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| Our Bosch oven, model #HGS7052UC |
TIP: First, we followed the advice of friends and did the self-clean on a day when we could open all the windows. We're thankful for that because as the oven burns off all that stuff, the particles end up floating around in your house and can cause irritation for some people.
The Problem
We followed the step-by-step instructions in the manual and completed the cycle. Now that we've done this our bake features won't work!
Our oven is no longer covered under the one year warranty. So even though this is a faulty product issue, Bosch will not give us the time of day at this point. I contacted customer service only to get this response, "if your product is out of warranty, there is nothing we can do. We can't tell you if that's a common issue. We can't repair it until it's determined to be a faulty part. You have to pay to have a service person determine if it's a faulty part. Sorry, we can't do anything else." I have read in forums and among other Bosch users that they have had the same experience with the company. The company basically buys parts and assembles the products. It doesn't really support any of the part failures and it does not seem to be concerned with faulty products or taking care of them.
The Solution
Lucky for me, my hubby is a very handy guy.While others have no choice but to pay the $99 per hour service fee plus marked-up parts, my husband was able to narrow down the problem, order the replacement part, and complete the repair. I'm reporting the repair he did here in case it is of help to someone else with the same problem.
WARNING! This device uses high voltage. If you are not experienced working with high voltage, do not proceed with testing this device! If you choose to simply replace the computer and do not perform testing, there should not be an issue. But please be aware that performing a repair on this device is done at your own risk.
IMPORTANT: If your product is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer first. The repair shown here is considered "tampering" and will negate your warranty.
- The first thing we did was try all the features (except the self clean cycle) on the unit to see what did or didn't work.
- We found that everything worked except for the Bake and Convection Bake features.
- We then unplugged the unit (or you can shut off power at the breaker switch) for a about 30 minutes to see if that would reset the unit and restore the features. This didn't work (although it may work for some issues/errors that arise on other ovens; it's like rebooting your computer).
- My husband pulled the oven out from the wall and took off the back panel. He began reviewing the wiring diagrams included with the unit and did a series of general tests using tools, like his voltmeter, to determine what the issues might be.
- After more research and testing, he determined that the computer board needed to be replaced due to a faulty relay.
- He ordered the part and replaced the computer, reconnecting all the wires appropriately.
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| Step 4: Testing |
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| Step 5: Faulty relay |
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| Step 6: Connect all wiring |
fore you take it apart. That way, you have a record of what it should look like when it is time to put it back together.
Lessons Learned & Tips for Future Purchases
- I'm glad we heeded the advice of friends to run the self-clean cycle with the windows open.
- When I purchase another appliance or commit any large investment, I will be looking at both the product itself and the reputation of the brand. (Although, I thought Bosch was a reputable brand, but I didn't check – I just assumed.) I will research brands with high customer satisfaction ratings and prefer to purchase products produced by these companies.
- I will try all the features on any product before the warranty runs out. That way, I won't be stuck with the bill in case the product is faulty.
- I will invest in the good health of my husband so he'll be able to fix the next item that breaks! :)
