Vizio E321VL

[ben7]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Thanks, we can add this one to the vault of strange but true fixes.

Indeed!

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Thanks, we can add this one to the vault of strange but true fixes.

[ben7]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Well you want believe this, but the tv is working like a charm. I guarantee none of you will believe what I finally found to be the problem.

Because I could never get the remote to work, that kept bothering me. I even went so far as to order another IR Board and ribbon cable to see if that was what was keeping the remote from working. Today I was taking the ribbon cable from the main board and the IR board and I decided I would check it for continuity of the strands. When I looked at the cable closely one end was all messed up with strands overlapping and kinked. I straightened all the strands out and realized they weren't going to stay where I was putting them. I finally decided to cut them off back to where they were stable. When I reinstalled the cable I tried the tv and the set lit up and the menu showed along with the remote working. I took it up stairs to the family room, plugged in the cable and ac and it works perfectly.

I guess this is a prime example of check everything even if you don't think it could be bad. Tom 66, BudM, Retired Caps, Miguel and everyone else who helped with this project, thanks very much. Who would have thunk the IR cable could keep the tv from working?

OMG haha! Well, anything is possible!

Congratz!

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Well you want believe this, but the tv is working like a charm. I guarantee none of you will believe what I finally found to be the problem.

Because I could never get the remote to work, that kept bothering me. I even went so far as to order another IR Board and ribbon cable to see if that was what was keeping the remote from working. Today I was taking the old ribbon cable from the main board and the IR board and I decided I would check it for continuity of the strands. When I looked at the cable closely one end was all messed up with strands overlapping and kinked. I straightened all the strands out and realized they weren't going to stay where I was putting them. I finally decided to cut them off back to where they were stable. When I reinstalled the cable I tried the tv and the set lit up and the menu showed along with the remote working. I took it up stairs to the family room, plugged in the cable and ac and it works perfectly.

I guess this is a prime example of check everything even if you don't think it could be bad. Tom 66, BudM, Retired Caps, Miguel and everyone else who helped with this project, thanks very much. Who would have thunk the IR cable could keep the tv from working?

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

I have been completely through the TCon board and checked all of the caps for resistance and none of them look bad with very low resistance all are in the 3k range or somewhere just above or below that figure. I also checked the one component that looked like an LDO regulator, but I could not find a datasheet so I don't know for sure if that is what it is or what I should be looking for in the way of voltages.

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Bump

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Try unplugging the T-con cable, pressing some buttons (e.g. MENU) on the remote or side panel, and plugging it back in. Does the screen change? There was a user on these forums who had a faulty T-con which displayed only the first frame.

Have some new info on this tv. Today I tried to get the menu to come up again with no luck. Then I tried holding down the power button when plugging in the tv. I could not tell if that did anything, but I had seen that in another post as a way to reset the tv. Then I tried holding the power, menu and -Volume Control down at the same time and I got a picture of something, could have been the menu or factory default screen . The tv was face down and I was holding it up to look at the screen as I did this. Whatever it was that came on was only on for a few seconds and then the backlights went off. The power button turns on the tv, but will not turn off the tv. The remote also still will not work.

This is not 2 seconds to black. The backlights on their own will stay on for 2-3 minutes and then shut down. I think this is an energy saving function. I have not been able to duplicate what I did earlier.

I hooked the tv up to the VGA connector on a computer but got no picture.
I then started checking voltages at the connectors to the Main and Inverter Boards. The voltages to the main board all check out. The 24v to the Inverter Board are all there. However, something funny happened when I checked the ground wire which is the first pin from the bottom of the connector. I got a 3.455v reading on ground pin one and two. That was having my black probe on a screw and the red on each ground wire. The third pin up from the bottom is also a ground pin and it has 0.34mv on it.

Does any of this change anything (help) in figuring out this problem?

[matt2oo5]

Re: Vizio E321VL

i aready have that, didnt work for me

[tom66]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Have Viziio E371E

http://www.tgohome.com/ServiceManual...20BIN%20files/

Maybe compatible

[matt2oo5]

Re: Vizio E321VL

can anyone share some Vizio BIN files? I need E470VLE bin file.
Thanks

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

looking at your boards that's a E320VL not E321VL. I know your board is label E321VL but I had this E320VL mainboard and when I check the system information the firmware was E320VL VER 1409. Unfortunately I didn't copy the eeprom and I sold the TV already.

So I will focus on the firmware and try to access it by using the side control buttons.You need to confirm you have the correct firmware

Since I can't get to the menu yet I won't know what that version is. Miguel said that he copied a good EEProm from a working E321VL to get the bin file for his Programer. So far I have not had a reason to doubt what he has said. Plus he told me he put my boards into an E321VL and that they functioned properly in the tv. I would be glad to replace my EEProm again if I new for sure that it was the cause of the problem.

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

What? I've heard of unreplaceable T-cons in 19" and 22" monitors.. but in a 32" TV? You've got to be kidding me.

I have a feeling that this was the first model tv that Vizio brought out and however made it for them only had experience working with monitors. The TCon is connected to the LCD screen the same way monitors are usually connected with brown mylar type cables all down the top of the tv. None of them have a socket that can be unplugged there by making the TCon a part of the LCD screen. In fact the whole tv is made like a monitor. If they did not have to have all those different types of inputs the main board would probably be about the same size as a monitors.

Well here is to creative thinking..... NOT

[ecking767]

Re: Vizio E321VL

As you can see from the picture. The TCon is located in the top frame of the tv and is not a part of the Main Board unless I am missing something.

looking at your boards that's a E320VL not E321VL. I know your board is label E321VL but I had this E320VL mainboard and when I check the system information the firmware was E320VL VER 1409. Unfortunately I didn't copy the eeprom and I sold the TV already.

So I will focus on the firmware and try to access it by using the side control buttons.You need to confirm you have the correct firmware

[tom66]

Re: Vizio E321VL

They are trying to save as money as they can, and at the same time they make sure you cannot easily fix it.

That's how competition works I suppose, the customer can't really determine the reliability and repairablity of their product when they go to buy it.... That's why I'm in favour of compulsory warranties of 3 or 5 years.

I know of a new trick LCD manufacturers are doing. They're making their CCFL-based panels very thick so if you want a thin TV it must be LED-based.

[budm]

Re: Vizio E321VL

They are trying to save as money as they can, and at the same time they make sure you cannot easily fix it.

[tom66]

Re: Vizio E321VL

What? I've heard of unreplaceable T-cons in 19" and 22" monitors.. but in a 32" TV? You've got to be kidding me.

[budm]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Ah, Your chassis of the same model but does not have the same gut, so your chassis does not have seperate T-CON board. That so typical of who will provide the TV at the lowest price, so same model can have more than one chassis.
I create the PDF from ACROBAT 6 PRO, then I redline/marking it and then I save as jpg file.

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Attached is an actual picture of the TCon. I don't think it is replaceable. I am going to start testing the smt caps on the board if anyone has any other ideas let em rip.

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

Here is the T-CON board for E321VL:
http://www.shopjimmy.com/lg-philips-...-con-board.htm

Bud check the previous post I have a picture of the tv board alignment and the tcon has to fit in between the two metal frame parts at the top of the tv. It is approximately 1" front to back and 8 -12" end to end. I don't think the one you found at Shop Jimmy will work. Thanks for trying

PS: When you mark up a picture (redline) what program do you use?

[killian6pk]

Re: Vizio E321VL

The T-con board is located on the mainboard for both E321VL and E371VL. If you can't access the menu FUNCTION then there is a problem with your EEPROM. The "VIZIO" logo is also part of the EEPROM. Then you can't power off the TV which is not normal and make me lead right back to the EEPROM chip programming.

As you can see from the picture. The TCon is located in the top frame of the tv and is not a part of the Main Board unless I am missing something.