Update 2009-12-08 22:10
Last week, I ordered a new power supply unit from ShopJimmy.com. It arrived on my doorstep last night. And tonight, I had the pleasure of installing it. I'm back in business!
The cause of failure for this monitor was due to a number of faulty electrolytic capacitors on the power supply circuit board. Notice the bulging and split caps of the capacitors in the following images.
Bulging or split caps are the telltale signs of failing or faulty electrolytic capacitors. What causes them to bulge and ultimately split is the buildup of hydrogen gas inside the capacitor; the result of an unstable electrolytic formula used in the manufacturing process. So many of these capacitors have made their way into the market place that this sort of issue is referred to as capacitor plague.
When electrical current is applied to a faulty electrolytic capacitor, the electrolyte becomes unstable and breaks down, releasing hydrogen atoms. As a result, the amount of charge a faulty capacitor can effectively hold is gradually reduced. Since a failing capacitor holds less of a charge, it also discharges faster. In the case of our monitors, we begin to see the effects of this as a flickering screen.
Temperature can also affect the performance of electrolytic capacitors. Imagine a bell curve: a capacitor will hold the most charge at its optimal operating temperature. Which is why a flickering screen may stop flickering after the monitor warms up.
The following walk-through will hopefully shed some light for anyone attempting to replace the power supply unit in their monitor. It's a delicate process, but with skill and care it can be done without damaging the unit.
Replacing the Power Supply Unit
Step 1: Find a clean, flat, and stable workspace with room to lay the display face down and to set aside any parts removed. It's important to remain organized throughout this process so that no parts are lost or broken. Good organization also keeps reassembly simple.
Step 2: If you haven't already done so, you'll need to remove the base stand. The stand is secured to the back of the display with four Philips screws.
Step 3: To remove the bezel, there are three Philips screws along the bottom edge that need to be removed first. With care, the front and back halves of the bezel can then be pried apart. The bezel is held together along the sides and top by a series of interlocking plastic clips. A small Flathead screwdriver can be helpful in prying apart and separating the two pieces, but can also mar and leave marks along the joining edge of both pieces.
It's best to start from the bottom and work your way up along the sides. Be sure to take care when prying loose the corner clips, as these can be problematic. I had difficulty with one of the corners, which to my misfortune lead to a portion of the corner clip being torn away.
Once separated, lift the back half of the bezel free and look over the system for any irregularities. Also, take this opportunity to dust. A blanket of dust only hinders heat dissipation.
The black plastic piece around the composite/s-video connectors in the image below is loosely attached, and can be removed and set aside for now.
Step 4: Next, we disconnect the two ribbon cables to the left of the composite/s-video connectors in the image below. Each of the ribbon cable connectors is secured with a clip. To release the connector clip and disconnect the ribbon cable, depress the tab on the top half of the connector and pull outward.
Be sure to release the securing clip when disconnecting each cable. At first, I didn't understand how these cables were secured. In my first attempt to disconnect the cable, I firmly pulled on the cable without depressing the tab on the connector and sheared the connector clip clean off.
Step 5: On the other side, there's a panel that needs to be removed in order to access and unplug the wires beneath. These wires lead to the Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) that illuminate the display, and are connected directly to the power supply unit being replaced.
The panel is held in place at four points. To remove the panel, gently slide the panel toward the outer edge of the display chassis, unhooking it from the two tabs circled below. Then lift slightly upward and away from the chassis, and slide the panel back away from the outer edge to unhook the other two securing tabs.
Step 6: With the panel removed, disconnect the four sets of wire connectors shown below in the same way the ribbon cables were disconnected. Be sure to depress the tab for each connector in order to release the securing clip when pulling outward to disconnect the wires.
Step 7: With the four sets of wires on the left and two ribbon cables on the right disconnected, the chassis housing the power supply is ready to be lifted off the display. The chassis is loosely fitted to the rear of the display. There is nothing securing the chassis to the screen. However, there is a batch of wires that connects the circuit boards in the chassis to the screen.
The sides of the chassis hug the display screen. Lift the chassis slightly upward off the back of the display to free it from the screen. Since the screen and circuit boards a connected toward the top of the screen, lift the bottom edge upward and flip the chassis over as if hinged to the display along the top edge. Be sure to place something beneath the chassis to give it support and relieve any stress on the connecting wires.
Step 8: There are three Philips screws securing the power supply unit in place, circled in the image below. There is also a small metal panel held in place by the upper-left screw circled below, that will need to be removed and set aside. The power supply unit can then be removed.
Step 9: The power supply unit is coupled to the main board. To disconnect the unit, depress the tab on the connector at the main board and pull the connector outward.
Step 10: Inspect both power supply units. The dimensions, mounting hole locations, and connectors should all be the same. In the image below, the new power supply unit is shown on the left, while the old faulty unit is on the right.
Just follow this walk-through in reverse order to put it all back together again.
Update 2011-01-17 14:27
Still going strong! Daily use includes a computer via DVI, a PlayStation®2 via S-video, and a PlayStation®3 via Component. Since the monitor speakers leave much to be desired, the audio output is passed through the monitor via the mini-phone jack on the front panel to either 2.1 Altec Lansing speakers or Sony wireless headphones.
After reviewing higher resolution photos of the two boards shown above, I have identified the following part and model numbers:
- Part No. of Replacement PS: BN44-00127B
- Model No. of Original PS: IP-58130A
