LCD and Lightening

Probably, the first place to be probing, would be in your household paperwork, to see if you can find the insurance policy to check if lightning damage to electronic goods is covered ...

Seriously though, in my experience, any electronic equipment that has failed as a result of a lightning strike, will be beyond repair. Often, things like system control micros will have been damaged. Even if you find a problem that gets the item going again, you will often find that it comes bouncing back again a few weeks later, with a different problem. The internals of semiconductors - particularly LSIs - are delicate, and surge damage can be subtle and not complete, the actual failure occuring after another few hours use.

Just my opinion, but based on years of experience in the repair business. Others may think differently.

Arfa

Start with the power supply, that and the backlight are about the only parts you have much hope of servicing anyway.

I think that it is worth checking it out. I fixed 6 sets in the last week that had nearby lightning strikes, one that actually struck the home, and all were ok except for the power supply damage.

Many times there is damage that makes it impractical to repair lightning damaged items, but it is hard to tell without checking it out.

Leonard

I have to agree with Leonard, somtimes it's blown fuses / diodes and sometimes, well scrap !!!!!

The point I was making, however, is that often it is the unseen damage that comes back to bite you on the arse a few weeks later, that is the big issue with lightning damage. On many occasions, I have repaired what appeared to be ' simple ' lightning damage to a power supply or whatever, only to have the job come bouncing back 3 weeks later with the extremely expensive micro dead, and a customer in tow bleating that I only fixed it 3 weeks ago, and that I should repair it again under warranty ...

If it's your own unit, and you find something like a blown fuse, then fine, go ahead and replace it. You might strike lucky and it will be fine for ever more. Just don't be surprised if the unit mysteriously fails again with a different problem, for no apparent reason, sooner rather than later. By this time, it will be too late, of course, to get it replaced on your insurance ...

Arfa

I have been fixing lightning damaged items for a couple of decades and have seen very few problems of this type come back to bite me. I have more of a problem with really old equipment bouncing back.

Leonard

That's for sure Leonard ! Why is it that customers think that items 20 years old should still be fixable, reliably, and for a nonsensically low price ? In recent years, I've managed to persuade most of the stores that I do work for, not to take in anything older than about 7 years, unless they call and ask me first ( so that nice old Quad amps and things that really ARE repairable and worth doing, don't slip past ).

I reckon that you've been lucky with your lightning damaged kit. Either that, or we have more aggressive lightning round here ... !! d;-)

Arfa

Well, that's yer proper British lightning isnt it. ;)

Ron(UK)

Absolutely Ron !

None of your imitation stuff this side of the pond ... !!

Arfa