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    #1

    Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

    My Acer X221W monitor will turn on and display the Acer logo, then display "no signal" and turn off. I am new to fixing monitors and circuits but after a little research I think it's called "2 seconds to black".

    I opened the monitor up after watching a youtube video and dismantled most of the monitor. I've read that I should be looking for bulging capacitors, but I didn't seem to find anything. I also looked at the power supply and the other board with the monitor input and other input (I'm not sure what this board is called) for any burn markings, but I couldn't find anything obvious.

    One thing I did notice is that one piece (which I think is called an integrated circuit) is missing the middle prong out of 3 prongs. Could that explain why the monitor is functioning this way right now? The part that appeared to be broken had "AIC 1084 PM 893I9" written on top of it.

    I don't have access to a good camera right now, but I will be able to take pictures of the two boards in the next day or two.

    Thanks for your help, it is greatly appreciated.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

    Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
    My Acer X221W monitor will turn on and display the Acer logo, then display "no signal" and turn off. I am new to fixing monitors and circuits but after a little research I think it's called "2 seconds to black".
    "2 seconds to black" can be

    a) bad caps
    b) bad inverter transformer
    c) bad ccfl and/or ccfl wiring

    All the above (and more) are explained starting with post #13 and #14 at

    https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=10419

    One thing I did notice is that one piece (which I think is called an integrated circuit) is missing the middle prong out of 3 prongs. The part that appeared to be broken had "AIC 1084 PM 893I9" written on top of it.
    That is a voltage regulator and it is supposed to be like that.

    I don't have access to a good camera right now, but I will be able to take pictures of the two boards in the next day or two.
    When you do get a camera, please follow the picture guidelines below in my sig file.
    --- begin sig file ---

    If you are new to this forum, we can help a lot more if you please post clear focused pictures (max resolution 2000x2000 and 2MB) of your boards using the manage attachments button so they are hosted here. Information and picture clarity compositions should look like this post.

    We respectfully ask that you make some time and effort to read some of the guides available for basic troubleshooting. After you have read through them, then ask clarification questions or report your findings.

    Please do not post inline and offsite as they slow down the loading of pages.

    --- end sig file ---

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

      Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
      My Acer X221W monitor will turn on and display the Acer logo, then display "no signal" and turn off. I am new to fixing monitors and circuits but after a little research I think it's called "2 seconds to black".
      That depends on the circumstances. 'Turns off' is ambiguous. I usually interpret it to mean the screen and the power LED both turn off. If the monitor is hooked to a working computer, suddenly displays 'No signal', then the screen goes black, and the power LED goes to Amber, that indicates a problem on the signal card, or a computer going to sleep. In the same configuration, if the power LED turns off, there is a problem on the signal card.

      A true "Two seconds to black" failure requires three conditions: The screen goes black; the image that was displayed is still visible faintly - using a bright light can help bring it out; and the power LED stays green.

      PlainBill
      For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

      Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

        Originally posted by PlainBill View Post
        That depends on the circumstances. 'Turns off' is ambiguous. I usually interpret it to mean the screen and the power LED both turn off. If the monitor is hooked to a working computer, suddenly displays 'No signal', then the screen goes black, and the power LED goes to Amber, that indicates a problem on the signal card, or a computer going to sleep. In the same configuration, if the power LED turns off, there is a problem on the signal card.

        A true "Two seconds to black" failure requires three conditions: The screen goes black; the image that was displayed is still visible faintly - using a bright light can help bring it out; and the power LED stays green.

        PlainBill
        The power LED would go to amber after I turned it on and it displayed the Acer logo and "no signal". There may have been a weak connection with the power board and the other board with the two inputs (still not sure what this board is called) when I took the monitor apart. Could this possible shaky connection have explained why my monitor has been acting like this?

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

          Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
          The power LED would go to amber after I turned it on and it displayed the Acer logo and "no signal". There may have been a weak connection with the power board and the other board with the two inputs (still not sure what this board is called) when I took the monitor apart. Could this possible shaky connection have explained why my monitor has been acting like this?
          Almost every monitor behave the same way. If you plug it in with no signal applied the power LED will go green (or blue), the logo will be displayed, a 'No Signal' banner will display, the power LED will glow amber and the backlights will turn off.

          The symptoms you describe could be the computer turned off, or blanking the screen, a bad video card in the computer, bad video cable, video cable not connected, the wrong input selected, or a failed signal card (also called logic card) in the monitor.

          PlainBill
          For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

          Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

            Originally posted by PlainBill View Post
            Almost every monitor behave the same way. If you plug it in with no signal applied the power LED will go green (or blue), the logo will be displayed, a 'No Signal' banner will display, the power LED will glow amber and the backlights will turn off.

            The symptoms you describe could be the computer turned off, or blanking the screen, a bad video card in the computer, bad video cable, video cable not connected, the wrong input selected, or a failed signal card (also called logic card) in the monitor.

            PlainBill
            I'm using the monitor to connect to my laptop as a second screen. This problem occurred while my laptop was operational. Additionally, when I plugged the cable into the computer, I heard the Windows sound play which I assume meant that it recognized something being plugged in. Sorry for not mentioning these details in the first post.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

              Is your bios in your laptop set to use 2 screens ?

              I had to set mine up as the bios start up was set to only use onboard screen .

              Have you tried the screen on a desktop ?

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                Sounds like the infamous "no signal" problem common with acer lcds (it's the scaler mainboard issue). I have one on the shelf with the same issue and haven't had the time to work on it yet.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                  Originally posted by sabre504 View Post
                  Is your bios in your laptop set to use 2 screens ?

                  I had to set mine up as the bios start up was set to only use onboard screen .

                  Have you tried the screen on a desktop ?
                  I'm not sure if my laptop is set to use two screens, how would I go about checking that?

                  I don't have a desktop readily available at the moment.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                    Try using a known good screen to link your laptop to ,
                    basically if it is not set to use an external screen it wont send a signal thro the vga cable and any connected monitor will read no signal .

                    Bios is changed at start up (either press delete or F2 )
                    but try a different screen first i may be barking up the wrong tree .

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                      Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
                      I'm using the monitor to connect to my laptop as a second screen. This problem occurred while my laptop was operational. Additionally, when I plugged the cable into the computer, I heard the Windows sound play which I assume meant that it recognized something being plugged in. Sorry for not mentioning these details in the first post.
                      We're getting closer to establishing this is a real problem, but you still haven't quite confirmed it. In your statement above, were you actually using the monitor with the laptop when it failed, or is it a case you are unable to get it to work with the laptop? If the first, it definitely IS a problem with the signal card as UniT3d suggested. I'd hate to have you tear the monitor apart when the actual problem was Windows.

                      PlainBill
                      For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

                      Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                        Originally posted by PlainBill View Post
                        We're getting closer to establishing this is a real problem, but you still haven't quite confirmed it. In your statement above, were you actually using the monitor with the laptop when it failed, or is it a case you are unable to get it to work with the laptop? If the first, it definitely IS a problem with the signal card as UniT3d suggested. I'd hate to have you tear the monitor apart when the actual problem was Windows.

                        PlainBill
                        It is the second one, where I connected the laptop to the monitor for the first time while the laptop was running, and couldn't get the monitor to work.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                          Then i would suggest you try your laptop on another screen that works first before you go any further .

                          Make sure it is all connected up before you start your laptop if you cant use another monitor do you have an LCD TV with a VGA port .

                          Laptops dont tend to like you plugging in VGA cables once they are up and running

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                            Originally posted by sabre504 View Post
                            Laptops dont tend to like you plugging in VGA cables once they are up and running
                            Mine have no problem with it.
                            Originally posted by PeteS in CA
                            Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
                            A working TV? How boring!

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                              Originally posted by sabre504 View Post
                              Then i would suggest you try your laptop on another screen that works first before you go any further .

                              Make sure it is all connected up before you start your laptop if you cant use another monitor do you have an LCD TV with a VGA port .

                              Laptops dont tend to like you plugging in VGA cables once they are up and running
                              It really depends on monitor, the BIOS and the OS. Some will readily switch to a monitor, others will fight you every step of the way.

                              PlainBill
                              For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

                              Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                                Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
                                It is the second one, where I connected the laptop to the monitor for the first time while the laptop was running, and couldn't get the monitor to work.
                                Sorry for being a little thick. The monitor should turn on the backlights if you hit the power button twice (allow a second or two between pressing the power button). Many laptops have the option of switching from their display to an external monitor by pressing a pair of keys. I suggest trying that. If the laptop display goes black, and the monitor still exhibits 'two seconds to black', you have a problem with the monitor.

                                PlainBill
                                For a number of reasons, both health and personal, I will no longer be active on this board. Any PMs asking for assistance will be ignored.

                                Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                                  My laptop has 3 options

                                  Onboard display only

                                  External only

                                  Onboard and external

                                  You can plug in and unplug the VGA cable anytime too but my older one wouldnt wear it.

                                  The reason i say start from scratch is to try to eliminate the laptop as the cause of the problem so as to not keep bouncing from one thing to another

                                  Comment

                                    #18
                                    Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                                    I plugged in another monitor to my laptop and I was able to detect it using the Windows Mobility Center, however, the only option I was able to have work was the option where I extended my display. For the other two options, the functional monitor said that it was not able to auto-detect anything. The functional monitor was a Dell.

                                    I plugged in my non-functioning monitor to my laptop, and Windows Mobility Center was able to detect it. When I selected the "extend my desktop" option, the monitor was able to display my desktop background for a second, but then went black. The power LED was green the entire time while it was plugged into my laptop. While the monitor was still plugged into my laptop, I turned the monitor off and on, and I was able to see my desktop background again for another second or so.

                                    Would this mean that I have a back light problem?

                                    Comment

                                      #19
                                      Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                                      Originally posted by wtgfs703 View Post
                                      Would this mean that I have a back light problem?
                                      Yes.
                                      Originally posted by PeteS in CA
                                      Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
                                      A working TV? How boring!

                                      Comment

                                        #20
                                        Re: Acer X221W Monitor 2 Seconds to Black

                                        Originally posted by Th3_uN1Qu3 View Post
                                        Yes.
                                        Does it also mean that all I have to do is replace the back light?

                                        Comment

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