Top 5 Tips

to
FRUGAL REPAIR
Diagnose a
Broken LCD TV
Without Taking Anything Apart

© 2020 Digital Solutions, LLC

 Diagnosing an
LCD TV
You can do this!  I will guide you through how to diagnose
common problems with a broken LCD TV in a matter of minutes,
and without taking anything apart.

Maybe your TV recently broke, and you are wondering what is

wrong.  Or perhaps you have been offered a TV, and you want to
know if it is worth it to bring it home.

Whatever the reason, I hope these tips will help you to diagnose
an LCD TV problem quickly.  After years of fixing TVs, these are
the same tips that I use.

And the best part about these diagnostic steps is they do not
require any tools!  If you have a smartphone with a flashlight, that
is the only “tool” you need.

Now obviously, there is

?
a limit to what you can
find out about
electronics only by
observations of
external symptoms.

2
 Diagnosing an
LCD TV
However, you may be surprised how these various symptoms can
lead you to an educated guess about the source of the problem
(power board, main board, LED backlight, etc).

Of course, these tips are not exhaustive, nor are the observable
symptoms.  But these are the main tips I have found helpful to
quickly diagnose and eventually repair many TVs,  and I am
excited to share them with you!

Finally, let me know if you have suggestions on how I can improve

this guide.  I’d really appreciate it! My email:
fixer@frugalrepair.com

Reese

Frugal Repair

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 Diagnosing an
LCD TV

Table of Contents
Tip #1 - Is the LCD Damaged? .......................................... 5

Tip #2 - What Happens When the TV is Plugged In? .. 8

Tip #3 - Turn the TV On and Observe .......................... 10

Tip #4 - Is the Backlight Coming On? ........................... 17

Tip #5 - Research Online ................................................. 22

Final Thoughts ................................................................... 25

Contact Information.......................................................... 26

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 Tip # 1
Is the LCD Damaged?

Step 1 - Look for any Damage

Look at the LCD screen for any physical damage.  Look closely
at an angle for any cracks, noticeable discolorations, etc.   If
your LCD is cracked, unfortunately it can't be repaired, and you
should plan to replace the TV. You can technically replace the
LCD panel with an identical one, but the problem is that finding
one may be too difficult and/or too costly to make it worth it.  
You may want to recoup some of your loss by selling the
working boards on a site like ebay.com.

Step 2 - Are
there Cracks ?
Turn the TV on.  If the
damage is limited to
the LCD screen you
should see the
damage or cracks
immediately. 
Notice any impact points or bands of different colors. Again, if
the LCD panel is damaged with cracks or impact points, it can't
be repaired.

5
 Tip # 1
Is the LCD Damaged?

Step 3 - Are there Lines on the Screen?

If there are no cracks, look for any vertical lines while the TV
is on. A vertical line could be either black or discolored in
some way and the line may be one pixel wide or several
inches/cm wide.  Any of these symptoms could indicate a
failure of the tab bond (part of the LCD assembly), a t-con
board failure, or another failure on the LCD panel. 

Tab bonds (see next page) are part of the LCD panel
assembly.  They are the connection point from a printed
circuit board to the LCD panel itself.  They are held on by an
adhesive and it is possible that this adhesive has weakened
and thus, there is a loss of some connection to the LCD
panel.  

While the TV is on, one potential trick to diagnose a bad tab

bond is to gently press into the LCD panel (without cracking
it!) at the very top and at the very bottom where the vertical
line is.  You can also gently twist the top of the TV. Potentially,
you can create a minute amount of movement on the LCD
panel to compensate for the separation in the tab bond
connection.  If you notice any change at all in the line while
doing this then chances are high that you have a tab bond
issue.

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 Tip # 1
Is the LCD Damaged?

Step 3 - Continued

You realistically can't fix a tab bond with home equipment, but
you can jerry rig a solution.  The basic premise is to put some
non-conductive material on top of the tab bond and when you
screw the fame back down you can put pressure on that
ribbon cable to make up for the weakened adhesive.

If you can't affect the TV image by pressing on the screen or

twisting the frame then you’ll need to move to tip #5 and do
some more internet research.

If you come across a horizontal line, then chances are that

there is a fault in the LCD panel. Though less likely, it could be
a t-con or main board issue.

LCD Panel

7
 Tip # 2
What Happens When the TV is
Plugged In?

Step 1 - Standby Light?

Plug the TV in and look for signs of life.  Most (but not all) LCD
TVs have an indicator light that comes on when the TV is
plugged in.  This light (might be white, red, orange, shine
through the logo, etc) is called the standby light.  The standby
light indicates that the TV is ready to be turned on with the
remote control or with the power button located on the side,
front, or back.  Seeing a standby light gives you a clue that
your main fuse is still working, and that the power supply
board is at least generating the standby voltage (usually 3-5v).

Examples of different types of standby lights. (A blue

light after the power button is pressed (left). A red
standby light when the power cord is plugged in (right).

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 Tip # 2
What Happens When the TV is
Plugged In?

Step 2 - Use your eyes, ears, & nose

Are there any odd sounds (buzzing, humming, etc) or smells
(yes, smells can be a clue) coming out of the TV either when
just plugged in or after the power button is pressed?  See if
you can identify an approximate location of the sounds or
smells. Are they near the main board (this is where the
cables plug into) or near the power supply (where the main
power cable connects)?  You can tell the approximate
location of these boards by looking at the inputs. If you
notice anything, you can move on to tip #5 and do more
investigative work.

Power Supply Main Board

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 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe

Step 1 - Turn the TV On

Use either the remote control (confirm that the batteries

are good) or the physical on/off power button on the TV to
turn it on.  Make sure to try both in case one fails to turn
the TV on. If there is no response, you could potentially
have a bad on/off button (this button is typically part of a
small printed circuit board) or a bad remote control.  If you
have a bad button board, you can potentially find an
inexpensive replacement on a website like ebay.com.

Step 2 - Observe

If you don't initially notice anything happening after you

press the power button, look around the TV for any other
signs of life. It is best to be in a quiet space and observe
what happens. Do you hear or see anything? Does the
standby light turn on (if the TV has one)? Does it change
color or intensity (or come on if it was previously off)?  If so,
this can indicate that the main board is receiving the
power it needs to operate and that it knows that the TV
power button has been pressed. 

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 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe
Step 2 - Continued
Besides the standby light in the front, there may be an
indicator light on the back of the TV. Look for any signs of life
near the main board and also try to look down through the
top air vents in the plastic. If you see the backlights come on
or if you see any indicator lights or if you hear any sounds
(clicking, for example), then you can use these observations in
an online search combined with your model number (printed
on back side of the TV).  See tip #5.

Another place to get a clue is to check to see if there is power

to the audio optical connector (it is usually red, see below).
This connector is located on the main board near where all of
the cable inputs are. The optical cable input may have a little
flap you need to push in to see if there is light coming out.
Usually if you see the optical cable red light then it typically
means that the main board is getting the correct voltage
(usually 12v) to power up. Use this information and head over
to tip #5.

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 Tip
Tip #
#23
What Happens When the TV is
Turn the TV On and
Plugged In?
Observe

Step 3 - Sound Messed Up?

Is the sound messed up on the TV?  Maybe it is staticy or

muffled or maybe there is no sound at all.  First, try resetting
the TV to factory defaults. Next you can try using an external
speaker to rule out bad internal speakers.  In order to use an
external speaker you may need to make a change in settings.
It is also possible you have a hardware issue on your main
board. The two internal TV speakers plug directly into the
main board. If none of these help with the diagnosis, you
should move to Tip #5 and do some research online. 

12
 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe

Step 4 - Check for Backlight Problems

Does the TV logo come up and flash for a second before
disappearing?  This most likely indicates a bad backlight (see
tip #4 to confirm). The backlight is a light source on all LCD
TVs that shines through the LCD panel to show the image. 
The backlight on most modern TVs is made up of LEDs (light
emitting diodes). It is not uncommon for the LEDs to have
problems and stop producing light. When you see the logo
flash for a second, what may be happening is the backlight
going to 100% brightness (on TV startup) and then due to too
much heat or electrical current, a fault in the backlight is
exposed and the power supply shuts off the backlight.  Move
on to tip #4 for more testing.

The backlight is
under the LCD panel
and is normally
behind other things
like  prism film(s)
(light brightener), a
diffusion film, and/or
a light guide plate.

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 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe

Step 4 - Continued
In the photos below you can see two types of LED backlights.
An "edge-lit" backlight (top). Multiple strips of LED modules
make up a "full-array" backlight (bottom).

14
 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe

Step 5 - TV Frozen?

Does the TV get stuck on the logo?  Or maybe the TV is stuck

in the startup process? This could indicate bad firmware, and
a possible solution is a replacement of the EEPROM chip on
the main board.  This chip contains the firmware for the initial
boot up of the TV (think computer booting up), and
something is preventing the TV from booting up correctly.  In
many cases, replacing this chip (or the whole main board)
could solve the issue. Move to tip #5 and search online for
more clues.

Step 6 - Sound but No Picture

Do you hear sound but no picture?  This can indicate a bad

backlight or something faulty with the video circuit (t-con
board, main board, LCD panel, etc).  See tip #4 for more
things to try.

15
 Tip # 3
Turn the TV On and Observe

Step 7 - HDMI Problems?

Do the TV inputs work (assuming the TV turns on)?  Try the
HDMI and component connections to isolate bad inputs.  All
of the inputs are on the main board. If inputs are faulty,
worst case, this can be repaired with a main board
replacement if a board level repair is unavailable. 

If the HDMI ports are not working, make sure to try a known
good cable. If they are still not working, it could be the result
of a power surge (that came through an HDMI cable), it could
be a problem with a BGA chip on the main board (the
problems that come with this type of chip are beyond the
scope of this document), a bad HDMI controller chip, or
something else.  Move to tip #5 with your information and
see what other clues you can find online.

An example
of a BGA
chip

16
 Tip # 4
Is the Backlight Coming On?

Step 1 - Can You See Any Light?

If there isn’t an image when the TV turns on, the next thing
you need to do is determine if the backlights turn on or
not.  The backlight is the necessary source of white light
than enables you to see the image on an LCD screen. On
modern TVs this light source is from a series of LEDs (light
emitting diodes) behind the LCD screen.

If the backlight turns on you should notice a purple-ish

glow on the LCD panel or maybe notice the light through
the vents in the housing on the back of the TV.  If you can
not tell if the backlights are coming on, try to move to a
dark room/environment. If there are backlights but no
image on the screen (try pressing menu buttons, etc) then
you most likely have an issue in the video circuit (t-con
board, main board, lcd panel, etc).

17
 Tip # 4
Is the Backlight Coming On?

Step 2 - Partially Dark Screen?

If you can see an image on the screen but part of the
screen is dark or shaded and there are no cracks or
noticeable damage to the LCD panel, it may indicate that
only part of the backlight is working.  Try turning up the
brightness in the settings on the tv and see if that helps the
dark area. If so, you almost certainly have a problem with a
portion of the backlight and it will need to be replaced or
repaired.  In modern LCD TVs the issue tends to be with the
individual LED modules themselves. These are on small
circuit boards (usually removable) underneath the LCD
screen itself.

A zoomed-in view showing individual LED modules on an

edge-lit backlight. These are usually placed on the top or
bottom edge of the panel and run the length of the LCD.

18
 Tip # 4
Is the Backlight Coming On?

Step 2 - Continued

On a full-array backlight (shown above) the LED modules

are spaced farther apart. Instead of residing on a heat
sink and placed on the top or bottom of the metal frame,
these LEDs are evenly spaced along the entire frame of
the TV.

19
 Tip # 4
Is the Backlight Coming On?

Step 3 - Confirming a Faulty Backlight

If the backlight is not working and you can't see anything on the
screen after powering on the TV, then use a flashlight (the one
on your phone is fine) and shine it next to the screen at an
angle. Make sure the TV is still turned on.

In this step, you are looking for anything at all that resembles
what should be on the screen.  While shining the light press the
menu, volume, or input buttons and look for ANYTHING
recognizable. If you see even the faintest of images that you
would normally expect then almost certainly there is something
wrong with your backlight.  See the next step for something to
try.

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 Tip # 4
Is the Backlight Coming On?

Step 4 - Something to Try

One trick you can try if you do have a bad backlight is to turn
down the brightness to 10% in settings.  This may be a little
tricky while holding a flashlight next to the screen but it can be
done. Reboot the TV and see if the lowered setting made any
difference.  If it works, slowly increase the brightness until you
find the point at which the backlight gives out, then set the
brightness lower than this value. This is not a true fix, but it
will enable you to keep using your TV until you decide to
repair the backlight.

On a full-array
backlight the LEDs are
usually behind a white
sheet (the final layer of
light
enhancers/diffusers
between the LCD and
the backlight)

21
 Tip # 5
Research Online

Step 1 - Know Your Model #

Find your model number printed on the back of the TV, and
search online for your model number and the symptoms you
observed.  If you don’t know what to search for, use the model
number and the word “problem” (like the example below).
What you want to look for are blog posts or videos that speak
specifically about that issue.  You also want to look for forums
where people discuss that model or that issue. Some
examples of websites with great information are:
justanswer.com, badcaps.net, and ifixit.com.

Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google LLC, used with permission.

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 Tip # 5
Research Online

Step 2 - Check ebay.com for Clues

You can often get some good clues about common problems
by looking on ebay.com.  Type your model number into the
search on ebay. Look at what is for sale and what has recently
sold.  For example, have there been a high volume of main
board or power board sales recently for this TV model? The
sales history (see illustration below) may indicate people are
using these parts to fix common problems on that TV model.

Besides getting clues from sold listings, you can also get clues
from current listings.  For example, is there a repair kit or
repair service being offered for this model? If there is a repair
service being offered make sure to read the description. The
issue your TV is experiencing and their offered repair might be
explained in the ad.

On the left sidebar on

ebay.com make sure to click
on "Sold Items" to look at
the history of items you are
searching for. When you do
this "Completed Items" gets
automatically selected too.

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 Tip # 5
Research Online

Step 3 - Check shopjimmy.com

Look up your model number on shopjimmy.com.  This site sells

TV parts and may offer repair services and information.  They
may also indicate if the boards in your TV are used in other
models.  You can use this information to research on ebay.com
(and in a general search online) by using the number printed
on the boards (either directly or printed on a sticker) instead of
only the model number of the TV.

For example, if you suspect the power board is at fault, you

may find out more information by searching online using the
part number of that board or the model number of a different
TV but one that uses the same power board as your TV.

Search

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 Final Thoughts

These are some of my most helpful tips when diagnosing a

broken LCD TV, even before getting out a screwdriver to take
it apart.

Of course, diagnosing is only part of the solution.  You also

need to make a plan to confirm the diagnosis and then repair
whatever is faulty.

My hope is now that you are equipped with this information,

you not only will be able to save money on any professional
diagnostic fees, but also have the confidence to take the next
step to either diagnose it further and/or repair the TV
yourself!

I’ll keep adding repair videos to my youtube channel to help

you learn how to fix TVs and other items.  So stay tuned for
new videos and please send me any video requests or
feedback. Thanks!

You can do this!

Reese

Frugal Repair

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 CONTACT INFORMATION

FIXER@FRUGALREPAIR.COM
FRUGALREPAIR.COM

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