[Tfug] OT: Troubleshooting a busted LCD TV (or Electrical Engineering for Dummies)

[Bexley Hall]

--- On Fri, 8/22/08, Christopher Robbins <robbinsc at gmail.com> wrote:

> *sigh*
> 
> I figured as much...My IBM AC adapter is 16V.  I gave it a
> shot and still no dice.  I've got some audio, but no working video.
> 
> Apparently this isn't an isolated issue with this model
> though, and I guess a $79 inverter board (or new caps) will
> take care of the whole thing.
> (http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1038)

Do the flashlight test first.  If you've got no video at
all, don't waste money on an inverter!

> Time to break out the screwdrivers!

Be *real* careful taking it apart!  Keep track of which
screws come out of which holes -- often, two screws that
appear to serve identical functions are different lengths,
etc.

Also, be careful not to force things apart.  Often there
are little plastic "tabs" that engage recesses in the mating
piece so it all snaps together.  I have found a jeweler's
screwdriver (or, a "pocket-protector" screwdriver) is a
decent tool for *coaxing* pieces apart.  Have some "filler
blanks" from a PC card cage handy -- when you manage to
get a portion of the case pried open, slip a filler blank
in theere so it doesn';t snap closed on you while you are
working on the next "tab".  Start near the center of the
top edge and work out to the side edges.  The corners are
usually the hardest things to unsnap because their snaps
are usually close to the actual corner (where the plastic
is less flexible).

Make sure it is *unplugged* when you do this.  While you don't
have "line voltage" inside this particular TV (since your
ac adapter is stepping things down to 16V), the inverters
run at very high voltage (surely enough to overcome skin
resistance... I'm not sure how much *current* they can
deliver, though)