# [SOLVED] Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio



## freedom1st1776

Hi,

I have a Vizio VU42L tv that stopped working about 3 months ago. The orange light still comes on, turns to white when the power is pushed, the screen lights up, but just stays gray. No picture or audio is produced. 

I believe it started doing this because our power surged (lights would dim a about 10 seconds) around the same time the tv went out. The problem has since been repaired, but the it was too late for the tv. :sigh:

Not really sure where to being here, any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Done_Fishin

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Sounds like the backlight inverter is part of the main power supply but your processor panel is not working. 

Opening up these TV's is a very dangerous thing to do and you really should take it to a repair shop to be checked. However a few things that you could do before going that far is to remove the power lead at the wall socket, remove the back panel, take a good look at the boards for signs of any stressed components or possible open circuit fuses. 

If you have no experience with Electrical/ Electronic Equipment repair YOU SHOULD NOT OPEN IT AT ALL!. Just call in someone who knows when, where and how to fix it for you.


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## freedom1st1776

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Hi,

I just had the tv checked out and they told me it was a defective PCB. Where is the PCB on the tv? Is it above the power supply?

Doesn't look like anything is blown (from a visual inspection) on the power supply or main board. In my previous post the orange/white light I was referring to is the vizio logo that lights up.

Thanks for your help.


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## octaneman

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Hi freedom1st1776



Since there is no visual damage there is a strong possibility that the inverter board processor has given out.


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## freedom1st1776

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Where would the inverter board be?


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## octaneman

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

The inverter board drives the back light so the circuit board should be in that particular area.


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## Done_Fishin

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

It has been stated in the first post that the backlight is working. It's NOT going to be the inverter board

The place to start looking is to see if all the power rails are present and correct leaving the power supply. If they are correct the most likely faulty PCB is that one at the bottom of the above picture. It's impossible to say what or where the fault might be. Just that the board is not functioning.

Edit

the power supply id the board in the middle and the inverter board is at the top.


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## freedom1st1776

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Thanks for all your help.

I will try replacing the main board to see if that helps.
http://vizparts.com/product_detail.php?pid=1419


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## octaneman

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*



Done_Fishin said:


> It has been stated in the first post that the backlight is working. It's NOT going to be the inverter board






The backlight is on but it still isn't sending the signal from the processor. The only way to see it is to probe with an oscilloscope to capture the 3.58MHz chroma signal to see if it is there.


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## Done_Fishin

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*



octaneman said:


> The backlight is on but it still isn't sending the signal from the processor. The only way to see it is to probe with an oscilloscope to capture the 3.58MHz chroma signal to see if it is there.


Doesn't that come from the main board and video processor ??


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## octaneman

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Indeed it does, but the inverter also sends that signal to the individual drivers. If one of the drivers is defective or malfunctioning the result will be a blank screen.


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## Done_Fishin

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

I wasn't aware of that. Haven't seen any circuit diagrams and I mainly work with Monitors.

Thanks for clearing my confusion :wave:


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## freedom1st1776

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

I ordered a main board, and both inverters. Only $120 for everything and I can return the parts if I don't need them all. I will let you know what happens.

If that doesn't work then I guess I will try the power supply and maybe the lcd controller. Any chance it could be the lcd controller? 

Thanks for everyone's help.


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## freedom1st1776

*Re: Vizio VU42L Organge light turns to white, but no picture/audio*

Just replaced the main board on the tv and its working again. Picture and all inputs work just fine. Didn't have to replace the inverters, just the main board. 

Thanks for everyones help.


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## Done_Fishin

Nicely done .. glad you got it fixed :wave:


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## teemoe

Had the same problem. Replaced the mainboard and it works great now.


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## Done_Fishin

If you found the solution by looking at this thread or you just wanted to corroborate the diagnosis then thanks for popping in and adding your comments


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## kenmake

I purchased the Vizio VU42L ( FHDTV10A ) at costco Jan 2008. It died with the same symptoms about a month ago. can power on, lights come on, gray screen, but no buttons work. Must unplug to power down.

I am so glad I found this thread!!

Per the discussion above, I purchased a new main board ( part 3642-0282-0395) from vizparts.com ( $170 plus shipping...) and it is "just like new" 
I am a bit disillusioned with Vizio,,, probably not my first choice for next unit.

The board swap was actually easy ( if you have ever built a pc...) getting the back off was the most effort... mostly tedious.

I put a new surge protector on the power supply and the cable feed, and hope this board will last more than 3 years... 

thanks!


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## pjc360

Hi everyone,

I know this thread is old, but I am having the same problem with my Vizio VU42L. The solutions mentioned here have not worked for me though. I have swapped out the power supply, main board and both back light inverters. Any more ideas or is my TV just dead? 

Thanks,
PJ


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## Done_Fishin

how much more is there inside one of these sets ?? either you're damned unlucky or you're missing something .. is the set behaving like it should be working ie Power LED is on ?? ..

are you sure that the boards you are using are good ? maybe you were sold a duff one .. friend of mine spent a month or more trying to get his car working after it suddenly failed to start .. first changed the electronic ignition in the distributor which allowed the car to start but would not fire properly, splutter and die .. after trying everything else he eventually got hold of another electronic ignition for his distributor .. and the car is working fine now .. don't believe because it's new or someone says that it's good, that it will be .. the ideal situation is to try it in something that is working properly ..


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## pjc360

Thanks for you reply Done_Fishin.

I did some more testing and I believe you were right and I was sold a bad main board. I shipped back the bad board and I am now waiting for the replacement.

Thanks,
PJ


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## Done_Fishin

Electronics repair is a very difficult subject since the same apparent fault can be triggered by so many different things whilst the same faulty component in the same circuit position can cause so many problems. Only by having a good working set do you have some chance of diagnosing where problems might be located and then .. that can be misleading because a faulty component might stop one piece of equipment from working yet let another function normally ..


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## rscottj

teemoe said:


> Had the same problem. Replaced the mainboard and it works great now.


Aside from getting the back of the TV opened, *what is involved in replacing a main board?*
If its a matter of unscrewing and unplugging things I have no issues. Just want to make sure there's no soldering or other technical skills involved.
I've installed computer modems and such. Just don't want to get in over my head.

*Would like advice from anyone who can comment.*
Thanks in advance.


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## teemoe

rscottj said:


> Aside from getting the back of the TV opened, *what is involved in replacing a main board?*
> If its a matter of unscrewing and unplugging things I have no issues. Just want to make sure there's no soldering or other technical skills involved.
> I've installed computer modems and such. Just don't want to get in over my head.
> 
> *Would like advice from anyone who can comment.*
> Thanks in advance.


Unscrew the back panel of the tv, remove the cables from the board, and unscrew the board. I believe I also had to take the screws off to the left and right of the VGA input. It took about 10 minutes total. There was no setup, calibration needed to get it started. The board I purchased was set up with west coast settings, so I ran the setup to change to central time, did the cable setup, and was good to go.


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## kenmake

It is pretty much like replacing a pc motherboard. disconnect some ribbon cables, unscrew board, screw down new board, replace cables.


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## rscottj

Thanks teemoe and kenmake. That was what I was hoping to hear - I can handle that. I am right now in the process of removing the back panel which is actually stumping me at the moment. More later.


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## kenmake

oh yeah... that was definitely the hardest part. about 1000 screws... ok several.
Once all the screws are out you have to "pop" the back lose. Once you get a spot started it goes pretty easy, but it feels like something is going to break getting it started. Start at the bottom.


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## rscottj

kenmake said:


> oh yeah... that was definitely the hardest part. about 1000 screws... ok several.
> Once all the screws are out you have to "pop" the back lose. Once you get a spot started it goes pretty easy, but it feels like something is going to break getting it started. Start at the bottom.


Exactly Kenmake. Lots of screws and once they were all out the bottom had some give but I couldn't see any thing else holding it on. Eventually the bottom right corner (as I look at the back of the TV) popped loose. I then assumed the left side should do the same with a little effort and it did. After that it comes right off. But yes, it does feel like you are going to break it.

Main Board 3642-0322-0395 ordered from VizParts.com for $167 which I realize is a bit high but everyone else offering them for less was out of stock.

The way I figure it if I fix it for $167 I'll be satisfied. If it doesn't work I'm out a 15% restocking fee of about $25 so we'll see.

For those curious my TV model is VS42L FHDTV10A Serial LJPBQAJ0222786

Thanks all for the feedback.


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## Done_Fishin

Good luck and give us some feedback either way .. whether it works or not :wave:


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## rscottj

Done_Fishin said:


> Good luck and give us some feedback either way .. whether it works or not :wave:


Worked like a charm. Received the main board yesterday. Unplugged all connections to old board and removed it. Screwed down the new board. Reconnected everything (they all just snap in). Quick power up before I put all the screws back in - got the menu screen. Put all 500 screws back in - OK it was only about 30. Only ended up with about 5 screws left over. 

TV is back up on the wall and ready for Holiday weekend viewing. Net savings of $400+ versus replacing the TV.

Thanks to all for the feedback. And if your Vizio has power but doesn't work -give this solution a try.


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## Done_Fishin

@rscottj

Thanks


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## jamman199

I have a vizio 42 inch lcd purchased in 2008. I have experienced the common problem of turning the tv on and only getting sound and the vizio logo lights up but no picture. I beleive its the main board. But now I also have a 1 inch wide line of static going horizontally approximately 20 inches accross the center of the screen and it seems to be growing larger. Anyone have any idea if this is related to the main board also. what do i need to check to fix tv.


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## Done_Fishin

Could be main board, could be power supply capacitors and it might even be the display itself ... only part substitution will prove it either way.


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## rmanuma

I have a vizio GV42L purchased in 2007 and seeing similar issues. the vizio logo turns on and also I can hear the sound but no picture/back light. i can switch channels. I also tried playing a dvd and still the same can hear sound but no picture. So is it a main board or an inverter board or something else ? any suggestions will greatly appreaciate


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## Done_Fishin

shine a light sideways on to the screen using a flash light or similar to see if you can see movement when you should be seeing a picture .. most likely the backlight is not functioning. This can be caused by capacitors in the power supply or a non functioning inverter board .. sometimes also caused by capacitor failure. The last link in the chain would be a faulty backlight bulb (CCFL)


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## sandstorm90210

Hey, I'm new to the post. I've been reading the past posts and it seems like there may be an answer to my problem. I have a 42" vizio led 3d tv that I purchased last year on black Friday, but failed to get a warranty on. The problem that I have Is that the tv does nothing. The Vizio logo shows bright white and I can see a red light on the backside of the tv by the digital audio out port, but nothing else is observed... no picture, sound, or anything. When I use the remotes or touch the tv's controls, nothing happens. I've unplugged the tv and re-plugged, with no difference. As soon as the tv is plugged in, the logo whitens and nothing else happens. Im really hoping to not lose out on an over $600 investment. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Sandstorm


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## magitek

Thank you all so much in this thread for the help. I had a 52 inch Vizio HDTV that would only give me the grey screen (backlight was working) and I did what you all said and I ordered a new Main Board from here: Product Detail
I just unscrewed some screws and unplugged some cables then put it back together and it works again!
You guys are awesome!


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## Jophus14

I am having a problem with my 47" Vizio. I am having the exact same problems as most users on here (backlit logo, no button control, must unplug to turn off) with the same model as the original poster. I just replaced the main board as directed and I am still having issues. I ordered the board off of a reputable Ebay seller. I am looking for any other suggestions as to what the issue might be. Thanks in advance.


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