View Full Version : Vizio 47" stopped working
ThunderPanda
12-13-2010, 09:29 PM
I bought it a year and a half or two ago off buy.com... Can't find the exact model number. I was watching something and all of the sudden the screen went black... hasn't turned on since. Still have sound. I am just sad because I was hoping it would last a really long time and I don't have money for a new tv and I really liked it.. There is no widespread problem I can find with a quick google search, so I guess I will just have to call tech support which I am sure will just be a waste of my time. I am sure it will cost more to fix than it will be to get a new one... RIP vizio tv
Which input is not working? Can you try a different input?
What source is the TV connected to, like cable/sat with a box, antenna, pc/laptop ?
Like G37 is talking about...verify that the source didn't quit sending a signal...
can you bring up any of the onboard TV menus/commands?
davepry
12-13-2010, 11:29 PM
If it's not a connection or cable issue, then since you have Sound but no Picture, there's a good chance that the Inverter Board has failed due to blown capacitors.
If you, or someone you know, has some basic soldering skills this can probably be repaired for a few dollars.
Search this Forum for the word "capacitor" and see badcaps.net (http://badcaps.net) for more information.
Helpful youtube videos on this subject. (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lcd+tv+capacitor&aq=o)
dcrob
12-14-2010, 07:56 AM
how long of a warranty does Vizio offer on their tv's? If the original warranty on it was 1 year and if you paid by credit card and still have your receipt, you may be covered for an additional year if you've had it for less than 2 years.
ThunderPanda
12-14-2010, 08:14 AM
If it's not a connection or cable issue, then since you have Sound but no Picture, there's a good chance that the Inverter Board has failed due to blown capacitors.
If you, or someone you know, has some basic soldering skills this can probably be repaired for a few dollars.
Search this Forum for the word "capacitor" and see badcaps.net (http://badcaps.net) for more information.
Helpful youtube videos on this subject. (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lcd+tv+capacitor&aq=o)
Thank you, that is very helpful. I will try to see if maybe I can do that. And to everyone asking if it was a bad input... It was definitely not a bad input. I tried multiple inputs, and the sound works on all of them. In addition, no menus or anything else shows up on the screen. You can tell the backlight isn't even on.
LiquidRetro
12-14-2010, 08:35 AM
I would call around to a few local repair shops for advice. You might be able to get basic diagnostics for less than you think. It is probably worth repairing for a couple of hundred dollars as a new TV starts at around $800 for that size if not more.
MikeBear
12-14-2010, 10:27 AM
I would agree on the backlighting being off due to an issue with the inverter board. However, this can also be caused by a faulty "pico-fuse" soldered on the board. These can pop due to a power surge, the inverter board no longer gets power, the backlight bulb goes out, and you can't see the picture anymore.
A pico-fuse is a tiny little fuse, looks a lot like a resistor, and can be replaced with another one if bad.
OP, get right up to the screen, and maybe even look at it on an angle, and see if you can detect any movement of picture, when things happen on the show it's tuned to. If so, it's definitely a backlight problem. Either a bad inverter or bad backlight.
ThunderPanda
12-14-2010, 11:28 AM
I would agree on the backlighting being off due to an issue with the inverter board. However, this can also be caused by a faulty "pico-fuse" soldered on the board. These can pop due to a power surge, the inverter board no longer gets power, the backlight bulb goes out, and you can't see the picture anymore.
A pico-fuse is a tiny little fuse, looks a lot like a resistor, and can be replaced with another one if bad.
OP, get right up to the screen, and maybe even look at it on an angle, and see if you can detect any movement of picture, when things happen on the show it's tuned to. If so, it's definitely a backlight problem. Either a bad inverter or bad backlight.
Ya I will have to check that too... I don't know if this helps in diagnostics, but it just went out all at once.... Didn't see any other electronics do anything and no lights dimmed or anything so there was no obvious surge... The show we were watching did seem to change scenes at the exact moment it went out but that might just be a coincidence... or maybe it was a white scene and it was enough to blow something finally. But ya i will open it up today and see if I can find a bad capacitor or pico-fuse.
Also, there was no pop or anything when it failed... the malfunction did not cause any sound and there was also not any smell
bacdeal
12-14-2010, 11:46 AM
call vizo service,samsung hinted to me they would fix mine even out of warranty did you buy it in walmart vizio uses cheaper components in wall mart
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/vizio.html
fuse
http://www.fixya.com/support/t2293120-no_picture_or_sound_light_comes_in
drsketch
12-14-2010, 11:52 AM
do u have a triangle emblem on the low right hand corner of tv? I believe mine says 120hz
ThunderPanda
12-14-2010, 12:02 PM
do u have a triangle emblem on the low right hand corner of tv? I believe mine says 120hz
I am not at my tv right now but I am pretty sure it does have an emblem... It is not 120hz though so I know thats not what it says. And my tv is definitely not under warranty and I probably won't get any special service... I got it on Buy.com and im pretty sure it was refurb. Worked for almost two years great though!
drsketch
12-14-2010, 12:05 PM
I am not at my tv right now but I am pretty sure it does have an emblem... It is not 120hz though so I know thats not what it says. And my tv is definitely not under warranty and I probably won't get any special service... I got it on Buy.com and im pretty sure it was refurb. Worked for almost two years great though!
that makes me feel a little better its not 120hz, I got mine from sams about 2 years ago and it is 120hz....
If you are a member I would recommend getting your next TV from sams, and buy the warranty they sell..
That way if it breaks X months later and is still covered under warranty period, you bring it right back to store and exchange it for something within the price you paid for your TV originally. Which will be an upgrade at that point.
ThunderPanda
12-15-2010, 10:28 AM
Okay guys I opened it up and found one capacitor that looks bad... Could this be the problem? I am going to go buy a new one now. Here are some pictures of it, and where it is located.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/THEPWNZOR/IMG_0871.jpg?t=1292437661
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/THEPWNZOR/IMG_0872.jpg?t=1292437674
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/THEPWNZOR/IMG_0870.jpg?t=1292437685
LiquidRetro
12-15-2010, 01:18 PM
Yes that is a bad cap! Buy a replacement of the same value and solder it in and hope that it will work. It sure wont hurt to try it.
ThunderPanda
12-15-2010, 01:23 PM
Okay I tried it, replaced the part and put it in, still no luck. But i noticed that the coils next to it are blackened... i should replace those but I don't know where to get them...
MikeBear
12-15-2010, 01:51 PM
Okay I tried it, replaced the part and put it in, still no luck. But i noticed that the coils next to it are blackened... i should replace those but I don't know where to get them...
You don't need to replace the coils, you probably need to RESOLDER them to the circuit board. Looks like they got hot, and if so, the solder probably melted or crystallized. There might be other solder joints that got hot, and need to be cleaned and re-soldered. Also, look at other caps, and see if any others look bulged or split, there may more.
mrbobhcrhs
12-15-2010, 02:37 PM
none of the other ones have leaking right? it is possible that another one is blown and just is not showing it.
ThunderPanda
12-16-2010, 12:29 AM
You don't need to replace the coils, you probably need to RESOLDER them to the circuit board. Looks like they got hot, and if so, the solder probably melted or crystallized. There might be other solder joints that got hot, and need to be cleaned and re-soldered. Also, look at other caps, and see if any others look bulged or split, there may more.
I tried that, didn't seem to do anything... They looked pretty secure beforehand though.
none of the other ones have leaking right? it is possible that another one is blown and just is not showing it.
I could not find any others that were leaking, but there are about 200 capacitors all around the back of the tv and I don't know how to check every single one
MikeBear
12-16-2010, 04:32 AM
I tried that, didn't seem to do anything... They looked pretty secure beforehand though.
I could not find any others that were leaking, but there are about 200 capacitors all around the back of the tv and I don't know how to check every single one
Well, you said the picture went out, but not the sound, and lcd's are prone/have a history of bad inverter boards that power the back-light. So, it's most likely to be the inverter board, and replacing it might be what will get you up and running. Maybe you can get one off Ebay.
Try shining a bright light from the back or edge of the lcd and power everything up. See if you can see movement of picture on the lcd screen. If so, focus on the inverter board, inverter board power, and back light itself. That should narrow it down a bit more for you.
Hopefully, it's NOT actually a bad back-light. Those are typically bonded to the lcd screen, and you normally would have to replace the entire lcd screen to repair it. You see the dilemma here, in that you probably as a consumer can't buy (or afford) a new lcd panel that is that large...
ThunderPanda
12-17-2010, 01:41 PM
Well, you said the picture went out, but not the sound, and lcd's are prone/have a history of bad inverter boards that power the back-light. So, it's most likely to be the inverter board, and replacing it might be what will get you up and running. Maybe you can get one off Ebay.
Try shining a bright light from the back or edge of the lcd and power everything up. See if you can see movement of picture on the lcd screen. If so, focus on the inverter board, inverter board power, and back light itself. That should narrow it down a bit more for you.
Hopefully, it's NOT actually a bad back-light. Those are typically bonded to the lcd screen, and you normally would have to replace the entire lcd screen to repair it. You see the dilemma here, in that you probably as a consumer can't buy (or afford) a new lcd panel that is that large...
Hmmm well there doesn't seem to be anywhere where I can shine a light through to actually light up the screen, it is all covered from behind. Is there a way I can test the powerboard by just testing some voltages? I mean it only has 4 connections going out from it, shouldn't i just be able to test those?
mrbobhcrhs
12-17-2010, 01:46 PM
you can also shine it from the edge, you are just looking for movement to show that the screen still works just the light is out.
hallowmann
12-30-2010, 01:32 PM
Well, you said the picture went out, but not the sound, and lcd's are prone/have a history of bad inverter boards that power the back-light. So, it's most likely to be the inverter board, and replacing it might be what will get you up and running. Maybe you can get one off Ebay.
Try shining a bright light from the back or edge of the lcd and power everything up. See if you can see movement of picture on the lcd screen. If so, focus on the inverter board, inverter board power, and back light itself. That should narrow it down a bit more for you.
Hopefully, it's NOT actually a bad back-light. Those are typically bonded to the lcd screen, and you normally would have to replace the entire lcd screen to repair it. You see the dilemma here, in that you probably as a consumer can't buy (or afford) a new lcd panel that is that large...
Usually its not the inverter that goes bad on TVs, its the Power board. In some cases they are on the same board, but in this case they are clearly not. I would NOT replace the inverter without first verifying that the power board is functioning properly.
Hmmm well there doesn't seem to be anywhere where I can shine a light through to actually light up the screen, it is all covered from behind. Is there a way I can test the powerboard by just testing some voltages? I mean it only has 4 connections going out from it, shouldn't i just be able to test those?
Yes, you should test it. Using a multimeter and being very careful not to electrocute yourself, you can test the output lines (many of them will be ground) for their voltages. Most TVs have 24, 12, and 5 V outputs. You will need to plug the TV in and power it on to test them, but you really have to be careful while doing this, since your basically dealing with an exposed electrical circuit that has voltages up to 110v AC.
Honestly based on the burn marks and the pictures, most likely you have another component on the power board that's damaged. The fact that its just the backlight that seems to be out, implies to me that your problems deals with capacitors, transformers, or transistors/voltage regulators. You can try looking at the other capacitors on the power board. Frequently when one capacitor goes bad, there are probably other caps that are bad too. Also a bad capacitor can damage nearby transistors. You can test their voltages too, just really be careful not to cross leads or anything.
If you feel any bit uncomfortable doing this, you'd probably be better off buying a new power board. It will probably run you between $50-$100 on eBay or Shopjimmy.com. The nice thing about shopjimmy is that they have a wide variety of parts and accept returns regardless of reason, unfortunately they do charge a pretty big restocking fee.
Honestly there is a lot that can go wrong with TVs, so you may have to do a bit more work, but it should still be worth it.
EDIT: WOW, after looking it seems like they are pretty cheap on ebay:
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=DPS-433BP&_trkparms=65%253A1%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=15&_sc=1
Be sure to double check that that is the right power board. Since they're so cheap and abundant, they probably have a pretty easy fix to them. Most likely people are getting them and refurbing them to sell for profit. Either that or they are crazy common in multiple TVs (which is probably true).