm, soapy, water or an ear bud.

Be sure to use a nonabrasive cleaning agent and cloth when cleaning.

Gently clean the dial until it become functional.

An unskilled individual should not work on them due to the fatal voltages employed and produced.

Replace the sensors

The knob is typically connected to a reluctor wheel, and a pair of sensors detect the notches in the wheel going past to increment or decrement the timer.

There are different types of sensors, one type uses a coil of superfine wire.

The wire can develop a break, but as long as the temperature is right, contact is made, and it still works.

A change in temperature starts to open the break and it works intermittently. More change and it stops working.

These sensors are not repairable, they could conceivably be replaced. So, replacing the sensors are wise option to get rid of this issue.

Make Sure Your Microwave is Plugged-in

Furthermore, if you happen to reassemble the shielding incorrectly, you could create a very dangerous condition where the device emits high levels of radiation completely undetectable to you and your family.

However, there are some ways you can make the dial work.

The first thing you should do it make sure that your microwave is plugged in.

I recommend removing the microwave cord from the outlet, inspecting the outlet, then putting the cord back into the outlet.

When inspecting the cord, you are looking for exposed, chewed, or damaged wires.

If you now have a display, then you are done.

Reconnect the Connector Between the Dial and Control Board Properly

The second solution is the connector between the dial and the control board has become loose and needs to be reconnected.

In many microwaves of a Panasonic, the connector that connects the keypad and the control board is a tiny, thin strip that is not secured in place.

This connector becomes loose because of the pressing or rotating the dial, and the pushing and pulling of the microwave door handle.

Before getting started, unplug your microwave from the wall outlet.

Because we are working with electrical components, there is a chance of electrical shock.

To prevent shock, disconnect the microwave.

To fix this issue, you will need to push the connector back into the dial, you will need to unscrew vents, door hinges, and the dial.

Once you unscrew the above, there will be a few additional wires, the connector you are looking for looks like a very thin piece of tape called filament tape.

In most cases, there is a think bracket that is supposed to hold the tape in place.

Lift that brackets up, remove the connector, then push it back in.

Reconnect any wires that you’ve disconnected and reconnect your dial to the microwave.

Plug the microwave back into the wall outlet and test the keypad.

If your dial now works, then the issue is resolved, if not, you may need to disconnect the keypad and push the dial in deeper.

Replace Your Microwave

If your Panasonic microwave dial in not working which is a known problem with the factory units and no, there is no fix.

There is a series of checks you can do, but short of that the only option has been to replace the unit.

It’s probably an electrical input.

Guess is that switch is not happening anymore and what you are now getting is a failsafe mode, you will probably have to replace the switch to get things working right again.