Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

[Sandy Shack]

I posted this update to my original post, but haven't seen any reply, so I am starting a new thread for this new problem. Here is the link to the previous thread on this tv:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31624

Previously, the Main BU board went bad on this tv 2+ months ago, and replacing the BU board made the tv work perfect for 2+ months. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, I got a new problem. Now the tv has a bad horizontal line problem when warmed up. I took the tv offline for a week while we were on vacation, and then checked it out from a dead cold start. The attached pictures shows the situation.
Pics 1a through 2d show the problems with the tv after a cold start (no power for a week). It is obvious the RH side of the screen is messed up. Lots of bad images, lines, ghosting that appears "burned in" when the channel or image changes, then goes away in a few seconds. Everything else works perfect on the tv. Sound, channels, menu, controls, internet function, etc.
Pic 3a shows the tv in normal warmed up mode. Pic 3b shows the RH Tcon cable pulled, and the immediate effect. The RH screen is mostly white (some light colored vertical lines are visible), but the LH screen is perfect.
Pic 4a shows LH Tcon cable pulled, and the immediate effect. The RH screen top only shows a partial image for the RH screen, but LH screen shows image distortion, ghosting and burn in that fades over time. The LH screen also bleeds over onto the lower RH of the screen with the same distorted images. Pic 4b shows how the bad LH image has faded somewhat after a short while on the LH side, but continues to corrupt the lower RH side. Pic 4c shows the LH screen is now totally black as the bad images have totally faded away, but still corrupt the lower RH image.
Pic 5a shows the normal tv image with the Tcon reattached and warmed up to normal condition.
So it looks like the RH side of the tv is totally messed up. I tried pressing on the main panel bezel in different spots to see if I could get any image to change, but nothing ever did so I am hoping the main panel is not the problem.
So, based on all this, my question is this due to a faulty Tcon board? If so, I am confident I can get a replacement and install it.
Lastly, since this tv had its main BU board go out and was replaced by me, and it worked perfect (and by perfect, I mean both me and my wife thought the broadcast images actually looked better than when the tv was brand new), my other question is, has anyone else seen this issue where one board goes bad, followed by another in a few weeks or months? And if so, could these boards just been bad independently, or if one board acts up first, then goes out (like my main BU board), could that cause problems to occur in the downstream boards, thereby shortening their lives as well? Just wondering.
Thanks in advance to those that can help me.

[johnboy1313]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Looks like a panel failure. Probably faulty tab bond(s)

[Sandy Shack]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Bummer, I was hoping that it would be a bad TCON board, since that would be a relatively simple fix. I did try to the flex the screen to see if I could get the picture to change to try to test for bad tab bonds, but I guess I need to do some more testing. Just for my own education, any particular reason why this does not appear to be a bad TCON? I have checked out the TCON troubleshooting guide here on BadCaps, as well as done other investigation on the web, so I really hoped it would be the TCON. What should I expect from a TCON failure?
Thanks for the help in advance.

[Sandy Shack]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Ok, I did some more surfing on the web, so I can answer my own questions. Definitely looks like I have a panel problem. I found a couple of Sony TCON training manuals and troubleshooting guides that I have attached to help others learn like me. Tomorrow I will start to tear the tv panel apart to see if I can isolate the problem to a tab bond. If I find anything out, I will update this thread. Meanwhile, if anyone else has any suggestions, I would welcome them.

[capkid]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Yeah, that looks like a bad panel to me - not uncommon in Sony LCD TVs.

[Sandy Shack]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Here is an update outlining what I have experimented with the last couple of weeks. With the tv off the wall, and the back cover off, I next removed the metal frame securing the LCD screen and covering the tab bonds. I inspected each tab bond and tried to press on the connection to see if I could get any picture change. Nothing happened. Next, I unplugged the Tcon connectors feeding each of the tab bond sides. First the Right (problem side), then the Left. After reconnecting the Tcon connectors, the picture cleared up, but was not 100% correct. The blurring, ghosting, bad fade out, etc. all markedly improved. The only issues were reduced brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen versus the left, AND there are 2 horizontal "pixel" lines that start from the Right and slowly fade out towards the Left. Each horizontal "pixel" line is about 6.5" in from both the top and bottom of the screen. Pictures 6a & 6b show this if you look closely.
Since the tv was viewable again, I put the metal frame back on around the LCD screen. Shortly after I did this, the picture went out on the Right side again... ghosting, fade out, black image, etc. So I started to wonder if there was something with the metal frame surrounding the LCD screen. So I took the metal frame off again, and pulled, then reconnected the Tcon cables, and the screen cleared up again, except for the 2 horizontal pixel lines, and the slight lower brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen. I repeated this situation a couple more times, metal frame on versus off, and had the same results. Since the issue only seemed to happen with the metal LCD frame installed, I inspected the metal frame, but could find nothing wrong with any of the electrical insulation pads, or anything else that would seem to cause this problem. I did notice that on a few spots on the top of the screen, especially near the Tcon board ribbon cables, the metal frame got VERY hot. So hot that I couldn't let my fingers stay in contact with the metal frame in those spots and not get burned. That made me wonder if somehow the metal frame was trapping excess heat and causing some other electrical problems. So I cut the top section of the metal LCD frame off. What was left was a 3-sided metal frame (2 sides & bottom), and I was able to secure the LCD panel with this modified metal frame with no problem. I then let the tv work for most of the day, turning it on and off, changing channels, etc. It seemed fine, except for the same 2 horizontal pixel lines and the slightly lower brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen.
Since the tv seemed to be viewable and consistent, I put the back cover back on and mounted it on the wall. It worked fine for a couple of days. Then one day when I turned it on, the bad ghosting, fade out, black images on the right side returned. I tried shutting off the tv, then turning back on with no affect. Next I turned it off, and unplugged it, waited a few minutes and turned it on again. The image "improved". No ghosting, no right side fade out or black images, but still the 2 horizontal "pixel" lines and the reduced brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen. This condition continued for the next few days. When the tv was cold, it often (but not always) started up with a totally messed up right side screen, that "improved" by shutting it off and unplugging it for a few minutes.
After a few days of this, one day I was unable to "improve" the image by just turning off the tv and unplugging it. So once again I pulled the tv off the wall, took the back cover off and tried disconnecting the Tcon cables and reattaching them. Again the image "improved" but still had the 2 horizontal pixel lines and the slightly lower brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen. Since disconnecting the Tcon cables seemed to be the only thing that consistently gave me a viewable screen, I decided to cut out an 8" section of the plastic tv back at the top of the Tcon board so I could access the Tcon cables without removing the tv from the wall, or removing the back from the tv. I then put the tv back on the wall in this condition.
The tv has been operating for almost a week this way. Some mornings, the tv is totally messed up on the right side when I first turn it on, but some mornings it is fine. If it is messed up, all I have to do is get on a stepstool, lift up the little access panel I created on the top of the back panel just above the Tcon board to access the Tcon cables. then just flip the disconnect tab on the Right Tcon ribbon cable. The screen image goes to mostly white on the right side, and if I secure the disconnect tab back down onto the Tcon board, the white image "improves" so that the only issue is the 2 horizontal pixel lines, and the slight reduced brightness on the right 1/3 of the screen. Once the tv is "improved", so long as it doesn't shut off and cool down, it stays just like this all day long. Anyone have any thoughts about this situation? Could it be that I have both a Tcon and a LCD panel problem?

[GoneGault]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

I don't have an answer Sandy, but I did like your detailed investigation. I have a Sony Bravia and may have to try some of your ideas on it.

[bdj52]

Re: Sony Bravia KDL-52W5100, - Bad TCON Board?

Check this video if you haven't. It might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW998RTAq-0