Trouble Shooting Common TV Repair Problems

TV Power Problem

Plug - If the TV is not powering on and no status LEDs are lighting up, start by plugging the TV into a different outlet. If the TV is too challenging to move, you can run an extension cord from another nearby outlet.

Circuit breaker - Check the circuit breaker for the power outlet that the TV plugs into. You can check the breakers by opening the door to your breaker panel and looking for circuit breakers that are in the OFF position.

Power cable - Check the power cable. If it is a removable cable, you can test it by substituting a power cable from another piece of equipment in your home, or you can buy a replacement cable for this test.

Remote control - If the TV is not powering on with the remote control, you should try replacing the batteries. For remote controls with a status LED light, there could be enough power to light the LED but not enough power to send a signal to your TV.

TV Sound Problem

If the TV powers on but there is no sound,

Be sure that the volume is up on input devices such as a DVD player or cable box.

Change the channel to be sure it is not just a problem with that channel.

Plug headphones into the headphone jack. If sound comes from the headphones plugged into the headphone jack, this indicates a problem with the TV speakers.

Make sure your audio cables are correctly attached. See if a new cable works.

TV Display Problem

There are many reasons that a TV may power on but have no picture.

Backlighting burned out - In modern LCD TVs, the backlighting may be burned out. A technician can replace LEDs or CCFL backlighting strips.

Inverter is bad - It is possible that the inverter, which powers the backlights, has gone bad and needs to be replaced. It’s also possible that one or more capacitors on the inverter have gone bad, in which case a technician may be able to replace capacitors more cheaply than replacing the entire inverter.

Lamp burnout - In a projection TV or older LCD TV, no picture may be caused by lamp burnout. In this case, a technician can replace the bulb quickly and easily.

Picture Is Not Displaying Correctly If the picture is displaying but there are problems such as vertical lines, a double picture, or a white display, this could indicate a faulty motherboard or mainboard.