LG monitor help

patgc

I have a 19" LG1919S monitor which is coming up to 4 years old. For the last couple of days it hasn't come on when I turn the tower on. I have had to unplug it and plug it in again then it would fir up after a few tries. Today it wont come on at all. I have checked all connections unplugged everything and plugged it all in again. All connections to the screen are firm. Do you think that it has completely died or can I do anything to save it . Is it worth getting it looked at by someone or should I just dump it and get a new one ?

torquey

Its quite rare for a monitor to die. Much more likely to be your PC at fault.

Either way you need to somehow try another monitor on your PC or another PC on your monitor

fwor

Certainly a good idea to try it on another PC/laptop, but it would not be surprising to find that the monitor's internal PSU or inverter has failed. One of mine (3 years old) failed a few months back, and my sister's LG monitor (4 years old) failed 2 weeks ago.

The symptoms were as you describe - they could be made to fire up eventually by turning off and on repeatedly, but only for a while, before dying for good.

GeoffX

When a device starts to take longer and longer to power on it's a good bet that one or more capacitors are failing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

fwor

GeoffX wrote: »

When a device starts to take longer and longer to power on it's a good bet that one or more capacitors are failing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

Almost certainly true, though I reckon the "plague" line is over-stated.

These days it seems to be mainly because the Far East power supply manufacturers shave every penny they can off costs, and so buy the cheapest electrolytic capacitors they can get - which have the shortest life and the least tolerance of heat.

If you look at cost, it's easy to see that you can save maybe ten pence per power supply by using capacitors with a 1000 hour life at 85 degrees compared to ones with a 4000 hour life at 105 degrees. In the numbers they make that's a big difference in profit (and also a major drop in life expectancy - but they are OEM suppliers so they don't really care).

patgc

Well, borrowed amonitor and it works perfectly. Soi I guess the fault is with the LG monitor. Am I right in thinking that its probably not worth getting it looked at and best just get a new one ?

martinthebandit

it all depends how good you are at soldering really

http://www.capacitorlab.com/replacing-motherboard-capacitors-howto/index.htm

if you are any good at it replacing a capacitor or two is an easy repair, if your not, its not

patgc

LOL, I have never soldered anything in my life, so I think thats a no no for me. Looks like the CC is going to get an outing.

scheming_gypsy

just plug it in and leave it for a while. I had one similar and it'd take a while to come on but be fine when it did.

martinthebandit

patgc wrote: »

LOL, I have never soldered anything in my life, so I think thats a no no for me. Looks like the CC is going to get an outing.

you might want to have a look at the links on this ebay sellers page, it is honestly not that difficult.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Repair-Kit-LG-W1934S-LCD-Monitor-Capacitors-/230554161170
The capacitors and a soldiering iron etc would not cost you more than 20 quid from maplins or similar and just think of the sense of satisfaction you would have.

Whats the worst that could happen? you are out 20 quid, it may be worth the risk

patgc

No, its definately 'dead'. left it for at least half an hour and nothing.