4 ms·

I've fixed 3 out of 4 dead 27" LCD monitors and 2 of 2 dead 47" TVs by opening them up, finding the power board, and replacing all of the large capacitors. No

by snarfy 9y ago

I've fixed 3 out of 4 dead 27" LCD monitors and 2 of 2 dead 47" TVs by opening them up, finding the power board, and replacing all of the large capacitors. No diagnosis or testing at all.

keithpeter 9y ago
That used to be a good recipe for fixing radios back in the 1960s/70s as well! Used to just unsolder one lead and check the resistance of the capacitor. Quick kick then fall back to infinity good/swing over to low bad
- natch 9y ago
  >Quick kick then fall back to infinity good/swing over to low bad What does all that mean? Quick kick = apply some voltage? So with a capacitor you are looking for infinite resistance (no current flow) as a sign that it’s good, or some current flow (low resistance) as a sign it’s bad? Did I get that right?
  - namanyayg 9y ago
    Not OP but yes that is correct, capacitors work by building potential. A functioning capacitor starts at 0 and moves to ∞.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - Doxin 9y ago
    You apply a multimeter on resistance mode. Generally if the cap grows in resistance it's good, if resistance goes down or stays steady it's bad.
- digi_owl 9y ago
  The increasing reliance on ICs seems to put a really big wrench in the system. Seeing a relative, that loved working on cars, swearing over a broken wiper because the engine is just fine but the IC studded control board clearly is not doing its job, is disheartening.
  - userbinator 9y ago
    Seeing a relative, that loved working on cars, swearing over a broken wiper because the engine is just fine but the IC studded control board clearly is not doing its job, is disheartening. If it's windscreen wipers you're talking about, one solution would be to replace all the excessive electronics with something simple like a switch and relay.
  - jimnotgym 9y ago
    In my experience IC's are really reliable, and the last place I look. As other have said, electrolytic capacitors and connectors are the biggest problem. The other reply is a good one, substitute a switch and a relay if you want!
- jotm 9y ago
  That's not really reliable, imo. Thankfully, capacitance multimeters are cheap these days.
cgriswald 9y ago
I bought an as-is* TV card for my PC for about three dollars off eBay years ago. When it arrived, I saw a handful of capacitors had been snapped off. Replaced them, and it worked fine. *Read: Seller knows it is broken but doesn't want to say it is broken.
- craftyguy 9y ago
  I recently had a similar experience with an LG G watch. Bought on craigslist for $5 'as-is' (I wanted it for parts), but turns out that the only thing wrong was the OS had been corrupted on it somehow. I was able to flash Android on it and it works perfectly!

by snarfy 9y ago

I've fixed 3 out of 4 dead 27" LCD monitors and 2 of 2 dead 47" TVs by opening them up, finding the power board, and replacing all of the large capacitors. No diagnosis or testing at all.

keithpeter 9y ago

That used to be a good recipe for fixing radios back in the 1960s/70s as well! Used to just unsolder one lead and check the resistance of the capacitor. Quick kick then fall back to infinity good/swing over to low bad

natch 9y ago
>Quick kick then fall back to infinity good/swing over to low bad What does all that mean? Quick kick = apply some voltage? So with a capacitor you are looking for infinite resistance (no current flow) as a sign that it’s good, or some current flow (low resistance) as a sign it’s bad? Did I get that right?
- namanyayg 9y ago
  Not OP but yes that is correct, capacitors work by building potential. A functioning capacitor starts at 0 and moves to ∞.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- Doxin 9y ago
  You apply a multimeter on resistance mode. Generally if the cap grows in resistance it's good, if resistance goes down or stays steady it's bad.
digi_owl 9y ago
The increasing reliance on ICs seems to put a really big wrench in the system. Seeing a relative, that loved working on cars, swearing over a broken wiper because the engine is just fine but the IC studded control board clearly is not doing its job, is disheartening.
- userbinator 9y ago
  Seeing a relative, that loved working on cars, swearing over a broken wiper because the engine is just fine but the IC studded control board clearly is not doing its job, is disheartening. If it's windscreen wipers you're talking about, one solution would be to replace all the excessive electronics with something simple like a switch and relay.
- jimnotgym 9y ago
  In my experience IC's are really reliable, and the last place I look. As other have said, electrolytic capacitors and connectors are the biggest problem. The other reply is a good one, substitute a switch and a relay if you want!
jotm 9y ago
That's not really reliable, imo. Thankfully, capacitance multimeters are cheap these days.

cgriswald 9y ago

I bought an as-is* TV card for my PC for about three dollars off eBay years ago. When it arrived, I saw a handful of capacitors had been snapped off. Replaced them, and it worked fine. *Read: Seller knows it is broken but doesn't want to say it is broken.

craftyguy 9y ago
I recently had a similar experience with an LG G watch. Bought on craigslist for $5 'as-is' (I wanted it for parts), but turns out that the only thing wrong was the OS had been corrupted on it somehow. I was able to flash Android on it and it works perfectly!