August 15, 2006
Samsung DLP Frequent Questions
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Since I posted a few how-to articles on repairing Samsung DLP televisions, I get a lot of email about the subject.
I’m not a TV repair-man (well I guess I am now technically, but not by trade) and I cannot offer professional advice, but that’s never stopped me before!
Here are a few questions that are representative of what I’ve been getting.
“I have a samsung dlptv which I replaced the lamp with no problem. The tv works but the color is messed up. What do you think is the matter? Of
course, our warranty expired.”
My response to this (which is, by no coincidence, the same response my family all gets when their computers aren’t working) was to “reboot” the television. To do this, you must actually unplug it from the wall. Televisions and other electronic devices don’t actually power down completely when you turn off the power switch. Unplug it (after powering it off and waiting for the fan to stop!), wait a few minutes, plug it back in, turn it on.
I’m happy to report that author of the above question wrote back to me and the problem was resolved by unplugging the set. She also said she unplugged the cable box, so maybe the problem was there. Who knows. Doesn’t matter. It’s fixed.
“How do you reset the lamp hours counter?” and “How do you get into the service menu?”
I don’t know if the service menu is a big secret or not, but since I’m not the first to publish this, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
From Extremetech.com:
For those inclined to get into service mode on Samsung DLP TVs, simply turn your system off, then use the remote and press the following buttons with about .5 to .75 seconds delay between presses: MUTE-1-8-2-POWER.
Once in the service menu, select the bottom item, Options, and from there you can reset the lamp counter.
I’ve never played with any of these settings. I’d strongly caution against any “curiosity tweaks” in there.
I turn on the set, it tries to turn on the lamp, but gives up after several attempts and several seconds. Finally it ends up with three blinking lights
I think the most common cause of this problem is a faulty lamp. If you have replaced the lamp, or otherwise have reason to believe that it is not the lamp, it may be the ballast (the thing that starts up the lamp). You can purchase a ballast at a good price at partstore.com. (approx $140 vs. $180 at samsungparts.com)
my 61″dlp turns on for a few min then shuts off w/ 3 blinking lights. replaced the bulb and clean out the fans, but still dead. It seems like theres an imprint left on the screen when i first turn it on before i get the picture. Anyway its not the bulb, fans, color wheel(changed that last year and no whinning sound), and probably not the ballast since I can see picture for a couple min. Could it be the dmd board? Dont want to spend too much fixing it when I can buy something smaller and about the price of dmd board. Help me out please, its football season and my old heavy 27″ just cant compare to it.
Hello Chen,
I am having an issue similar to yours.
What was the resolution to your problem?
Regards,
Charles Cooper
I had to have the engine replaced. It cost $800. It’s stinks, but at the time it was cheaper than a new 52″ TV. Now I would suggest geting a new TV. I still have problems sometimes when I turn it on. The picture is all red. I have to turn it off and lit sit for minute and resets the picture. Samsung service hasn’t clue as to what is wrong with it. They won’t even call me back it now.
Please help- I am going insane! Unfortunately it sounds like this is a common, and annoying, problem: my Samsung DLP (HL-S5086W), which is 2 yrs old, turns off on it’s own quite a few times (and it’s getting worse) before it will stay on for awhile- and then it will stay on for hours… after reading many forums, I’m assuming it’s the lamp or ballast- but how do I know which?
When it turns off, the standby/temp and lamp indicators flash (not the timer light), and the manual says all three flash when the lamp needs to be replaced. And the picture is fine, so those things lead me to think it’s not the lamp. I’d rather not spend a ton of money getting a tech out here if I don’t have to. Any thoughts? Thanks- I truly appreciate your time.
I have a Samsung HLS5086 DLP tv it started to have black dots(2) which turned to white dots and has multiplied into about 40 white dots more coming every day. Does anyone know what the problem is checked this forum can’t find anyone else with this problem. It is 18 mnths old and of course no extended warranty.
Sharon, have you found out anything about this?
thanks,
mxl
i have the sae problem i am goin to try to replace the bulb i am goin to take it to a tv repair shop il telll u what they say bout the problem
I have a HL-5667W (Nov 2005). My TV, AV1 and AV2 mode gives me a greenish image over like a black and white image. The DVD on HDMI and TV Guide screen color is perfect. I am out of warranty. Samsung tech support could not definitively identify the problem. Has anyone had this problem or know what it could be? only 2000hrs on bulb and color wheel does not have any symptom of defectiveness, know of a good Samsung authorized repair shop in NJ?
Hello Charles,
Did you find the fix for this problem?
Thanks
Viv
I have a HL-S6767W in which the CW started making noise. Then the other day the set died, just giving the 3 blinking lights. Replaced the color wheel (original was hard to turn by hand when removed) and put in a new lamp. Still nothing. When I power up I get a click, the tone then a blinking lamp light. The set will do the click, tone cycle about 3 times and then I get all three lights blinking again. What else should I check? One question, the ribbon cable for the CW is plugged in with the tinned (silver) side facing the back of the set. Is this correct? Also, should the blue interlock switch be pushed down when the cover is replaced, or up?
thanks,
I have an HLR5067W, it just started to not changes sources saying ” no connections found” then it flashes “check fan number 3″. I have a game console, of air antenna, and satellite receiver hooked up to it. It was working fine then one day I turn it on and tada errors. Any ideas?
Hey Guys!
Well I have to say I’ve read alot of posts 3/4 of them are questions though. I am puzzled because it seems as if hardly any of them are being answered. People are having DLP breakdown’s and there’s no one to help. What’s up??
With that said I have a 56″ Samsung DLP 1080p HDTV that I bought 01/2007 and its shutting down like crazy after its been playing for awhile. Does anyone care to expound on the possiblitites for diagnosis. I’m thinking it is a faulty thermal detector..Whats your view??
I have a a 6″ shadow on the left side of my 56″ DLP Samsung . I can see a faint image of the picture under
the shadow. Could there be something blocking a small part of the lamp.? How long after unplugging
the set are the components discharged?
It certainly does sound like something is blocking the light path.
Perhaps some of the light-shielding foam came loose or was moved into
the light path.
As for the components being discharged, I'm not sure. But the
dangerous stuff is mostly contained to the light ballast, which is
pretty well contained and something you can avoid. Since you know
enough to ask, you probably know enough to not touch the capacitors.
Hello all! I'm relatively new to this forum, but I am having some problems with a Samsung DLP 61″ rear projection TV the model # is HLR6168W. The warranty is expired and as of late I've noticed the 2-3″ wide tint difference (seems darker) going down the left side of the screen. But more importantly, I'm having a problem with half the screen going black after 2-3 hours of use. The other half just continues on and works fine. So I have to turn the TV off count to 30 or so turn it back on and the screen returns to normal but it does reappear. That jsut continues to happen. I thought I read something about a light engine being the problem or part of a board?? Does anyone have any ideas?? I would totally appreciate it. Thanks.
I have a HLR-5067W DLP TV, AV1-3 mode audio is normal except video, HDMI and PC are normal,
my friend suggest to fix the analog portion, so I'll try the analog board recently, Hope this will solve
the problem.
My 48″ dlp screen has started flickering. This happens after it's been on for a few hours, starts slowly, then gets pretty nutty. Sometimes the entire screen will go white. I can shut off the set for a bit and turn it on and I'm good to go for a few hours again. The bulb is very old, pushing 10k hours but the set is still nice and bright. There don't seem to be any noticeable noises. However, once, the white flashes/flickers did accompany what sounded like a spinning squeak with each flicker. Could the color wheel cause the flickering? Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
Have you figured out what your issue was? I am having the same issue with my DLP.
Had the same problem on 61″ DLP Samsung. After changing color wheel (thanks Jangro and guy who posted video on youtube) had aprox 6″ bar down left side. It is because one of the four mirrors in the light tunnel came loose and is barely out of place but enough to cast a shadow. Do a search for “collapse light tunnel” and a lot of people have discussed and is well known problem with Samsung. Anyway, you can buy a new light tunnel on Samsungparts.com. I just took it back apart and fiddled with the mirrors so they were all flat against the sides of the tunnel. Then gingerly put it back together. If you were able to take out the colorwheel, the light tunnel is intuitive.
Thank you very much. I appreciate the information.
I've heard that Samsung has issued an offical response to this question. The jist was that the lamp cover has a switch on it that frequently gets improperly positioned and it causes periodic shutdowns.
Recently the “lamp indicator light” has come on my Samsung (model: HLP5085WX/XAA) tv, and shut the unit down. To my knowledge this has happened (3) times. Yesterday, aprox. 1min after turning the TV on, it shut off and sounded like the bulb blew. However, I think I heard the glass falling into the fan located just below the bulb cartrige, but have only found a couple specs of glass on the fan itself . I also noticed the square glass between the bulb and color wheel is cracked. Is the glass replaceable or will I need to replace the colorwheel assy? Is there a manual available that could walk me through taking the fan out to clean/inspect?
Has read with the pleasure, very interesting post, write still, good luck to you!
What is the fix?? Who would I contact to have the lamp cover positoned properly.
i have a Samsung HLN4365W 43-Inch Widescreen Projection HDTV with DLP Technology and like for few hours on the picture strats blinkin like it was static and it turns off ? what it migth be ?
Hello I have a question. I have a Samsung HLP5063w and recently replaced the bulb. Tv worked for about a month and now its shutting off again but now has a buzzing sound. I am pretty sure its the color wheel because that is where the sound is coming from with the back off. My question is if the color wheel is bad and wont spin at all or up to speed will that shut the tv down? I can get a picture when I know its spinning and it doesnt when its not. Or is this just a coincidense?
Hi. I am having problems with the color also. I have no red. I tried the unplugging thing. In the menu, it doesn't give me the tint option adjustment. I did the thingie where you see the picture and "customiize it," but I don't see any changes at all. I feel I am missing something. I did buy the set used, but it was still in the box, and the remote was still sealed, etc, so it shouldn't have to have a new lamp or anything yet. Any other ideas? How long does it have to be unplugged? My husband may have not waited long enough.
My tv is Samsung HLR4667WAX/XAA and is connected to a direct tv receiver. When I turn on the set, it tries to turn on the lamp, but it doesn't. So I unplug the power cord from the outlet and replug in after about 30 seconds, it works with a melody sounds. What is a problem with the tv?
My Samsung DLP 50 inch TV must be the worst tv ever. Never experinced the rpoblems im having with this tv with any other sets ive owned. i had the color wheel replaced about a year ago. This morning the tv had no picture and kept shutting on and off. The sound was fine- if only it were a radio - help
Black and white spots on the screen of my HLT6176sx. Replaced the DMD board with no change. I believe the DMD mirror is bad, but can't find a Samsung part number.
Any suggestions?
Just a quick tip that can save some frustration…
After replacing your new lamp be sure to replace all of the door casings and screws before you attempt to test the operation of the TV. The TV senses a missing door when all screws are not replaced (my model does anyways- HLR4264WX/XAC). It makes you feel like you went and bought a new lamp for $150 and its not actually the problem…why not just feel the joy of having your baby back??
I just bought the Samsung 52" LN52A650 LCD TV. It has a "powering on" sound when I turn on the TV and also a "powering off" sound when I turn it off. Does anyone know how to turn off this feature? It gets kind of annoying. It's a great TV overall.
Look for the “Melody” option within the setup menus.
I have a 61″ Samsung HDTV. The color started to get weird, like orange and greens were not displaying right. I turned the tv off and then on and now the picture is jumbled and it “shakes”. I now have picture with some black and white. Can anyone explain to me how to fix this? It seems like the picture is jumping from side to side.
I have a Samsung DLP 61 HLS6186WX/XAA. TV turns off with lamp light blinking and power lite blinking and then then turn off. I am able to turn the TV back on and after a while the same problem occurs
I have the same problem: HLS6165WX/XAA. I unplug the TV, then plug it back in and turn it back on. It is then OK for a long while. I would love to fix this problem, so if anybody has any ideas on what needs to be done, let me know.
Hi,
I have a HLP 4663W which started making a loud vibrating noise and I gathered its the color wheel. On opening it, I found the color wheel was shattered so I replaced it with a new wheel and assembly (after waiting for 6 weeks on backorder). Now when I turn on the TV, the wheel spins up for 4-6 seconds and then spins down. Its not able to continually spin.. it happends for three times and then the unit turns off… so the lamp doesn’t fire either.
I tried with the older broken wheel, which spins continuously but no lamp..
What could be the problem ? Any thoughts will be appreciated..
-Champa.
Hello Champa,
I am experiencing a similar issue.
Did you find a resolution for your problem?
Regards,
Charles Cooper
check youtube under Samsung white dots VERY INFORMATIVE
My HLT6197X/XAA version RE01 gave a pop and we lost picture and sound. Been waiting for repair 3 weeks now. Service man says “powerboard” After aother week of waiting, spoke with Samsung; they say sounds like a lamp issue. I don’t know….Can anyone help?
I had this problem too. If you follow the directions for removing the bulb/lamp you can see if the bulb is popped. Mine was really obvious so I replaced the lamp. It worked great and I didn’t have to worry about buying/replacing the board. The popping noise was the key for me.
We have had 3 LED lamp light engine assemblys here within the past week….none worked. One was for an old model with the bulb, one was for a 56″ unit and the box was mismarked, and the third was for a later model 61″ and the connections were totally different. Unbelieveable! The tech also pointed out that they were “rebuilt” units, so a word to the wise……..This does not bode well, since I had called Samsung’s “official parts supplier”, J&J Parts Int’l last week inq
Oops! inquiring about a LED light engine for my particular unit and was told “not in stock and will not be available”. If true, there will be some more unhappy campers among us!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have a 50″ samsung dlp
i’ve replaced the bulb, looked at the color wheel which checks out perfectly, and dusted the internals out to perfection.
however, after being on for only a matter of minutes it starts flickering white in random spots, like a shading or something.
what can i do?
Hi,
I have a Samsung HL-S5687W purchased 30th November 2006 from circuit city with 3 year warranty. Lately my bulb start to under-perform and also had some intermitent issues in my HDMI connection where the source is working nicely but the TV wouldn’t recognize it suddenly and after a couple of minutes of shutting down the TV and switching it back it would be okay. When I contacted for the warranty service they said they will replace the bulb and a AV connector PCB which could be causing the issue. It was done on 20th of June 2009.
After the technician left a hour after the TV presented a new set of issues, now the TV if it runs for a
1)while it starts shutting down automatically with yellow colored grid appearing just before it shuts down and then starts all by itself.
2)This repeats at around every 30 second and when this continues for say 8-10 time it shuts of the TV completely and at which point you power it back up.
3)Once powered back up it’s back to step 1
4)After going through this routine a bunch of times, say 5-6 times the TV loses it’s ability to communicate with any remote and even it’s front panel button becomes disabled.
I have gone really crazy with this thing happening.
Any help is really appreciated.
Thanks
make sure the safety switch is facing up on the small diffuser cover or just rap the wires to hold it up,
No, it must face down. I saw this on a service bulletin.
Buy A new TV
I replaced my color wheel. I noticed the picture is down from the top about a 1/2 inch. what do I do to get it back up. I have a samsung hlp 4663w model lcd.
I have the same problem with mine. Have you found the reason for this.
check youtube under “Samsung white dots” very informative