Mr. Coffee Programmable Timer Not Working? 5 Fixes (BVMC-SJX33, 12-Cup)

It Worked Yesterday, Not Today

A Mr. Coffee Delay Brew runs once and then forgets. Both the 12-Cup Programmable JPX37 and the BVMC-SJX33GT manuals say it outright: "As a safety feature, your coffeemaker will NOT start again automatically the next day." The brew time you set stays stored, but you have to arm Delay Brew again every evening. If it brewed on Monday and not on Tuesday, that's almost always why.

The other usual causes come down to the clock and how you arm it. A power cut of more than a few seconds wipes the time. AM and PM are easy to swap. And on the SJX33GT, pressing Select/Off once brews immediately, so arming Delay Brew takes two presses.

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Try This First

• Look for the Delay Brew light before bed. Yellow on a JPX37, amber on an SJX33GT. No light means it isn't armed.
• Check the clock isn't flashing. A flashing clock means the time was lost and never set.
• Check AM or PM on the clock and on the delay time. They're separate settings.
• Prepare the machine the night before: water in, filter and coffee in, basket seated, carafe fully on the plate.

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Which Fix You Need

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Fix 1: Re-Arm Delay Brew Every Night (Works About 35% of the Time)

Once a delayed brew runs, the warming plate keeps the coffee hot for 2 hours and then the machine switches off. It won't start again the next morning unless you arm it again. The time you programmed is kept, so arming takes one or two button presses.

Signs it's this one:

• The first morning worked
• You didn't touch the panel the night before

1. Empty the carafe, then add a fresh filter, coffee and water.
2. JPX37: press Delay Brew once. The yellow Delay Brew light comes on.
3. SJX33GT: press Select/Off twice. The amber Delay Brew light comes on.
4. Check the light is on before you walk away.

Time: 1 minute a night
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 35%
Difficulty: Easy

To see the time it's set for on an SJX33GT, press Set Delay. The display shows the programmed time for a few seconds, then returns to the clock.

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Fix 2: Set the Clock After a Power Cut (Works About 25% of the Time)

The clock has no backup. A JPX37 picks up where it left off only if power returns within 7 seconds, and an SJX33GT within 10 seconds. After a longer cut, or after being unplugged, the clock flashes. Pressing a button before setting it starts the clock from 12:00 a.m., so the machine is then counting the wrong time and Delay Brew fires at the wrong moment. The manuals say plainly that you must set the clock to use Delay Brew.

Signs it's this one:

• The clock is flashing, or it's a few hours off
• There was a storm, a tripped breaker, or the machine was unplugged

1. With the machine plugged in, press and hold HOUR until the hour is right.
2. Press and hold MINUTE until the minutes are right.
3. Check the AM or PM indicator next to the clock.
4. Re-set and re-arm Delay Brew (Fixes 3 and 4).

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Easy

Watch for: an outlet on a wall switch or a timer socket cuts power every time it's turned off, so the clock resets each time.

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Fix 3: Check AM and PM on the Brew Time (Works About 15% of the Time)

The clock and the delay time each have their own AM/PM. Setting 6:30 PM instead of 6:30 AM is the easiest mistake to make, because the only difference is a small indicator.

Signs it's this one:

• Coffee brewed in the evening, or not at all
• The clock is right but the brew time seems ignored

1. With the clock showing, press Set Delay. The delay time flashes.
2. Use HOUR and MINUTE to set the brew time, watching the AM/PM indicator as you pass 12. On the SJX33GT the delay's AM/PM indicator lights at the bottom of the clock display.
3. Wait a few seconds. The display goes back to the current time.
4. Arm Delay Brew (Fix 1).

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

You can set the brew time up to 24 hours in advance.

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Fix 4: Arm It With the Right Presses (Works About 15% of the Time)

The two programmable models arm Delay Brew differently, and on the SJX33GT the presses overlap with brewing and switching off. Press once too few and it brews now. Press once too many and it cancels.

Signs it's this one:

• It started brewing the moment you tried to set it
• The light came on, then went off again
• It's an SJX33GT and you used one press

1. Prepare the machine with water, filter and coffee.
2. Arm it using the presses in the table above.
3. Look for the right light: yellow or amber Delay Brew, not green Brew Now.
4. Pick Strong if you want it. On the JPX37 press Strong after arming, otherwise it defaults to regular. On the SJX33GT the Brew Strength light turns on when Delay Brew is set.

Time: 1 minute
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

Model note — SJX33GT thermal carafe: set glass or thermal before the brew starts. The machine switches to thermal when the DRD95 carafe is on the plate, and the manual says you can't change it once brewing has begun.

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Fix 5: Get the Machine Ready to Brew (Works About 10% of the Time)

Delay Brew only starts the brew. If the machine couldn't brew a pot by hand, it can't brew one on a timer. Mr. Coffee's "not brewing" list is the same for both: no water in the reservoir, the filter basket not properly inserted, or the carafe not all the way on the warming plate. Add the overflow causes to that list, too: grounds and water spill from the basket if the carafe isn't fully home.

Signs it's this one:

• The Brew Now light came on at the right time
• Nothing came out, or the basket overflowed

1. Check the water window shows water.
2. Seat the filter basket all the way down and centered, and close the lid.
3. Push the carafe fully onto the warming plate, with its lid on.
4. Don't fill past the MAX line for your carafe (12 cups glass, 8 cups thermal on the SJX33GT). Extra water runs out of the overfill hole at the back.

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

If it won't brew even when you start it by hand, our Mr. Coffee won't brew guide is the place to go.

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When DIY Won't Work

Call Mr. Coffee if:

• The clock or panel stays blank with a working outlet
• The clock won't hold the time with no power cut at all
• The buttons don't respond

Support: 1-800-MR COFFEE (1-800-672-6333) in the U.S., 1-800-667-8623 in Canada. The model number is stamped on the bottom. Both manuals give a 1-year limited warranty and say there are no user-serviceable parts inside. They also warn that trying to repair or adjust electrical functions voids the warranty.

Repair or replace: the manuals offer no clock or control-board part for owners. Out of warranty, a failed panel on a drip maker is usually a replacement rather than a repair.

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Make Delay Brew Reliable

• Arm it every night, and look for the Delay Brew light before bed.
• Plug into an always-on outlet, not a switched one or a timer socket.
• Set the clock after every power cut, before relying on the timer.
• Prep everything the night before: water, filter, coffee, basket seated, carafe on the plate.
• Clean it every 40-80 brews. A scaled machine brews slowly whether you're there or not. The steps are in our Mr. Coffee descaling guide.

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FAQ

Why does my Mr. Coffee only auto-brew once?

By design. The JPX37 and SJX33GT manuals both say the coffeemaker "will NOT start again automatically the next day" as a safety feature. The brew time stays set, but you arm Delay Brew again each night: Delay Brew once on a JPX37, or Select/Off twice on an SJX33GT.

What is the Fresh Brew Timer?

It's not the auto-start. The Fresh Brew Timer shows how long ago the coffee finished brewing. Press its button once to see the time since brewing, and again to go back to the clock. It only works while the Brew Now light is on.

Does a Mr. Coffee clock have a battery backup?

Not according to the manuals. A JPX37 resumes its last operation only if power returns within 7 seconds, and an SJX33GT within 10. After anything longer, the clock flashes and has to be set again.

Does the clock change for daylight saving time?

The manuals don't mention it, and they only describe setting the clock by hand with HOUR and MINUTE. Assume it doesn't adjust itself, and reset it when the clocks change. Then re-arm Delay Brew if you use it.

Why did my coffee go cold before I got up?

The warming plate keeps coffee hot for 2 hours after brewing, then switches off. If the brew time is set much earlier than you get up, the coffee sits on a cold plate. Set the delay closer to when you'll drink it.

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Related Mr. Coffee Guides

• Mr. Coffee Error Codes & Blinking Lights: what the flashing clock and each light mean
• Mr. Coffee Won't Brew?: when it won't brew by hand either
• Mr. Coffee Not Heating?: auto shut-off and cold coffee
• How to Descale a Mr. Coffee: keeping the brew time normal

Sources: Mr. Coffee JPX37-R Series User Manual (P.N. 202723); Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT and BVMC-SJX36GT User Manual (12ESM2).