Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged in.

Vincent_86 · 09-27-2009, 09:52 AM

Hello, My name is Paul and I have just returned from Iraq a couple of days ago to find my 42" Vizio is no longer working when I only had it for 2 months before my departure overseas. First and foremost I will let you know that it is not in warrenty and was a refurb from tigerdirect and when I got it it was in pristine condition and worked perfectly until I opened it to find out that somehow a couple drops of fluid dripped in throught the top of the tv while I was gone and landed directly on the circuit board where the side power button hooks into and all the connections are soldered in. There was corrosion around one major processor and a few resistors and i cleaned them as best as I could with a 91% alcohol solution and Q-tips. After about an hour of cleaning I still only get the orange Vizio light indicating that power is reaching the tv but will not power the whole thing up when I press the power on the tv or the remote. I am getting no clicking sounds, no static sounds nothing when I try to turn it on. I cannot find parts for it online and most likely cannot offord a specialist around where I live to fix it for me. I have had some electronics training but nothing with tv's and its been a while since I have done anything electronic. I will post some pictures of whats going on inside the tv and see what help you may have to offer me. Thank You!

Paul

Vincent_86 · 09-27-2009, 09:53 AM

More pics.

Vincent_86 · 09-27-2009, 10:03 AM

and the last two pics, sorry new to this forum so if I did the pics wrong my bad

DonaldG · 09-27-2009, 12:52 PM

Hi Paul

A very warm welcome to TSF and also a welcome back from Iraq

First of all, do you know what the liquid was and was any power on the circuit board (IE on stand-by)?

Cleaning with alcohol is OK but may not dissolve some deposits that are only water soluble.

Looking at the damage, it appears severe & if any voltage in any exposed copper track that had a liquid bridge and cause etching of the copper away.

it certainly looks like a component is missing. BUT some manufacturers have multi purpose boards and only populate it with the components for the particular model.

If there are deposits that you cannot remove with alcohol try warm water with a dash of washing up liquid and scrub the area gently with a 1/2 inch paint brush - then rinse the area with fresh warm water. Make sure that the board is removed from all power.

If you do 'wash down' the area, it is vital that the unit is bone dry before applying power again - usually 24 hours in a warm, dry area like an airing cupboard will do the job. Even if the board looks dry, water can ingress under components, hence 24 hrs drying is recommended.

Unfortunately repair services no longer repair at component level, they replace the complete faulty board at high cost...

Other than giving it a wash, unless someone else can be more optimistic, I think it may be a write off.

Regards
Donald

Vincent_86 · 09-27-2009, 03:12 PM

Thanks for the welcome and its great to be home. I thank you for your input and will be trying everything again later and just a note. I have searched more and more online only to find that hundreds of others with the same type of tv have had the same problem (not the liquid issue just the orange light and now power) and found that by replacing the power board for $73 dollars has solved the issue on most cases. If i cannot get any of this to work I will try replacing the power board and then if that also proves to solve nothing I will spend the additional $137 on the main board and hope that that fixes everything... my luck though is none will work lol. I'll update when I find out what works although very short on cashflow so the parts will come later. Thanks again

DonaldG · 09-28-2009, 01:46 AM

OK Paul

I hope all goes well

Don't fear about washing electronic circuit boards - most, if not all are waterproof. When I ran a 2 way radio service shop, we would regularly take the main boards out and literally dunk them in a bowl of warm soapy water and wash 'em down.

You would be surprised at what gets inside a radio, especially those that are fitted into farm tractors & taxis!.

Just make sure of 'cmos' handling precautions and make absolutely sure of dryness under close mounted components...

(PS: you luck IS in... You're home safe!

)

Regards
Donald

Vincent_86 · 09-29-2009, 08:30 AM

Heh thanks for the luck remark and your right. Thanks for the info on the borads being safe from water i think ill give that a shot its still attached the tv so ill take everything off and give it a wash. it just bugs me that its getting power but wont click on. i have read so much about how vizio really sucks and their support is terribly poor and they never back thier product. next time im getting a panasonic or sony if i feel like i want a new tv for my room since right now im using a HD projector as a replacement love it so all is good right now.

DonaldG · 09-29-2009, 12:20 PM

Ok Paul - It is a last ditch resort - but worth a try. I have salvaged some gear that had appauling treatment - Including one item that had been dropped down a toilet pan. (I didn't ask the state it it had been flushed or not!

)

Good luck with it & let us know how it goes...

**Done_Fishin** · 09-29-2009, 02:30 PM

you say you have returned home,<does that mean that you wrer abroad ? Have yopu checked line voltage to ensure that the place that you are now has the same voltage as the place that you last used the device ?
for example you may now be in the USA with 115Volts ac whilst it was last seen working in UK with 240Vac

just did a quick google and note that IRAQ`has 240 Vac line voltage so if you went home (to the USA) you may need a step up transformer to bring the voltage up.

just went over the above info again and realise that you may not have taken this with you on your trip. so none of the above probably applies

Vincent_86 · 09-30-2009, 08:01 AM

Yeah there was no way I could have taken it on the deployment with me it was way too big to mail over. Besides the tv is rated for both 240 and 115. After work and other errands I finally got time to take the board off the tv to find the connection where the side panel buttons hook into is heavily corroded as it is where the fluid directly landed. Im starting to think it was a form of animaal urine, however minimal it is very hard to deal with.

DonaldG · 09-30-2009, 08:59 AM

Paul
Animal urine? I'm no chemist but I believe it will be uric acid - Try a solution of bicarbonate of soda - That might dissolve any crystals and nutralise any acids.

Animal urine... I wonder what, how & why?

Was there a dog? Of did you store it in a horse stable?

Vincent_86 · 10-01-2009, 06:43 PM

SNAPS! Baking soda... why didnt i think of that thanks for the tips man and yes its very odd that animal urine would have gotten into it but thats what it looks like. My only guess is since it was stored downstairs that somehow my wifes dog managed to piss on the floor (damn dog) it trickled to the nearest vent in the floor leading too the first floor (its an old has it has those) and that vent just happens to be directly above the entertainment center in the living room and enough of it pooled on the top shelf which was perfectly level with the vents on the top of the tv and a few drops worked thier way down to the main board. at least thats the only thing i can think of i just got a call from my wife one day saying it didnt work anymore and im like... uhh what? so I had her look around while I was still in mississippi training for the deployment and she found a lil puddle of fluid but never cared to investigate further and just cleaned it but after looking inside since I have been back and am most certain of it being dog piss. Yeah... I was pissed off.

09-27-2009, 12:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,164 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Hi Paul A very warm welcome to TSF and also a welcome back from Iraq First of all, do you know what the liquid was and was any power on the circuit board (IE on stand-by)? Cleaning with alcohol is OK but may not dissolve some deposits that are only water soluble. Looking at the damage, it appears severe & if any voltage in any exposed copper track that had a liquid bridge and cause etching of the copper away. it certainly looks like a component is missing. BUT some manufacturers have multi purpose boards and only populate it with the components for the particular model. If there are deposits that you cannot remove with alcohol try warm water with a dash of washing up liquid and scrub the area gently with a 1/2 inch paint brush - then rinse the area with fresh warm water. Make sure that the board is removed from all power. If you do 'wash down' the area, it is vital that the unit is bone dry before applying power again - usually 24 hours in a warm, dry area like an airing cupboard will do the job. Even if the board looks dry, water can ingress under components, hence 24 hrs drying is recommended. Unfortunately repair services no longer repair at component level, they replace the complete faulty board at high cost... Other than giving it a wash, unless someone else can be more optimistic, I think it may be a write off. Regards Donald __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

09-27-2009, 03:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Vincent_86 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista 64 bit sp1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Thanks for the welcome and its great to be home. I thank you for your input and will be trying everything again later and just a note. I have searched more and more online only to find that hundreds of others with the same type of tv have had the same problem (not the liquid issue just the orange light and now power) and found that by replacing the power board for $73 dollars has solved the issue on most cases. If i cannot get any of this to work I will try replacing the power board and then if that also proves to solve nothing I will spend the additional $137 on the main board and hope that that fixes everything... my luck though is none will work lol. I'll update when I find out what works although very short on cashflow so the parts will come later. Thanks again

09-28-2009, 01:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,164 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i OK Paul I hope all goes well Don't fear about washing electronic circuit boards - most, if not all are waterproof. When I ran a 2 way radio service shop, we would regularly take the main boards out and literally dunk them in a bowl of warm soapy water and wash 'em down. You would be surprised at what gets inside a radio, especially those that are fitted into farm tractors & taxis!. Just make sure of 'cmos' handling precautions and make absolutely sure of dryness under close mounted components... (PS: you luck IS in... You're home safe! ) Regards Donald __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

09-29-2009, 08:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
Vincent_86 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista 64 bit sp1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Heh thanks for the luck remark and your right. Thanks for the info on the borads being safe from water i think ill give that a shot its still attached the tv so ill take everything off and give it a wash. it just bugs me that its getting power but wont click on. i have read so much about how vizio really sucks and their support is terribly poor and they never back thier product. next time im getting a panasonic or sony if i feel like i want a new tv for my room since right now im using a HD projector as a replacement love it so all is good right now.

09-29-2009, 12:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,164 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Ok Paul - It is a last ditch resort - but worth a try. I have salvaged some gear that had appauling treatment - Including one item that had been dropped down a toilet pan. (I didn't ask the state it it had been flushed or not! ) Good luck with it & let us know how it goes... __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

09-29-2009, 02:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
Done_Fishin Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brit living in Greece Posts: 7,381 OS: WinME, WinXP Pro SP3, Win7 Beta, Ubuntu 9.04 & Netbook Remix & CD2USB, Mepis 6.5, Fedora 10 My System	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i you say you have returned home,<does that mean that you wrer abroad ? Have yopu checked line voltage to ensure that the place that you are now has the same voltage as the place that you last used the device ? for example you may now be in the USA with 115Volts ac whilst it was last seen working in UK with 240Vac just did a quick google and note that IRAQ`has 240 Vac line voltage so if you went home (to the USA) you may need a step up transformer to bring the voltage up. just went over the above info again and realise that you may not have taken this with you on your trip. so none of the above probably applies __________________ . . I'm not old!! I'm age impaired .. D_F I DON'T PLAY GAMES How to mark your thread as solved HDD DIAG UTILS TSF's Photographer's Corner Last edited by Done_Fishin; 09-29-2009 at 02:38 PM.

09-30-2009, 08:01 AM	#10 (permalink)
Vincent_86 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista 64 bit sp1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Yeah there was no way I could have taken it on the deployment with me it was way too big to mail over. Besides the tv is rated for both 240 and 115. After work and other errands I finally got time to take the board off the tv to find the connection where the side panel buttons hook into is heavily corroded as it is where the fluid directly landed. Im starting to think it was a form of animaal urine, however minimal it is very hard to deal with.

09-30-2009, 08:59 AM	#11 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,164 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i Paul Animal urine? I'm no chemist but I believe it will be uric acid - Try a solution of bicarbonate of soda - That might dissolve any crystals and nutralise any acids. Animal urine... I wonder what, how & why? Was there a dog? Of did you store it in a horse stable? __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

10-01-2009, 06:43 PM	#12 (permalink)
Vincent_86 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista 64 bit sp1	Re: Vizio VU42L 42" LCD will not power on, only get orange Vizio Light when plugged i SNAPS! Baking soda... why didnt i think of that thanks for the tips man and yes its very odd that animal urine would have gotten into it but thats what it looks like. My only guess is since it was stored downstairs that somehow my wifes dog managed to piss on the floor (damn dog) it trickled to the nearest vent in the floor leading too the first floor (its an old has it has those) and that vent just happens to be directly above the entertainment center in the living room and enough of it pooled on the top shelf which was perfectly level with the vents on the top of the tv and a few drops worked thier way down to the main board. at least thats the only thing i can think of i just got a call from my wife one day saying it didnt work anymore and im like... uhh what? so I had her look around while I was still in mississippi training for the deployment and she found a lil puddle of fluid but never cared to investigate further and just cleaned it but after looking inside since I have been back and am most certain of it being dog piss. Yeah... I was pissed off.