I have a Zenith tv (model Z19A02) that's about 11-13 years old. Today, the red color went out suddenly. There was no indication that anything was wrong. Everything else seems to be normal. Does anyone have any idea what the problem(s) could be? Would it be worth taking it in to be repaired and how much might it cost to be repaired?
Likely the walk-in cost of the repair will exceed the cost of a new flat-screen 19" TV these days. Sadly. I have seen such go for less than $100.
I will, however, ask a silly question: You have gone over all the controls and suchlike? Have there been any sudden impacts?
Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA
The TV seems to be working normally now. It was turned off for about seven hours and when it was turned back on in the morning, everything was normal. I wonder if maybe it overheated?
I did check the color controls when it wasn't working. I even hooked it up directly to the antenna to make sure something else (like the cable box or VCR) wasn't causing the problem. There have been no sudden impacts to the TV. It's connected to a surge protector but we haven't had any storms recently. I know nothing about electronics so I'm not going to open it up.
It was hot yesterday and the room it's in reached 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The back of the TV is a couple inches from the wall but the vents are on the sides and are unobstructed. The TV had been on for a couple hours when the red went out.
That is a safe bet if it came back afterwards. I expect you might have a single component on one of the boards that does not like heat. Troubleshooting it might be a bear unless you are familiar with the circuit and could go right to the general location of the 'red' section on the board. If it starts to happen sooner and sooner and at ever-lower temperatures, that would be indicative of a failing part.
Look at it another way... if it limits your use of the television somewhat, that is not a bad thing, is it?
Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA
Yeh get out and enjoy the nice weather :)
This is a perfect one for the novice to practice with. Poking around with a plastic stick (bic pen works) with the set on can usually track down this sort of issue.
The red color went out again two days ago. I called a few repair shops and they tell me that if it's the tube, it will cost $100 to $200 to fix which isn't worth it. If it was something that only cost $50 to fix then I'd probably get it repaired. Unfortunately, most shops won't diagnose it for free, they charge about $100. It's really such a shame. I just wish I knew if it's the tube or something small and simple.
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