Toaster won't heat up at all. Worth fixing? Fixable?

[slackmax]

Today, class,  we are looking at a Proctor Silex toaster about 15 to 20 years old.

I shoved down the lever on the side as usual, and noticed that the red glow never appeared. Hmmm. Got out a flashlight and looked at all the little heating element wires, and didn't see any breaks.

I'm starting to take it apart. Yes, I unplugged it first, lol. I have 2 screws loosened up, and am memorizing where and how all the friction fit parts will supposedly go back together. They never go back together properly, am I right? We'll  see. 

By the way, I have shaken all the crumbs out. Didn't help.

I saw a $19.95 toaster on the internet, so buying a new toaster would be almost painless.

I am assuming that if I have to replace a part, the new part will cost way more than a brand new toaster, lol.

Hoping a wire came off somewhere, or broke. Just have to find it.

Tips?

Thanks

[RWD]

It may not be "worth" fixing financially but it would probably be very gratifying. Sorry I don't have any specific tips. I assume you have a multimeter?

[dcheesi]

If a wire broke, how do you intend to fix it? Obvs solder won't work in that environment, and there may not be enough slack to twist the broken ends together. I suppose you could get an extra piece of wire to bridge them, but you'd have to be careful that 1) it's lower resistance (e.g., thicker) than the existing wire, to avoid power draw issues, and 2) food-safe, esp. if it's in the main toasting grid.

[SunnyDays]

The chances of finding the needed part in a toaster that old is very small.  My beloved Moulinex bit the dust a couple of years ago when the lever wouldn’t stay down and there was no part to be found anywhere.  Toasters are cheap and one is much like another.  I would just buy another.

[Dave1442397]

Did you check the outlet it was plugged into to make sure it just didn't trip the breaker?

[slackmax]

Update:  I have about two hours into the saga at this point.

Got 4 screws out, haven't broken anything yet. There is a tab I want to force off, (the up and down tab) but if I do, it won't go back on tightly and will be a problem.

I can see what I think is a thermostat, a contact point, and what looks like a small white capacitor.     

Looked at Youtube. Nothing useful.

I guess I'll give it another 2 hours max, then recycle it for metal at my recycling center. I think they will take it.

All the wires appear to be intact.

Wish I didn't have to force the up/down tab off, but I have to in order to see what's inside.

Can't find any manuals online.

Good thing I am retired and have time on my hands, lol. Would be satisfying to fix it.

Yes, I have checked the power at the outlet, and it is still on. Did not trip a breaker.

Yes, I have a multimeter.

[sonofsven]

Good for you for trying to fix it, I do the same.
Part of being able to fix things is not being afraid to take things apart!
I would look hard at the continuity between the lever and the heating element.

[slackmax]

Another update. I don't know if it was something I did, or it would have worked even if I did nothing, but...

I can get the elements to light up if I hold the up/down lever all the way down for 2 seconds, and release it. Just shoving the lever down to where it stops doesn't light up the elements, but if you press it down a quarter inch farther and hold it for 2 seconds, the elements spring to life, and when you release it, the lever just returns to the place it was before, a quarter inch higher, and the elements remain glowing red until time to pop the toast up.   

I had the toaster 90% apart when I discovered this option, lol.

I never had to forcibly remove the big tab I was worried about, so that's good.

I put it all back together, and it works again. I just have to spend 2 more seconds every time I use it.  It still pops up at the right time, makes great toast, etc.

Thanks for all the replies. Chalk up another mustachian victory, eh?   
 

[slackmax]

Another update:  I was using the above method to get the toaster to work. Had to make 3 or 4 tries to get it to start up. 

But then, one day as I was shaking out the crumbs, out came a big old charred chicken bone!  Ever since that bone came out, it has been working like a champ.

I had already shaken it out, but the chicken bone never came out until now.   

 

[uniwelder]

Is that how you reheat your chicken? What other sorts of food or non food items do you put in the toaster?

[Dee18]

Loved hearing about the chicken bone!  You've inspired me to get busy and find the right tool to open my microwave so I can replace the light bulb.

[Morning Glory]

Is that how you reheat your chicken? What other sorts of food or non food items do you put in the toaster?

My guess is that tiny humans were involved somehow.

[BudgetSlasher]

Another update. I don't know if it was something I did, or it would have worked even if I did nothing, but...

I can get the elements to light up if I hold the up/down lever all the way down for 2 seconds, and release it. Just shoving the lever down to where it stops doesn't light up the elements, but if you press it down a quarter inch farther and hold it for 2 seconds, the elements spring to life, and when you release it, the lever just returns to the place it was before, a quarter inch higher, and the elements remain glowing red until time to pop the toast up.   

I had the toaster 90% apart when I discovered this option, lol.

I never had to forcibly remove the big tab I was worried about, so that's good.

I put it all back together, and it works again. I just have to spend 2 more seconds every time I use it.  It still pops up at the right time, makes great toast, etc.

Thanks for all the replies. Chalk up another mustachian victory, eh?

congrats on getting the toaster working. Is your old toaster all mechanical?

We just replaced our toaster. I had it to bits and all the physical and mechanical components worked and were where they should have been, not to mention there was electricity. But, there were 2 separate PCBs inside of the toaster that controlled everything which is where the problem must have been, but there were no replacement parts to be had and no clearly bad components.

At least by having it to bit I got to put the metal in the recycling pile.

[AMandM]

Haha, I bet that fix wasn't in any of the manuals! Reminds me of the morning my father started toast as usual only to be met with an awful smell. He unplugged the toaster, turned it over, andout fell a dead mouse with singed fur.

[slackmax]

Answers to questions: not reheating chicken in toaster, ha ha.

Yes, it's all mechanical in that it has no gangfangled circuitboards or chips, thanks goodness.

Most fancy thing is probably a mechanical thermostat.