Do it yourself LCD TV repair?

[LazurusLong]

Well, first some basics. I'm pretty handy with a multi-meter and learned to solder copper wires and copper pipe before I could drive so that is not a worry for me.

I've fixed more things in my life rather than toss it to the curb than I care to think of both for myself and for friends and that means something as small as a toaster up to an including more automobiles that most have ever owned in their lifetime.

But I've never cracked the back of the new LCD TVs.

I have recently spent some time watching some decent YouTube videos on the sorts of things to look for and repair but like the first time many on here called that very first provider on here, I figured why not see if there are any other do it yourself folks who have tackled this sort of effort.

Sure I know they are on sale all the time and if I had wanted to wait in line for hours on Black Friday (Or Thursday rather) I could have gotten new for a serious discount but I'm ornery in many ways and being challenged to learn something like this is one way to keep me from over posting and pissing off the staff!

This one is almost 40" with 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution and not that old but nada when I hit the power switch so most likely in a few days, I'll be cracking the case and beginning my first adventure in LCD TV repair for fun.

So bottom line is simple.

If you have done any sort of flat screen LCD HDTV repair yourself and have some things to avoid or things to check first, feel free to post here and let me know.

[Stuck in the mud]

My 3 year old 40" Samsung wouldn't turn on, so likely a power supply issue. Turns out there were 4 capacitors blown. Replaced them for a total of $2.00. About a 30 minute job.

I understand the capacitor thing is common on Samsungs in that era (2006).

[harrynutzak]

Just my 2 cents.. I also have a Samsung LCD that had the capacitor issue as well. Lots of others did as well and a lawsuit was filed. You can google it to get the info. They will ask for ser # and model number, but if yours is affected, they will fix it for free..

[guest043013-2]

Laz,

I suspect you are pretty savvy on these types of repairs, so my suggestions are for others who have a problem.

There are a lot of simple repairs I understand that can be done, starting with the capacitors.

If the unit does not power up, I would make sure that the power cord/transformer is good. And of course, look for blown fuses.

I suspect youtube videos will point you in the right direction.

Curious, where do you guys go to get parts for flatscreen TVs, or any electronic devices. In the days of vacuum tubes, there were do it yourself places all over the place, but you don't see that anymore.

[LazurusLong]

Originally Posted by tigercat

Curious, where do you guys go to get parts for flatscreen TVs, or any electronic devices. In the days of vacuum tubes, there were do it yourself places all over the place, but you don't see that anymore.

As part of my "prep" work before I crack this one open, I followed some links from the Youtube videos and have bookmarked them.

This was a great starting point for me and it was from a YouTube series he publishes.

http://www.tvrepairinfo.com/

He has a ton of good videos and I limited myself to the LCD ones for now.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GrantsPassTVRepairs

http://www.encompassparts.com/ is one that gives a breakdown of parts if I were to simply want to replace an entire board rather than just a capacitor.

I also know that a local retail store, Altex located at3215 Belmeade Drive,
Carrollton, TX 972-267-8882

should stock almost anything needed to do the repairs if you are looking for kust components like the capacitors.

The funny thing about knowing how to replace capacitors is that on many PC mother boards, a blown capacitor can kill the board (Dell had a few board series with horrible issues of capacitor failures) and if you can do it or have it done, it is a very cheap repair and your computer can be up and running in no time.

[guest043013-2]

Are most capacitors soldered in or considering the frequency of failure, do they use a plug-in socket arrangement these days?

Seems kind of humorous to be discussing blown fuses and capacitors on a website dedicated to blown hobbyist.

[Stuck in the mud]

Mine were soldered in. The boards were all easy to remove, so that made for easy access.

Altex is where I went. Best nerd store in town.

And I heard about the lawsuit after I made the repair. But honestly, if I had to do it again, I'd just fix it again... it was that easy.

Just curious, Laz. What's wrong with your set?

[LazurusLong]

Originally Posted by Stuck in the mud

Just curious, Laz. What's wrong with your set?

No idea. I was given this one so it was DOA to my house.

No power, no lights. Nothing. I figure since I have nothing invested yet, why not try to figure it out.

From reading, it appears right off the bat I have a power supply issue and so I'll start there when I have time to crack the case.