SONY KE-42M1 Plasma problem

The only way to fix these TV's is by board swapping. Component level service is not supported. Refer to the service manual for any necessary setups that may be required after board swaps.

Jerry G. ======

While most servicing is done that way, it's certainly not the "only" way to do it. I've heard quite a few reports right here in this group of people doing component level service on flat panel sets.

Bang on ! I may take 15 days to fix an lcd or plasma but i'm doing it component level. Some of the faults i've seen:

100k chip resistors that measure 100 k with a meter but measure lower in circuit when powered up causing SOS ...power trip. Broken track from one controller going to another , that too mid layer in the pcb. Dry electolytics , thats a normal one. Busted MOSFETS Defective panel blowing precious panel driver ics and a hole in my wallet :( Bad optocouplers in PS etc ...... I love the fact that most authorised service centres are strictly prohibitted from carrying out chip level repairs. Gives us a competitive edge. Better pricing and quicker delivery. They have to wait 6 weeks for those boards.

to

I admire someone with the patience to track down these problems to the component level. I enjoy servicing equipment, but I don't have quite that much patience.

We most often get the boards the next day. We're a Sony SES warranty center, and they really get those things out fast. 2nd day air is standard shipping, but since we're only about 200 miles from Kansas City we still usually get them the next day, at no charge for freight. Out-of warranty repairs will be a problem down the road however.

The rush-rush nature of warranty repairs means we wouldn't have time for component-level troubleshooting of plasma or lcd in most cases. We're required to get those things done fast. Even extended warranty companies are really pressing us on the time issues. Sometimes it is necessary to order all the boards and return the ones that didn't fix it. Panels take longer though, since they come by freight carrier and not DHL or UPS.

Still mostly component level for audio repairs however...

Mark Z.

usually in plasmas I do the same swapping the boards.this is actually the fastest way to fix but what happen if I bought the board paid money but this is the wrong board because the tv doing the same?thats headache and waste of time for me and for client.Anyways is anybody seen the same problem in sony like mine?thanks

Problem is if you fix these things for a living you don't have the luxury to spend two weeks on a single unit.

PMFJI, but I am curious: years ago I worked for a "factory authorized" service center, where we performed warranty repairs for many major brand names.

We found that most of the time, the hourly rates the manufacturers paid for warranty repairs were ridiculously low. Most of the time, the overall effect of providing warranty service on the repair shop's financials was a loss.

So providing factory service *cost* us money. We only did it because we were privately owned by one individual who also owned and ran a huge, mid- to upscale electronics store - he maintained the service department as a sales tool.

I'm wondering, have things changed? Or does providing warranty service still represent a loss?

Some companies' warranty rates are way too low, I agree. However many companies will negotiate rates, and very often you don't get the extended warranty work unless you are authorized for that brand.

I don't even remember our exact deal with Sony - it has evolved over time - but we get extra being an SES level servicer, extra when repairs are done within a certain time, extra mileage, and a 50.00 bonus if the customer returns a positive survey card. It's a really big commitment though, and if a shop didn't manage everything right the monthly parts cost etc would kill them. We probably buy ten to twelve thousand dollars a month from Sony. Those light engines really add up. It's also crucial to keep up on the core returns.

Extended warranties we usually get cost plus 15 to 25 percent on parts,

250.00 labor, 75.00 service call plus mileage. And there are LOTS of these repairs right now.

On the audio side, we get negotiated rates of 85.00 major on Denon surround models, and Yamaha we get double their standard rate for any job requiring actual troubleshooting etc with just a phone call for approval. It's the Sony jobs that are really fueling our success right now. Seems Samsung is almost a wash, although we are looking at ways to optimize this as well.

We do feel this won't last forever. Who knows where this business will be in five years? We've always adapted before, though...

Being authorized for a given brand gets you access to their service literature, usually at no yearly cost if you are a higher level servicer, especially if the manuals etc are in electronic form, PDF's etc.

Some of the newer brands are really hurting for servicers right now, like Insignia, Vizio, Sylvania, etc. We just haven't the manpower to add these lines. You can't hire just anybody and put them out there on service calls.

Mark Z.

In an ideal world, the failure rate would decline as the manufacturers learn how to make a more-reliable product. The "ideal" failure rate is one low enough to keep the customers happy, but high enough to keep you in business.

Sony used to have a factory service store outside Seattle, but it closed a few years ago. I found a group of "rebel" Sony techs in Kansas who do a bang-up job on "obsolete" Sony products.

It helps to have a BS EE. But the difference between a competent service tech and an excellent one is experience. And it seems there are fewer and fewer people with that experience.

I wonder who that would be. Could be my shop or one other in Wichita? Or are they up in Kansas City?

Wouldn't call us "rebels" but we have one guy who's been doing Sony since almost day one.

Mark Z.

Those labor rates sound far better than what I remember - but then, that was many years ago, and I have been away from that business for a very long time and have no idea what it's like to run a shop nowadays.

If I may: has there been a tendency towards board-level replacement repairs and away from component troubleshooting/replacement? Does one approach dominate for warranty vs. non-warranty repairs?

I recently had a power supply board fail in my 14 month-old Panasonic

50" plasma. Thankfully, we had an extended warranty, because the technician told me: 1) Panasonic does not support component-level repairs for this TV, and 2) the board would've cost me $700 plus labor. I'd hate to be in position where I wanted to fix a set, knew which $2.75 part I needed, but couldn't get it, and had to buy an entire board.

Plus, I always wonder about the case where one board blows out another, a technician replaces the blown board (assuming he has no way to determine anything else is wrong) and it immediately fries too. Who absorbs the cost? In my day it would've been the shop. We could eat these misfortunes when dealing with $20 worth of semiconductors, but a $700 board...

Thanks for the reply.