Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

[General_T]

Hi,
So happy to have found this Forum. I know next to nothing about TV repair – but I am able and willing to learn!

I have a Plasma 60” LG 60PG30. It is about 5 years old and for about the last 6 months I have lost a horizontal portion of the bottom of the screen (about 4” horizontally). The line is solid black (although it looks grey in the photo). A couple of times the line disappeared or became about 50% transparent – but lately it is just solid black.

I have been reading up on the forums and believe (hope) it may be a bad Y Drive Board?

I took the back off the TV and tried reseating the ribbon cables for the bottom portion but this did not help. So I went out on the web and ordered a replacement Y Board (could only find used) – assuming this to be the problem. I noticed on the replacement part that while the top 2 serial numbers are the same the KS number is different KS60089H003270 on my TV and KS60083H000231 on the replacement part. I am guessing that this is just a lot number and the parts should be compatible?

Anyway, from the pictures I provided, can anyone tell me if I am on the right path here?

I have not received the parts yet to swap them out so cannot provide an update on any progress.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks

Tony

[colorless]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

What happens if you remove the bottom buffer board? Also have you tried enabling the ext auto gen feature? There are two Gold dots on the logic board which if you jumper it will form a test pattern.

[General_T]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

Hi,

The TV works fine except for the black line across the bottom. I guess I should have stated that earlier!!

I haven't removed the bottom buffer board. I just pulled the 2 bottom ribbon cables off, just to confirm that I would loose more of the bottom of the screen and I did. I didn't want to remove the board until I get the replacement.

Do not know what the ext auto gen feature is. I checked YouTube and it looks like it just cycles through a lot of test patterns on the screen. Not sure how that would help with the line? I do know that this horizontal line is there with all inputs. How would trying the ext auto gen feature make the line disappear?

Thanks

[tom66]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

EXT AUTO GEN won't make the line disappear, it won't fix anything, what it will tell you is the main board is not causing the fault. Place a jumper across EXT AUTO GEN, and unplug LVDS cable, if the patterns appear fine, then the main board is OK and it is the Y-buffer board at fault.

[General_T]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

Hi Tom66 and Colorless,

Can you help me out with the EXT AUTO GEN test.

Below is a pic of what I believe is the logic board but I cannot find the EXT AUTO GEN points. Also I can jumper it with any wire - should all power be disconnected from the TV for this? I am guessing yes.

Thanks

[colorless]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

Sorry tired to find it on your board even looked online for higher res photos and can't find anything all I see is ext on a connector on the top right conner but don't think that is it, Tom might be better to answer this question as he told me about this trick not that long ago but has come in handy a few time already.

[tom66]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

I don't see EXT AUTO GEN on that control board either... may not be an option on this board.

In which case I say swap in your new Y-buffer. Failure of the new buffer isn't likely to occur, i.e. I the panel or Y-sus can't fail in such a way to cook your new buffer in the same way.

[General_T]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

Hi Colorless and tom66,

That EXT was all I could see as well on the board.

Thanks to both of you. I will do the swap when the part arrives and let you know the results.

Thanks again

[General_T]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

Hi,

Update on my TV repair.

I swapped out the part and turned on the TV. I was thrilled to see that I had the whole picture back - from top to bottom - nothing missing - but there was now a thin black vertical line going across the screen at about the middle of the screen.

I was thinking that I had been shipped a faulty used part ( abit bummed out!). Anyway I had a look at my work in the back of the TV and noticed that one of the ribbon cables I had put back was not sitting perfectly so I reseated it (man they are somewhat difficult to seat just right) and lo and behold I had a perfect 100% picture!!.

Needless to say I am very happy - but not to happy as who knows that this fault may return??

Will it be possible to trouble shoot the board I took out to try and isolate what failed to cause the loss of the bottom 4" of the TV picture?

Thanks All.

[tom66]

Re: Plasma LG 60PG30 - Horizontal Line (Bottom)

It will have been the lower most square chip that would have failed. Unlikely to be anything other than that. The black line should not return - the connector was likely the only issue - the Y-buffer connectors are very hard to get right.