Expert: cleggsan - 3/20/2004

Question
I've got a 36' Toshiba, several years old.  It one day wouldn't turn on.  We started switching the plug to different outlets on the power strip and noticed the tv then worked! Eventually that didn't work anymore.  We stopped using it for about a month and one day decided to try it again... it worked.  This time turning it on didn't require us to switch outlets each time we wanted to turn it on.  Now its dead again.  When we do switch outlets, the tv makes the sound when we would ordinarily turn it on but then immediately switch off.  Its like trying to crank up a car on a cold day.  Im not too sure if its worth hauling this heavy thing to the repair shop, paying a high repair cost, and then hauling this thing back home.  If its not worth it we'll just get a new HDTV.  Does this sound like a cheap repair or something i might be able to do myself? Or should I just go ahead and get a new one?

Answer
No, this is not an inexpensive repair.   The set has failed either in the power management circuits or, more seriously, one of the deflection systems has failed.

The turn on sound is the power management system trying to switch the power ON relay; the current monitoring system is detecting excessive current drain from somewhere in the set and turning  itself off.  These are among the most serious problems that a set can have.

The reason why unplugging the set worked for a while is because the power management was going in to shutdown; when you replugged it caused a reset.

You can try it again; a full reset requires at least a 4 to 6 hour disconnect of the power cord.  But, it seems your set has permanently failed.  It means that whatever was causing the overdrain of current has finally failed to a point that the set will no longer overcome the shut down procedures.

Therefore, now is a good time to replace it. It is generally recommended that a set be replaced if it is over 4 years of age and has a serious problem; yours is serious.

The new digital, wide screen and HDTV sets are getting very attractive now days and it would be  a good time to start shopping them.

All the best,
Cleggsan