Member Avatar for chupicabra28

Hello everyone,

I have a viewsonic 17" VG175 LCD that is giving me a major headache!!

When I start up my computer basically it flickers massively horrizontally with hundreds of lines and kinda snows for about an hour before finally it synchs or something and then looks great. I have tried taking the monitor off this computer and trying it on one other computer I have access to and it does the same exact thing. I have tried updating the bios on my mother board, I have tried another video card, same problem, nothing seems to help.

I think the monitor is dying but I am unsure as to what to do, do you think it would be worthwhile to get it repaired as these things are pretty expensive (cheapest I could find it for on pricewatch.com was $700 Ouch) or use the piddly $400 I have to get a new monitor.

I bought this monitor used on ebay from a day trader in chicago for $340 who said he barely used it. It has had this problem since the beginning, I tried to get tech support for the monitor as technically it was still under warranty, but it turns out it was bought refurbished by him which he failed to mention on his auction! Anyway I confronted him over this and he said he would be willing to pay half for the repairs and what did I expect out of a used monitor, well I was going to sue and all this bunk, but in the end I kinda got side tracked at work and now I am stuck with this thing.

Mainly I need a monitor with good eye relief something that I can look at for hours on end without eyestrain, and up until recently this was the one!

Well any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Member Avatar for TallCool1

Hello everyone,

I have a viewsonic 17" VG175 LCD that is giving me a major headache!!

When I start up my computer basically it flickers massively horizontally with hundreds of lines and kinda snows for about an hour before finally it synchs or something and then looks great.

It sounds like a hardware problem, like a thermally-intermittent driver integrated circuit that clears up when it gets warm. It may well be within economical repair.

Member Avatar for chupicabra28

Wow thanks for your fast reply! Do you know about how much it might cost to repair? Recommend any repair shops?


Thanks again for your help!

Member Avatar for chupicabra28

Tallcool1,

Well I talked to the only authorized repair center in California and they charge a standard flat labor charge of $185 for this monitor along with a $60 diagnostic fee. Also without telling him anything other than what the problem was, he came to the same conclusion you did and said that it is probably a bad capacitor which would be $10 to replace which they don't charge.

Think I should go for it? Or should I just go and get a nice CRT for about the same price?

Member Avatar for draven66

I have the exact same LCD panel with the same symptoms. Did you end up isolating the problem / fixing it? I'm just going to crack it open and clean / wiggle the contacts and flex cables in hopes of getting lucky but I've been told it's probably an IC or bad cap that I am not handy enough with a soldering iron to repair. If its ok after being on for 10 minutes like mine then theres gotta be a bad contact somewhere, if only I could find it!

Member Avatar for Canizes

Hi Im Nuno From Portugal I have FIX my Viewsonic today its easy cost-me 0.20€ and 30 minutes ... and its like new.... Mail nunocanizes@hotmail.com

Member Avatar for Canizes

Please stop sending mails i have received lots of email asking for the solucion ! I WILL GIVE YOU ! But i need to reopen my monitor for take some pictures of what you need to change ! Please give me time for that ! it will be easy 30 minutes! only take 1 transistor and put olher one with the same caracteristics! but smd its not easy ! whait for my instrutions and take the right one ! dond start to mess with that! Sorry for my english !

Nuno from portugal !

Now I have 12 monitors to repair at my home because of this post and im not taking money i have buy a lot of 20 transistors SMD ! them if you need i mail you the transistor! SEE you People! Im working now on my next project ! DEAD Board of presario 700 ! Lets see if i can help too!


Nuno

Member Avatar for scottyoo

heres the exact picture.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dmajaess/detail?.dir=37be&.dnm=27e2.jpg&.src=ph

Hi,

I'm new here. I got here from google when I searched "Viewsonic LCD problem". I was so glad that I found these posts.

I opened my LCD panel, because mine is VA800, and found the circuit board is exactly the same as the picture execpt bios on the board. However, I'm having a little problem with reading information on the part and wondering if someone help me with where I can buy this part and what I need to tell them to buy this.

Thank you,
Scott

Member Avatar for jambajoe

Hi,

I'm new here. I got here from google when I searched "Viewsonic LCD problem". I was so glad that I found these posts.

I opened my LCD panel, because mine is VA800, and found the circuit board is exactly the same as the picture execpt bios on the board. However, I'm having a little problem with reading information on the part and wondering if someone help me with where I can buy this part and what I need to tell them to buy this.

Thank you,
Scott

Hi, I found some other links about this - one author says its a 16V 1uF cap:

http://home.rochester.rr.com/bkdavis/Tech.html#viewsonic

I just had my 2nd VG175 fail with this symptom, and I'm about to try fixing it myself.

- JambaJoe

Member Avatar for Amy Lauren

Hi, I found some other links about this - one author says its a 16V 1uF cap:

http://home.rochester.rr.com/bkdavis/Tech.html#viewsonic

I just had my 2nd VG175 fail with this symptom, and I'm about to try fixing it myself.

- JambaJoe

The ViewSonic product specialist says that there is nothing in his database about this problem, and the company insists that this is not a known defect in the product. If you have this problem, please take the time to contact the company--even if your unit is no longer under warranty, even if you've already bought a replacement unit.

Member Avatar for jambajoe

The ViewSonic product specialist says that there is nothing in his database about this problem, and the company insists that this is not a known defect in the product. If you have this problem, please take the time to contact the company--even if your unit is no longer under warranty, even if you've already bought a replacement unit.

Do you have a link or email address to report this to the company?

Incidentally, I've made the repairs on both monitors (cost me $1 each for a 1 uF capacitor at radio shack). Both monitors work again. Yay!

Member Avatar for Amy Lauren

At www.viewsonic.com , click on the Contact Us (at the very bottom of the page) and you'll see phone numbers. You can also click on e-mail support (but they do not give out an e-mail address). The waits on the phone can be looong; the staff will try to get rid of you quickly--you have to be persistent and insist on "escalating" your complaint. Or write to ViewSonic, 381 Brea Canyon Rd, Walnut CA 91789--Attention Administration.

Member Avatar for Amy Lauren

If you follow the photos that are linked to this thread, you or a handy friend can repair your unit. The 16V 1- microfarad capacitor cost me 25 cents. The repair took 20 minutes start to finish.

But as best as I can tell, there is one typo in the otherwise-helpful instructions at home.rochester.rr.com/bkdavis: the bad capacitor is at C19, not C16.

Member Avatar for txironhead

Do you have a link or email address to report this to the company?

Incidentally, I've made the repairs on both monitors (cost me $1 each for a 1 uF capacitor at radio shack). Both monitors work again. Yay!

The 1uF capacitor I found at Radio Shack is 50 volts maximum (part #272-996). I read elsewhere in this thread that I need a 1uF 16V capacitor. Will this work?

Member Avatar for agcrane

Hi, I found some other links about this - one author says its a 16V 1uF cap:

http://home.rochester.rr.com/bkdavis/Tech.html#viewsonic

I just had my 2nd VG175 fail with this symptom, and I'm about to try fixing it myself.

- JambaJoe

I have one of these monitors ( VG175 ) and had the same problem till I repaired it. I am a technician, so it was kinda nice for me to know what to do/check.
I have a capacitor checker and all of the 1uf / 16v capacitors were bad in mine...
the 1 uf caps are the RGB input and replacing them you give you a better `spank ' to the picture. ( going with no schematic & the one's Ive seen before).
if your still having problems..let me know

andy

Member Avatar for flyingspyder

I have one of these monitors ( VG175 ) and had the same problem till I repaired it. I am a technician, so it was kinda nice for me to know what to do/check.
I have a capacitor checker and all of the 1uf / 16v capacitors were bad in mine...
the 1 uf caps are the RGB input and replacing them you give you a better `spank ' to the picture. ( going with no schematic & the one's Ive seen before).
if your still having problems..let me know

andy

Andy. The links on this forum are not there now, and i am having the same prob. would you happen to have a pic or current link to help me out. Im not opposed to trying it on my monitor myself, but it would help if I knew what to look for and a brief description of what to do. Thanks, Scott

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