Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

[mikedahammer]

I have had this monitor for a few years (Acer x223W) and yesterday I turned it on and the monitor would immediately go black after about a second or two but the time it is one it looks normal. I cannot see the display with a flash light and just so you know I know nothing about monitors so I am not exactly sure what I am looking at but I am pretty sure I found the problem.

Check out the pics. Not sure what would cause it to be so corroded? Thanks for any input you can provide.

[mariushm]

Re: Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

The wires go to a couple of CFL tubes that run at high voltage, 700-1400v but low current.
The leads are soldered to the end of the tubes and then there's a silicon jacket covering the wire and insulating it.

However, sometimes the wire becomes loose because solder gets weak from cold-hot cycles. Then all those sparks from the poor contact damage the silicon jacket and then they arch over to the back of the screen, which is made of metal.

It's moderately difficult to fix this problem .. take out the metal lid from the back, pull back the silicon jacket from the end of the lamps, solder a new wire to the end or the original wire, put the jacket back or replace it with a new one... put some insulating tape around the leads and on the metal back so that the wire won't arch to the metal lid again.

[mikedahammer]

Re: Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

Thank you for the response. I wonder why the factory does not do a better job insulating that area.

Do you have any idea of estimated costs/time. It may not be worth the hassle to me if I can get a new LED monitor for $130. Also I may try the repair if I can find some vid/pics of someone else doing it just for fun to see if I can fix it (anyone have any links)?

[JoeyJoe]

Re: Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

Thank you for the response. I wonder why the factory does not do a better job insulating that area.

They only have to make it work for a year, that's all that they care about.

[mikedahammer]

Re: Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

Thanks for all the advice....this weekend I broke down the monitor further and these tubes do not look good. Any input on what this is and if it needs replaced?

[mikedahammer]

Re: Is my Monitor Shot? Smells like an Electrical Fire

anyone have any idea if the wires in the pictures are shot and where to replace. Not sure what I am looking at.