RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

[jburger]

Hello there,

I have an RCA 55" Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) LED TV (RTU5540). Bought 1 year, one month ago at Walmart. This TV has a manufacture date of September 2018. It is less than a year and a half old, but RCA said it is out of warranty and there is nothing they can do for me. Walmart also refused the return, as they have a 30-day return policy. I am so frustrated with this, so I am attempting a DIY job on repairs.

The TV has only been used sparingly. The unit turns on fine with a blue LED indicator. There are yellow lights / blobs in the lower left hand corner and a crack in the screen. All other parts of the screen are pitch black. What parts do I need to fix this television myself? Could you link the parts if possible and any guidance for this first time repair? I am condifent in my repair skills, but I will still appreciate any help or pointers you may have.

I have enclosed a picture of the bad tv as an attachment. Here it is from imgur:

https://m.imgur.com/a/YNYhoW2

Is it a bad LCD panel? A bad screen? Are there strips that make up the screen? Where do I buy the correct replacement part(s) for the best price?

Thanks much for your help and advice.

Sincerely,

jburger

[neilc6]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Damaged panel. Unrepairable. The backlights would probably go in another year or two if you don't put it in Energy Saving picture mode.

[jburger]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

@neilc6 - So it is totally unrepairable? They don't sell the panels anywhere? Thanks for your quick response and help.

Do you or other forum members have any recommendations on a reliable ~50" flat panel TV on a budget? This RCA cost $250 on sale. I won't be buying RCA anymore, since I was so unhappy with it only lasting one measly year! I would like something that will last a long time. FYI, I still have my Maytag A612 washing machine manufactured in 1985 and it still works like a charm. Just change out 2 belts every 5 years or so. Any comparable models in the television world for someone on a budget?

[nomoresonys]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Skip off brands and Samsung, Samsung quality has gone down steadily for quite a while. The off brands can be a major pain sometimes when you just want to update firmware or something simple like that and it's nowhere to be found. Skip RCA skip Toshiba, they are not name brands anymore, RCA sold their name so RCA doesn't really exist anymore.

[budwich]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

how did the crack just "appear"?????

[R_J]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

@neilc6 - So it is totally unrepairable? They don't sell the panels anywhere? Thanks for your quick response and help.

Do you or other forum members have any recommendations on a reliable ~50" flat panel TV on a budget? This RCA cost $250 on sale. I won't be buying RCA anymore, since I was so unhappy with it only lasting one measly year! I would like something that will last a long time. FYI, I still have my Maytag A612 washing machine manufactured in 1985 and it still works like a charm. Just change out 2 belts every 5 years or so. Any comparable models in the television world for someone on a budget?

Someone damaged the screen and its RCA's fault? Don't buy any brand because they ALL have fragile screens.

[jburger]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Skip off brands and Samsung, Samsung quality has gone down steadily for quite a while. The off brands can be a major pain sometimes when you just want to update firmware or something simple like that and it's nowhere to be found. Skip RCA skip Toshiba, they are not name brands anymore, RCA sold their name so RCA doesn't really exist anymore.

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of buying Samsung, but will reconsider with your quality assessment.

@All Others - The yellow blobs just appeared one day when I turned on the power. Then the screen flickered with vertical lines and went black. Maybe something came loose with the matrix board and ribbon cables that go to the LCD screen. I pushed on the yellow blobs very gently with my finger, thinking there was some loose electrical connection, and that caused the hairline crack you see in the image. The warranty was supposed to be for the yellow blob and failed LCD panel issue. It is exactly one year and one month since purchase, so one month out of RCA's 365-day warranty. I will try writing the company sales department to see if they sell new panels with attached matrix boards, and if not, I will scrap this TV for the main parts, and sell them on eBay to cover the loss of this TV.

[dvd4me]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Hello, this is quite old, I wonder if someone has a dump of this model, mine it's continually flashing the test pattern screens, red, blue, etc. I assume it's a corrupt eeprom, I want to try to re-load the fw.
Thanks

[dick_barton]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Have you searched through the EEPROM DUMP thread to see if available?

[Petejanzen]

Re: RCA 55" LED TV Screen Repair Help!!! (Model # RTU5540)

Hello, this is quite old, I wonder if someone has a dump of this model, mine it's continually flashing the test pattern screens, red, blue, etc. I assume it's a corrupt eeprom, I want to try to re-load the fw.
Thanks

Dvd4me did you ever end up finding the dump for that tv? Im also looking for it. Thanks