ViewSonic VX922 monitor - black screen - green power light flashes

[GOM]

Here is some more info for anyone in need.
You can order a new PS board for your VX910 for $31.50 + S/H

Part Number: B-00002481

http://store.viewsonic.com

So if you do not want to replace your capacitors you can get a new PS Board. 😉

As for my VX922 I am sending it in to ViewSonic to have them fix it.

The only reason I am not replacing my capacitors on my VX910 is that the capacitors swelled up and leaked out all over the board and damaged other parts.

Hope this helps others out some..

Peace..

 

[Guest]

Hey, so my VX922 started experiencing this "flashing screen/blinking power LED" a few months ago. For a while I would simply turn it off for a few minutes whenever it changed resolution (I use it as my secondary monitor and have had it for about two and a half years)

I searched around the internet a few months back and read that it was probably the capacitors, but the forum had no step-by-step instructions as this one did. I can't thank you guys enough for the detailed instructions/pictures and even the list of parts!

I proceeded to open up my monitor (taking the back cover off was not fun!) and removed the power board. I could clearly see that about 3 of the capacitors were domed at the top, and one even had a brown spot in the center.

So a few days ago I received the six capacitors (the same ones Gumby listed) from digikey.com and, being completely new to soldering, obtained the help of a friend to assist me in desoldering and resoldering the new capacitors to the board. It all went pretty well, took about 2 hours (desoldering was the hardest part) and I installed the power board back into the monitor. When I powered it on, I was thrilled to find that the monitor no longer suffers from the flashing screen/blinking power LED problems!

However, the monitor is now somewhat dim with what appears to be a faint blinking/pulsating backlight. I tried resoldering a few caps that seemed to have a little too much solder, but to no avail. I checked all the other parts on the pcb boards but found nothing that looked damaged.

It seems as though the backlight is not getting enough power, and this problem has never occurred before I replaced the capacitors. The capacitors all have the correct polarity, all the connections were reattached properly, and the soldering job is as good as a can do. I just find it strange that the problem I set out to correct has been fixed, and everything works like new on the monitor, except the backlight. Also, when I tried adjusting the brightness, it would not increase nor decrease, but the contrast works as it should.

The reason I did not RMA the monitor, despite still being covered under the warranty, is because I have heard poor experiences with ViewSonic's customer service, as well as people receiving different models/less than acceptable replacements. My VX922 is still in flawless shape, so I would rather not exchange it for one with dead pixels/scratches. Also, I enjoy DIY work.

So, If anyone has any suggestions on what might be causing this problem, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

Thanks.

- Mike

 

[graxon]

Thank you everyone who has given advice - I own 2x VX922 Viewsonic Monitors (I use a dual screens) they have both been having this issue. My husband wanted to replace them but found this post. He bought 2 sets of the capacitors and a soldering iron and set to repairing them yesterday and this morning.

I now have 2 monitors working perfectly and fixed at minimal cost

 

[Baarron]

Just as an FYI - I had the exact same problem with my daughters HANNS-G 17 in. monitor - I used the site provided to get the capacitors and it worked too !!!! Thanks much.

 

[ando]

all i can say is thanks ,grabbed 2 caps, followed your post and DING!!! my screen is alive all for under 2 bucks,thanks again david, iou a beer cheers ando.

 

[memblin]

Add me to the list of thanks

This was my only monitor and it started doing the green flashy about 2 weeks ago. I could hotkey my way into shutting down windows blindly then boot it back up and all was well again until I let it sit. Slowly it got worse and worse until yesterday it would not come on at all. One google search and a trip to Radio Shack later and bam, I'm back up and running.

I grabbed 2 1000uF 35WVDC max - electrolytic capacitors from Radio Shack and a 30 watt iron since my 15 watt wasn't getting hot enough to unsolder the two bad capacitors. I know the ones in there are 1000uF 10W..but they didn't have any of those even in the variety packs. I've been back up and working find for about 15min now. I know jack diddly about anything but a passable solder joint, hopefully my monitor doesn't blow up on me due to the minor(?) capacitor difference.

 

[chrysalis]

Hi guys.

I got what seems the same problem but except I have a viewsonic vp930b which I am 2 years into a 3 year warranty.

We can be forgiven for thinking its a software problem because what seems to have triggered mine is when I started playing a game on it with a non native res. Basically I have used this monitor flawlessy since 2007 in what must be native res 99% of the time. Mainly desktop use and the games I played were either windowed on the desktop or supported native res anyway.

3 days ago I started playing fable TLC on the pc and it doesnt support my native res so my monitor was displaying a non native res for most of the day during the last few days, whilst playing this game the monitor is having no problems switching the resolution and also has no problem going back to my desktop. In addition I have no problems whilst the monitor is on, it doesnt fail whilst in use. If I turn the monitor off for a few seconds and back on again, again no problem.

The problem is the last 2 nights when I have turned it on after its been off overnight the green power light flashes at a slow rate and the screen stays black, eventually the pciture comes back on. Today it took about 2 minutes, and also it was trying all the inputs as just before it came back on I see dvi-2 failed then analogue failed finally with the desktop coming on. The problem also occurs if left on standby for a prolonged period of time.

So based on what I have read here I probably have failing capacitors but it seems the problem is triggered by resolution changes which I guess stresses these exact capacitors. After what I have read on a few places in the internet I am scared to RMA the monitor since I have kept it in good shape, no marks, no dead pixels and it seems viewsonic do not give brand new units in exchange but rather reconditioned ones which doesnt seem right to me. But on the flipside I have zero electronic and soldering experience and dont know an electrician. So dont know what to do, I am guessing if I ignore the problem it will eventually get worse especially if I carry on playing that game.

 

[kazzuto]

Had the exact same problems as the above.... blinking green power led ... not even bios page was showing... when i got the monitor on, after several powerplug unplugging and replugging( and A LOT OF CURSING!!!) even pressing osd button was resulting in black flashing screen with green led blinking.... I changed also the vid card thinking it was it causing the problems... after talking numerous time with viewsonic italian dealer (they stated that the problem was exhausted back light bulb), finally I stumbled across this thread and yesterday I spent 2€ for the condensers (caps).

my vx922 is not under warranty anymore so my options where to spent 50 bucks to ship the monitor to them + repair costs + re shipping the monitor to me 😱

or

try the 2 euros fix

here is the pic of the busted capacitors

as you can see the top of the caps is convex (bolging out) instead of flat that is a sign of a busted capacitor (cap)

all of them (six) had to be replaced.

now the vx922 works like a charm..... 😀

 

[Jaesun999]

OK I'm glad to see I am not the only person with this same exact problem with my VX922. I did as others mentioned and just called Support with Viewsonic, they told me my unit was still under warranty and gave me my RMA number.

This problem was driving me crazy! And was quite shocked a simple Google search reported hundred of people with this same problem. Perhaps Viewsonic is aware of this problem and is offering repairs for anyone with this model?

Anyways, off to ship this out and see if they will fix it.

 

[Marley05]

Found this thread thru Google last night. My VX922 was driving me nuts doing just what everyone else has been experiencing. I was constantly unplugging it to get it to work with a different resolution. I don't do games. Could not even boot up past the original XP screen before it went black when trying to switch to my higher resolution for the desktop. I took it apart today and found 5 of the 6 caps were bulging up. Radio Shack did not have the exact ones but they had 470 and 1000 in higher voltages (slightly larger physical size). I bought them, squeezed them in, and the monitor is now working perfectly, just like new. Thank you for posting the solution, it's a lifesaver!

Thanks Tracman!

Thank you to everyone here. I am now looking at my vx922 as I type this. I am break-a-phobic, but I figured, the dang monitor is already broken, so I can spend 8 bucks in capacitors at Radio Shack, or spend $250 for a new monitor without trying.

It was as simple as I thought, but harder to do than I thought because those little prongs and holes are SMALL!!! I am a big guy with fat fingers and bad eyes too.

I only changed 5, not 6 because the tiny little 470u-10V looked perfect. The other 5 had the symptoms everyone describes here. I used Radio Shack caps, with 35V instead of 25V, and so far, so good.

Also, I had 100% angst and little confidence when I started, but thanks to everyone's pictures and details I waded right in and took care of it. I took a ton of pics, so if I can upload, I will.

Thanks to all who commented on this.

If you're reading this and think you can't do this, take heart because "old Fat-Fingers" did it thanks to the advice of all on this thread.

 

[doul1010]

Hi!

I've replaced the capacitors yesterday.
When i now turn on my VX922 the display is shining completely white.

I used DC capacitors, may i had to use AC capacitors?
Does anybody know?

Thanks a lot!

Best regards,
Tony

 

[chrysalis]

I ended up getting my unit swapped, viewsonic didnt give me hassle and here is what they told me.

I had a choice of either.

(a) they pick up my old screen, repair it and send back to me, approx 1-2 weeks wait but I get my OWN screen back.
(b) they pick up my old screen, and I get given a 'almost new' one at the same time by the delivery guy. Almost new according to the guy on the phone was products that were from opened packages and cannot be sold as new. Although I expect they refurbished.

The new unit had no visiable marks on it I checked and wouldnt have signed for it if it did, it works ok however I notice a different quality picture on it.

My original unit was excellent for movies etc. this new one seems to have an overpowering white and the colour fidelity doesnt seem as good as if its only 6bit instead of 8bit (is a VA vp930b remember). Manufacture date 2007 when original was 2006, my guess is new manufacturing process to cut costs with a possible overdrive technique added also.

I also asked about warranty policy and basically get whatever is left of original warranty, in my case I have about a year left so I have that warranty on this replacement.

The viewsonic is no longer my main monitor I brought a dell 2209wa, its still on the desk next to my new monitor and I use it clone mode so I can compare the 2 monitors but I will likely now sell it at some point.

Just thought I would give you guys experience of my viewsonic RMA, the pickup was also done next working day.

 

[jeff the archer]

Thank you All.

I have the viewsonic vx910 and started to remove the cover witch i didn't find easy to do. I didn't know what i was looking for as a problem, so I googled for help. readed about 6 different websites on vx910 , and found no clear answers.

Until I found your website. I read everything you guys had on the vx910. found all my answer and then some. I'm going to repair this monitor that I was going to throw out (its was stored away in box for a year now.) I'm going back to electronic school at 65, never to old to learn new things.


Thanks again All
Jeff the archer
oovoo.com

 

[Sir Bailey]

I'm having a similar problem with my VX910. When it was hooked to my XP machine, all worked fine. Now that I've hooked it to my Vista pc, first time I turn it on, it will blink. Green light goes from green to off to green to off...

Thus far, the only way out is if

1. I reboot the pc, OR

2. I wait it out (10-15 minutes), OR

3. I click on my account once Vista boots up (which isn't easy to do since the screen is blinking).

Is this the same problem?

It only happens when I first power on the monitor each day.

 

[cbeer]

Thanks to David!!!! I followed your instructions to the T and THE PROBLEM IS FIXED. YAAAAY!!! Was so worried that I would have to shell out megabucks for a new monitor. Didn't want to, as I love my VX922. My experience:
I copied this from another member but I agree 100%. Thank you for the information.
cbeer

 

[Slaphppy7]

Hello to all,
First lemme say GREAT THREAD...lots of good info here.....My VX922 (bought 4/2007, died 5/2009, 2 year warranty) went flashy green a few weeks ago....

Thanks to you guys, it wasn't too difficult to tear the monitor open and get the board out...Lo and behold, 4 of the caps are bulging up top...One even has a little "brown spot" that was mentioned...

I have NO experience unsoldering/soldering anything this small...And no iron or solder...But a guy I work with can probably change them out for me painlessly...he's an electronics wiz...So I'm gonna bring it to him Monday and ask about it...

In the meantime, just to see, I've contacted Viewsonic thru e-mail and gave them the story...They actually replied back fairly quickly, on a Saturday, and are supposedly going to "help me set up a repair" or something to that effect...All they needed was name, phone, and street address....Gave them that, haven't heard back yet...

Thanks for reading,I'll keep you guys posted....

M-

 

[NukeOZ]

Add another victim to the list.
First of all I would like to say thanks to all that posted in this thread.
I have pulled my monitor apart and I too found at least three capacitors bulging.
I also have a small transformer that sits between the main power lead connection and a large capacitor that smells as if it is burnt, it also looks blackened...So I will be replacing this also as a precaution...

My LCD modele is VX924.

Regards NukeOZ.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Uh-oh.

Viewsonic has offered to pay to ship my VX922 back to them for repair....Little did I know I had a THREE (3) year warranty, not two...But I've already tore into it to see if the caps were bad, thinking my warranty was up....

Gonna contact them and '"fess up"; but I doubt they'll even mess with it now...

Dammit...still gonna try to get the dude at work to change out the caps for me...


M-

 

[Slaphppy7]

OK, got 4 caps on the board changed out, took the guy at my work about 20 minutes to do...Gonna put the monitor back together this afternoon when I get home, and I'll post back with my results...Keeping my finger crossed 😉

 

[cjminton]

I am also a victim of the viewsonic vx922 bullshit flashing green light. The screen goes black and the power light flashes green only when trying to play warcraft iii frozen throne. I have recently punched the monitor several times as hard as i could. That did not solve anything, next step is trying to repair with a hammer, i will reply later with detailed files of the monitor's anatomy and possibly a picture.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Got the monitor put back together, and it works PERFECTLY!...Thanks again for all you guy's help...great thread...I was going to trash my VX922, when all it needed was $4 worth of capacitors...


M-

 

[ILLSeaBass]

About 2 hours ago my vx924 decided to do exactly what it did for most of you. The Green LED was flashing and I could slightly see my desktop for a second or so before it cycled again. This monitor is about 3.5 years old and has put in it's time as my secondary screen to my 22" Viewsonic. I'm going to try the capacitor fix, even though my electronic's repair skills are pretty damn limited.

My one question is: I believe the vx922 and vx924 are almost identical.. any clue as to any issues I may have in comparison to what is in this thread when it comes to replacing those parts?

I'm probably going to go visit Radio Shack tomorrow, grab those parts and give this a try. If the fix fails, I am just going to go grab another Viewsonic screen and be done with it. I've had great luck buying Viewsonic, this is the first issue I've ever had.

Thanks for this great thread, helped a lot!

ISB

 

[chrysalis]

well guys the replacement monitor I had (remember mine is a vp930b but same problem) has developed the fault already, incredible.

It initially did the blinking power light thing, but now when pressing the power button it does nothing, if I yank out the power cable the power light flashes on then off which is strange as it wont even turn on.

The monitor is no longer my main screen (got a dell 2209wa) but I was using it as a 2nd monitor in dual view mode. I am still in my warranty so probably will get yet another exchange but this time I think I am going to sell the unit they send me and cut my losses.

It is fair to say I will not buy viewsonic again, not only are we seeing the same defect on 2 models vx922 and vp930b but it seems viewsonic arent even able to apply the fix that was discovered in this discussion.

 

[kq4444]

Usually capacitors with big capacity have electrolyte (liquid) inside and they is polar.
Companies make it with Al electrodes and cheap electrolyte.
This capacitors work good with DC or low frequency AC(50-60Hz).

Now power supplies work with 18000-24000Hz.
And capacitors should be different construction and better quality.

And army have capacitors that NEVER swelled in hi freq conditions.
They bigger and MORE MORE expensive.

For us companies select regular capacitors that can work with hi freq ... during same time.
Power supply build companies also want to save money and bay as cheap capacitors as possible.
And WHO need equipment that can work 10-20 years?! 😉

 

[cseven]

Same problm on my VX910. Actually this model is the only one that is exempt from a 3 year warranty. So cracking it open, it is unlikely you are still in warranty.
My issue is that initially the screen flickered. Now nothing on the screen. Power light blinks every 3 secs. When it does, there is a click at the same time.
Replaced 2 capacitors, one seemed bulged and brown on the top. Still have the same issue.

I had the same constant power cycling every second or two without ever getting a bios post screen. Initially, I could unplug for 10 minutes and it would come back. But if the computer ever went to sleep, the monitor would not wake back up. After a month of that, it just never posted a again.

I just finished replacing "ALL" the caps on the power suppy board and now the monitor is working fine. The caps were swollen, but didn't really look all that bad compared to some on my motherboards that are still working. The caps were swollen but not leaking.

I picked up my monitor from Fry's because of a rediculous sale. $100 off and $100 rebate. Guess I know now why ViewSonic didn't honor the rebate. It appears that they were dumping monitors because they knew they would have a problem within a year or two. Shame on you ViewSonic, you have had a very reputable name in the monitor business for the last 10+ and now you have pulled a stunt like this.

VA912b.

Also, as someone else mentioned. It seems the troubled monitors suddenly received a limited 1 year warranty instead of the normal 3 year warranty. Ugh.

Replace all the caps and you should be good. Mine was manufactured in Jan 2006. Blew out in 2008, but I thought it was the computer causing the issue.
Now I know it was the caps.

2 1000mF 10v
3 470mF 25v
1 470 mF 10v