Sometimes monitors can't be saved no matter how much you like them

[Old_Printer]

I once attempted, at my best, to repair my beloved Gateway monitor. I paid about $700 for it back in 2006. By 2012 the capacitors were crowning. I bought a kit and replaced them, but there must have been more wrong with it. :rolleyes: I didn't want to stick anymore into it. Funny thing, the panel inside was all labeled Samsung.

I use a 27" Samsung with my typesetter. Since my ASUS took a dive, I've been using it on a different machine. It seems to be working pretty well. I don't know if I'm alone in this.

Old_Printer

[MartyBuntu]

I've repaired two LCD monitors that I was able to track their problems down to bad caps.

[Old_Printer]

Hi MartyBuntu. Thanks for the reply. You know, it was a challenge, I won't lie, to replace those capacitors. What got me the most was that one side of the breadboard brought the positive, with a very small hole, and the other side of the breadboard brought the negative, also with a very small hole. The opposing post, given the side you were on, went through a somewhat larger hole in the conductive layer, as to not make contact with that particular leg. I know you know all about this. What a bugger.

When I finished replacing them, I used my continuity tester on them. I had successfully soldered the tops and the bottoms of the legs, all the while keeping the neutral areas clear. The monitor didn't owe me anything. I had used it for thousands of hours. After purchasing the $25 cap kit, I figured that was enough. I just had no way of knowing what it could be. The desktop could be viewed by shining a flashlight on it, I do remember that. I'm not so sure that was the case before replacing the caps. I'm guessing it was the backlight. About a month and a half before it went dark for good, it began to lag when waking the computer, remaining dark for half a minute to a full minute. A couple of times near the end, it went dark a couple times while using it, but it would come back if I unplugged the power cord and then plugged the cord back into the electrical outlet.

One good thing: even though it was a flatpanel, it was heavy. It was probably an inch and a half thick. The pedestal was extremely heavy duty. I kept it, and now have my 27" Samsung mounted on it. The samsung is much larger, but much more lighter. That's technology for you. It's a good thing there's an adjusting screw accessed through the bottom of the base, which can counter the weight of the screen and keep the height exactly where you place it. When I first mounted the Samsung, the base completely extended itself, almost like a piston that keeps your car hood open. I had to really crank on that adjustment screw to get the spring to balance out with the light weight of the screen. I won't ever get rid of that pedestal, regardless of what monitor I may have on it.

Old_Printer

[tgalati4]

Well, if you can see an image of the desktop with a flashlight, then perhaps the inverter circuit went bad. It drives the fluorescent backlight. If you can find the part, you can probably replace it and get a working monitor. Search for some Youtube videos on how to change it. 2004 to 2006 was a period where bad caps got into a lot of electronics.

I recapped an NEC Syncmaster, which continued to work for several more years. Also recapped a wireless router, a TV, several motherboards and a few power supplies--all from that period.

[night_sky2]

Still use my 18'' BenQ Senseye for my Xubuntu desktop that I purchased in 2008. Not a 'great' monitor by any mean but works fine for my needs.