40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

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  • mdr
    Member
    • Oct 2013
    • 11
    • USA

    #1

    40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

    Hi.
    Fixed my first TV about 3 months ago and have been hooked ever since. This site has been invaluable. I've now got 7 now-working TVs under my belt (and much bigger TVs than I started with in every room). I've even attempted (and apparently succeeded) at changing out a blown scan driver IC on a plasma buffer board. Hoping I can give a little back with this one since it was a PITA to figure out with no schematics or service docs out there and couldn't find this one in the posts.

    This was my friend's Element ELGFT401 that was giving him picture issues. When it was first turned on after being allowed to cool to room temp, the picture was fritzy and jumping around from the moment the 'element' boot screen was displayed. Once it "warmed up" for a minute, the picture was fine. It would occasionally go to solid dark blue screen...sometimes a solid green screen....sometimes the pic would be wavy crazy green / white spaz...my friend says sometimes pic would completely go out and have sound with no picture. Usually turn off and back on would bring it back to life...sometimes some waiting was required.

    All the voltages on Power supply more or less matched what was printed on the board. After a lot of head scratching and searching around the forum posts, decided to try to use the poor man's freeze spray (upside down air-in-a-can) and see if I could find someplace that made the problem come back once it got happy(ish) and was showing a good pic. I found that when I sprayed the "PC board" (SZTHTFTV1812), the screen went nutz. I was able to pretty much completely turn the problem on or off by freezing...or blowing it with a hair dryer. Using various cardboard wedges and MacGyver-esq ingenuity, I was able to narrow it down to a 220uF 10V capacitor on that "PC board". Pulled it out of the board and measured it with my cheapie ESR tester and was showing about 353uF w/ 1.9 ESR. When I froze it, my tester thought it was a diode!

    Popped in a temp fix 220uF 35V (closest I could grab at local RadioShat for a quick temp test). Dropped that guy in and...ta-da! No more crack-frenzied spaz-tastic screen schenanighans. Used it for a couple hours...froze it...heated it...no more issues!!! Gonna give it back to him to run until a proper cap comes in.

    If this post helps you at all...please add to the post and share your experience. Looks like lots of other TVs share this same base sub LCD controller "PC board" Part Number - SZTHTFTV1812 (Other Elements, Seiki, Sylvania, Viore, Westinghouse..based on my quick feEBAY and shopJimmy searches).
    Attached Files
  • jvriffel
    New Member
    • Mar 2014
    • 2
    • USA

    #2
    Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

    This is exactly the same trouble I am having with mine, ELGFW551. No noticeable bad caps so I just ordered a new PC Board, hoping it fixes mine also.

    Comment

    • jvriffel
      New Member
      • Mar 2014
      • 2
      • USA

      #3
      Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

      Got the new board today, installed it and working perfectly again for an hour so far. Glad I found the post was way easy fix for $37 board

      Comment

      • mdr
        Member
        • Oct 2013
        • 11
        • USA

        #4
        Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

        The cap on my buddy's board also showed no signs of being toast. That's great to hear you were able to fix your tv. I've learned a lot from this messageboard and I'm happy taking the time to post helped at least one person out there. Thanks for sharing your model #...hopefully it helps the next guy with your same model.

        Comment

        • twbranch
          Mad Nerd
          • Oct 2012
          • 153
          • USA

          #5
          Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

          Thanks for this post. I have one of these tvs and knew that it being a cheapy would some trouble one day. So far it is doing great and no problems but if ever it does have problem, hopefully this will help. Thanks again!

          Comment

          • truep
            Badcaps Veteran
            • Aug 2010
            • 373
            • USA

            #6
            Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

            Just leave the 35V cap in there It will be fine (or better than the original) You can go up in voltage, but not down.

            Comment

            • sankaty
              New Member
              • Mar 2013
              • 1
              • United States

              #7
              Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

              Hi All - just garbage picked one of these Element ELGFT401's - had the same problem with weird screen - repaired using the 220uf 35v cap on the digital board from RatShack.

              Sadly the HDMI processor must be shot because NONE of the hdmi ports work. Just using comp instead. Thanks for the post!

              Comment

              • nipplehead
                New Member
                • Nov 2015
                • 9
                • United States

                #8
                Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                Ok, just so you ....YOU GUYS ROCK! My sister turned me onto this site the other day because of this same issue thatI'm having with this tv that I got from a house I had to clean out for a friend and I'm just getting ready to try the prescribed fix which you wonderful people have supplied,IN AWESOME detail I might ad!
                I just wanted to thank you in advance for what is the BEST help I've encountered to dateonline or anywhere! I will post a pic(btw GREAT pic's too) as soon as I'm done.
                once aagainn incase I wasn't clear ....YOU GUYS ROCK!

                Comment

                • nipplehead
                  New Member
                  • Nov 2015
                  • 9
                  • United States

                  #9
                  Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                  ok,so I replaced the cap with another one only it was 16 v instead of 35 v,and it was a cannibalized cap as well(with stores all closed I was hoping for a win) and I still have the same problem only I have lines dancing on the screen now too. Both vert and horizontal.
                  My question is,before I run up to fry's and grab the proper one(220/35) is there anything else that could be causing the same issue?
                  side note:I was having issues with my soldering gun and probably didn't do the best solder job on iteven though it felt and tested fine I'm still not sure how good it really was.
                  Thanks,I look forward to your reply......assuming I get one! LOL
                  Peace

                  Comment

                  • truep
                    Badcaps Veteran
                    • Aug 2010
                    • 373
                    • USA

                    #10
                    Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                    You really need the 35v cap there, It has at least 24 volts across it. Don't get your caps from Fry's unless you know they have low ESR, a brand like Panasonic FM or FC series. I get mine from digikey.
                    That 16V cap is probably leaking and putting noise on the line due to the over voltage on it. Rat Shack caps are crap for this type of operation.

                    Comment

                    • nipplehead
                      New Member
                      • Nov 2015
                      • 9
                      • United States

                      #11
                      Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                      thanks, I appreciate it!I'lll let you know how it works

                      Comment

                      • nipplehead
                        New Member
                        • Nov 2015
                        • 9
                        • United States

                        #12
                        Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                        I'm bummed it didn't work...same dark blue screen with the new cap in.I'm gonna get a replacement board and see if that works. btw my model # isELGFW551

                        Comment

                        • nipplehead
                          New Member
                          • Nov 2015
                          • 9
                          • United States

                          #13
                          Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                          got the new board and it works perfectly,a 50" for 0 bucks with the mount!not bad at all

                          Comment

                          • kdh2012
                            Member
                            • Dec 2012
                            • 17
                            • usa

                            #14
                            Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                            Hey Guys,
                            Just got a 55" Element (ELGFW551) in with the glitching and sometimes a green screen.

                            The cap did it! I'm surprised. I had previously removed it and it tested good, both in uf's and on the ESR meter. Then I found this thread. I replaced it with a 330uf, 16v to give it some extra uf's. It works!

                            I have noticed higher voltage caps tend have higher ESR readings. So I would stick with a 16v vs 35v, unless that is all that is available. Clearly, from above, the 35v cap does work. Just my .02.

                            Thanks!
                            Last edited by kdh2012; 08-03-2016, 04:50 PM. Reason: to include model number

                            Comment

                            • iamraven
                              New Member
                              • Oct 2016
                              • 1
                              • United States

                              #15
                              Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                              I have an Element 55" ELGFW551. I also swapped out the cap with a Radio Shack 220uF 35V and all is working like new now. Thanks for the info.
                              Attached Files

                              Comment

                              • for0you0only
                                New Member
                                • Oct 2016
                                • 1
                                • USA

                                #16
                                Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                                Thank you so much for your post. I was having the same issues with the crack-frenzied screen and blue or green screen.
                                Tried searching for the digital board szthtftv1812 v1.1 but everywhere I looked they were out of stock. Eventually found this forum and post. I switched the 220/10v capacitor to a 220/35v I stripped from an old olevia tv that blew during a storm. From start to finish this project took about 3 hours including the time it took to open both tvs and finding the right capacitor. Worked like a charm and now the tv is back to new again.

                                Comment

                                • Icomratt
                                  New Member
                                  • Mar 2017
                                  • 6
                                  • USA

                                  #17
                                  Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                                  I have the same szthtftv1812 v1.1 I changed out the 220uf 10v with a 220uf 24v and it did not fix it so there are no boards available so may have to part it out!

                                  Comment

                                  • Icomratt
                                    New Member
                                    • Mar 2017
                                    • 6
                                    • USA

                                    #18
                                    Re: 40" Element LCD ELGFT401 Picture Issues

                                    Was able to get it to work! I have 1-Main, 1-power, & 1-t-con boards to sell off for 40" Element LCD ELGFT401

                                    Comment

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