[SOLVED] Help in trying to fix a 55" LED TV I found in the trash

[daniels114]

Hello everyone,So yesterday I got down to our buildings trash room, and I was surprised to find a 55" 4K tv by TCL that was conveniently plugged to wall power.The tv appeared to be working and even had an image on of "no signal". When I took the tv back to my place to try and figure why they got rid of it, I couldn't get it to work.I plugged the tv and the standby lights went on, when I turned the tv on the standby light went off and the black screen just got brighter, kinda back-lit, but no picture. Also I noticed a ~3 inch black line that was going vertically down the screen and wasn't back-lit (pic related).

Thanks a lot for any kind of help!

*I have manged to get a remote for it. I tried to get into the menu tab and use a flashlight up close in a dark room to see if I can see anything, and I didn't.
*I changed the brightness and contrast so you could see the dark line better, it's not as bright in person.

 

[Ralston18]

"No signal"? What video input source are you using? Have you tried other known working video cables.

Have you tried all the video input ports?

My thought is that you were (or are) not the first to "test" the TV....

Go online and look for the applicable User Guide/Manual.

I found the following link:

https://static.helpjuice.com/helpju...771/154463/8.0_User_Manual_S_Series_Final.pdf

Do an identical search but use the specific model and/or revision number on the TV's label plate.

 

[daniels114]

"No signal"? What video input source are you using? Have you tried other known working video cables.

Have you tried all the video input ports?

My thought is that you were (or are) not the first to "test" the TV....

Go online and look for the applicable User Guide/Manual.

I found the following link:

https://static.helpjuice.com/helpju...771/154463/8.0_User_Manual_S_Series_Final.pdf

Do an identical search but use the specific model and/or revision number on the TV's label plate.

When I found it it said no signal when connected to wall power alone, no video cables.
After I got the tv back to my house, I couldn't even get it to that "no signal" stage. The screen appears to become brighter and to back light when I turn it on, however I get no picture, even when connected to a working cable box, and cant even see the input menu when I press on that button.

 

[Ralston18]

Difficult to say what may be wrong.

TV could have dropped, fallen over, been kicked, thrown at, zapped by a power surge, etc., etc....

Most likely something like that or the previous owner (hopefully) would have looked into repairs - unless they knew something catatrophic happened. And just threw it out.

You will need a knowledgeable person to delve into the troubleshooting.

Likely the case will need to be opened which is something that should only be done by a repair person or otherwise experienced person.

And even if fixed the TV may harbor other issues which, in turn, will lead to another failure.

It would be nice to get a "free" 55" 4K TV but odds are against that as I understand the circumstances.

Decide if you want to spend any further time, effort, or money on salvage attempts. If not, responsibly recycle the TV.

 

[daniels114]

Difficult to say what may be wrong.

TV could have dropped, fallen over, been kicked, thrown at, zapped by a power surge, etc., etc....

Most likely something like that or the previous owner (hopefully) would have looked into repairs - unless they knew something catatrophic happened. And just threw it out.

You will need a knowledgeable person to delve into the troubleshooting.

Likely the case will need to be opened which is something that should only be done by a repair person or otherwise experienced person.

And even if fixed the TV may harbor other issues which, in turn, will lead to another failure.

It would be nice to get a "free" 55" 4K TV but odds are against that as I understand the circumstances.

Decide if you want to spend any further time, effort, or money on salvage attempts. If not, responsibly recycle the TV.

Thanks for the response, I'm looking at it more of as a project rather than getting a free tv. This model isn't too expensive where I live , but I figured since I have some basic understanding in computer and cellphone hardware, it would be a nice challenge and a much more satisfying experience than getting a new tv.

I already popped the back open and briefly inspected for any loose connections or faulty wires, without any success. Youtube wasn't too helpful either so I found this forum and now I'm just trying to get some advice from experienced people in how to approach this problem, if at all.

 

[Ralston18]

The next step would be to troubleshoot using a multimeter and schematics and specs.

For the most part that is becoming a "lost art". Many electronics not being made to be repairable beyond just some gross level such and pulling and replacing a modular circuit board or component.

And soldering is becoming moot in many cases - unless carefully done things melt and it all gets worse.

More and more difficult to get repair guides, etc. for items designed and made not to be repairable.

Overall no harm in such a project. Key is to work, test, and try safely - unplug the TV while doing so. No "inside" work while power is applied.