Hi I have a Vizio TV MDL VW37L HDTV20A The pilot light is on (orange) push the power button and nothing happens, the light stays orange, the set is dead, I tried a new power supply board and still the same thing. Thanks for any help I can get. Vince snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com
vizio tv
Oct 15, 2011
6 Replies
If a new, good PS board doesn't fix it, then it's likely there's a short on one of the other boards that's pulling down the voltage and keeping the supply from turning on.
Probably a problem with the main board. Some models of Vizio are notorius for a failure of U33 (a AS1117 voltage regulator) on the main board.
More information is available at
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PlainBill
othing
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Vince
Why do I have to join before I can look at the pictures?
Are they dirty?
Why are you afraid to join?
PlainBill
I don't expect to be able to contribute to the forum, so it would not benefit from my joining. For security I would have to create a unique user name and password. Managing a plethora of account names and passwords is onerous.
I prefer the usenet model with open access.
I just saw this post (I'm a little behind in checking Usenet), so hopefully this will help. I repaired my 32" Vizio (similar insides to yours, I believe) which had a similar problem.
In my case, replacing the mainboard fixed the problem. It seems that voltage reagulators on the mainboard are common points of failure. I took the easy way out and just replaced the mainboard which contains all of the logic, the tuner, and audio amp. I was also having audio problems, so this fixed everything.
Here are 2 sources for parts:
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Get the part number from the sticker on the mainboard inside the TV. Note that some part numbers have been updated. That was the case when I looked up the mainboard part number for my TV. You can buy new or refurbished parts. I chose to get a refurbished part from Sears Parts Direct. The board was $110 plus $20 for tax and shipping and I received it within a week.
The hardest thing about this repair was getting the back cover off. There are about 25 screws on the back cover alone. Next, you need to remove a metal RF noise shield that covers the mainboard. That's another 12 or so screws. Once all of that is done, 5 cable connectors need to be disconnected. Two of them have the smallest pitch between pins that I have ever seen and they need to be very gently removed to prevent damage. I sweated through that part.
After replacing the board and the back of the TV, I powered it up and waited for what seemed like a very long time before a startup message appeared on the screen. Apparently, when the boards are reconditioned, all settings are 'zeroed' out like a brand new TV.
So after removing and replacing what seemed like a zillion screws, and spending $130, the TV is back to normal.
Hope this helps.
-Nick
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