It’s been minutes. Still nothing.
You look at your own reflection on the blank screen of your LG TV.
And you wonder why LG’s motto is “Life’s Good”…
When their TV is pretty freaking bad at turning on.
Before frustration sets in, let us help you with your problem.
Keep reading to discover:
- 7 easy ways to fix your LG TV that’s not turning on.
- Where you can contact LG in case you need to repair your TV.
- How to drain all electricity from your LG TV when it won’t turn on.
- And so much more…
Why is my LG TV not turning on?
Your LG TV isn’t turning on because of dead capacitors in your power board. If not your TV, then the problem could either be your remote or your outlet. Or maybe your TV just appears to not power on because of dead backlights.
LG TV not turning on: 7 ways to fix it
#1: Power cycle your TV
Sometimes, your TV just needs a break.
And power cycling can reset all clogged tasks that prevent your TV from turning on.
To power cycle your LG, you should:
- Unplug your TV.
- Locate the physical power button at the bottom of your TV.
- Press and hold it for 30 seconds.
This will fully restart your TV and also drain all electricity from it.
#2: Install new capacitors
Your TV isn’t turning because your power board is broken…
Or rather, because the capacitors in the board are dead.
Capacitors are tiny containers of electricity. Before energy can travel throughout your TV, the capacitors hoard them.
Why?
So that every part of your TV gets only the exact amount of power they need.
However, capacitors can explode. This happens either due to old age or over-voltage during a power surge.
You can’t fix broken capacitors, but you can replace them.
When buying a new capacitor, always keep in mind that it must have the same:
- Voltage.
- Capacitance.
- Physical size.
After you’ve purchased replacements, it’s time to put them on your power board.
Step 1: Discharge your TV
Since you’re dealing with an electrical component, it’s best to rid your TV of charge.
Warning: A charged power board can shock you.
With that, proceed with caution when you perform this:
- Unplug your LG TV.
- Leave it alone for 24 hours.
- While still unplugged, press and hold the physical power button at the bottom of your TV.
Step 2: Locate and desolder bad caps
The next step is to find which capacitors need replacement. You can identify bad caps when they are:
- Swollen.
- Leaking.
- Lifting itself off the power board.
After you’ve pinpointed which ones need to be removed, you can proceed to desolder them from the board.
Desolder is the process of removing solder for repair or replacement.
This removes the metal binds that keep electronics in place.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the back of your TV.
- Locate the power board.
- Find the damaged caps and note where it is on the board.
- Flip your power board.
- Find the solder that holds the damaged caps.
- Using a desoldering kit, remove the solder.
Step 3: Install new capacitors
Once your power board has no more damaged caps left, it’s time to put in the new ones.
Note: Turn your soldering gun on 30 minutes before working on the power board. This ensures that the gun is already hot.
After that, you can proceed to install your new capacitors. Follow these steps to do so:
- Insert the new capacitors in the holes of the removed ones.
- Flip the board.
- Bend the excess lead on the tail of the capacitors.
- Brush the lead nearest to the board with flux paste.
- Using the lead, solder the new capacitors in place.
- Cut the extra lead.
- Brush the new solder with isopropyl alcohol.
#3: Change outlet
Maybe the problem isn’t what you plug in…
But where you plug it in.
If your TV won’t turn on, there’s a chance that it could be your outlet that’s defective.
According to electronics experts, here are the 5 main causes of a broken outlet:
- Tripped GFCI.
- Sparking outlet.
- Worn out outlet.
- Tripped circuit breaker.
- Exposed wires under a wire nut.
Now, diagnosing if you have a faulty outlet is easy.
How?
Grab a lamp. Plug it into your outlet.
Does the light turn on, or does it flicker? If so, you have a faulty outlet.
Warning: Don’t try to do anything to your outlet. Trying to fix an outlet is extremely dangerous and requires a technician.
In the meantime, just plug your LG TV or your power strip into a different outlet.
#4: Replace backlight strips
A lot of people confuse “not turning on” with having a black screen.
When trying to power your LG on, do you:
- Have video, but it’s very faint?
- Hear audio, but there’s no display?
- Have a blank screen, but the red light is on?
If your answer to any of these is yes, then your culprit is most likely broken backlights.
What are those?
They’re part of your LCD panel. These are lines of diodes that light up your display.
And when one of these diodes breaks, you may have a discolored or dim screen.
Or, in extreme cases, no display at all.
So, how do you fix this issue?
Step 1: Open the back of your TV
The back of your TV houses its most important hardware, but not its backlight.
However, to access your panel, you must remove all cables at the back first.
Then you also need to pry the bezels open. Bezels are the frame around your screen.
This is how you can do it:
Warning: Opening your LG TV for repair will void your warranty.
And so, proceed with caution when doing this:
- Flip your TV on its back.
- Remove all screws.
- Disconnect all cables.
- Unscrew the plastic cover near the T-con board.
- Remove the tape in the middle of your TV.
- Remove the metal covers that hold your TV.
- Unscrew the bezels and remove the metal panel underneath.
- Disconnect the other cables underneath the metal panel.
Step 2: Open the front of your TV
This is how you can safely access your backlight panel:
Step 2.1: Pry it open
- Flip your TV so that it’s now facing you.
- Remove the bezels.
- Tape the boards at the bottom of your TV to the screen so that it can’t be accidentally damaged.
Step 2.2: Open the LCD/LED panel
- Release the tabs on the side of your screen and lift the panel off.
- There should be a white sheet underneath, this is called the light filter. Set it aside.
- Remove the clips that are holding your reflector sheet.
- Set aside the reflector sheet. There should be 4 to 6 backlight strips underneath.
Step 3: Install a new backlight
When buying new backlight strips, make sure first that it’s compatible with your TV.
And if it is, then you can install it by following these substeps:
- Disconnect the cables at the side of your backlight strips.
- Using a 5-in-1 tool, gently remove the strips.
- Put lines of double-sided adhesive to where the old strips were.
- Place the new backlight strips. Make sure that they align with the double-sided tape.
- Put everything back together.
You might also be interested in: Why Is My TV Screen Black? 9 Causes & Fixes
#5: Replace the mainboard
Almost every hardware on your TV is connected to its mainboard.
Put it this way…
If your TV is a town, then the mainboard is the town square.
But the mainboard’s function is to convert video and audio signals into digital signals.
So, what does that mean?
It means that it’s responsible for delivering you your favorite movies and shows.
So if the problem lies on the mainboard, do this:
- Buy a replacement mainboard that corresponds to your LG TV model.
- Open the back of your TV.
- Locate the mainboard.
- Remove all cables and wires.
- Unscrew the old mainboard, then remove it.
- Install the new mainboard.
#6: Fix your remote
Sometimes, the problem is just as simple as your remote.
In this case, your best bet is to replace the batteries or the remote itself.
“But I don’t have time to wait for the new remote to arrive. I have to catch the latest episode of my favorite show!”
Well, you’re in luck.
You just have to stand up from your couch and press your TV’s physical power button.
But, where is it?
At the bottom bezel of your TV, below the LG logo.
Fun fact: LG also has an app called the LG TV Plus that lets you control your TV if your remote dies.
#7: Contact support
We’re not perfect.
There are some things we know, and some things we don’t.
When repairing your LG TV, always assess your overall technical skill first.
Ask yourself, “Can I do this alone?”
If the answer is either no or you’re not sure, don’t be disheartened.
You can always call your customer service representative.