Vizio P50HDM, "POP!" now distorted color, image not wiping
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New member Username: TimwatPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-08 | 2 years old, out of warranty P50HDM - loud POP, power goes out, then power cycles up. Audio is fine, display has intermittent periods where display seems not to 'wipe' previous image clean, especially in white areas. But then it intermittently goes back to normal. Called ITI, Vizio's out-of-warranty service vendor. Over phone they diagnose as me needing an $800 "separator" board. What is this board? Does their over-the-phone diagnosis make any sense? Any suggestions/help much appreciated. Tim Wat |
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New member Username: HarborcSpring Hill, Florida USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-08 | Unfortunatly for us it's too late to undo the mistake we made in purchasing a Vizio product. I too have been fighting tooth and nail with Vizio. I have the same unit and 90 days past warranty it would not power up suddenly. After many calls to tech support and customer service, they would not budge on either warranteeing my slightly out of warranty unit or provide any assistance as to where or who can fix this thing. I never expected something for nothing as I had tried every tv repair company within a 100 mile radius to my home and NO ONE will even come to look at a Vizio piece of junk! Why you ask? Well alot has to do with the ridiculous prices for their parts. At least 5 times as much as every other major brand. Sure ITI will fix it if you can actually get to speak to any one there. Left 6 messages and about 3 weeks later finally got a call back! Then I thought maybe I should return to Sams Club where I purchased it from and was told by the electronics manager that they have 5 broken units that they can't even get repaired! ITI said $250.00 just too look at it and if suspicion is right it needs a Power Supply and Main Board. How much you ask? $ 500-700 plus the original 250.00 NOT HAPPENING! not for this piece of junk! Also during my adventure with Vizio, over 8 months, They mysteriously stopped selling parts and now send everyone to another company called Vance Baldwin to purchase parts. All the parts that I was orriginally quoted prices from by Vizio are now DOUBLED in price! Don't believe me? go to their site. They wont even sell me a power supply board any more. They say it now is bundled with the entire screen assembly for the astounding price of $4,600. Thats right you read correctly, $4,600 for a part of a television that costs $1,200 brand new! Well next time we know better and please help me to get the word across to as many people as possible not to buy this junk! spend a few more dollars and get something worth the price! Good luck to you and let us know how it ends up. |
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New member Username: BobbrightPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-08 | Replace the Z Sustainer Board, Part # 6871QZH044B and replace the Y Sustainter Board, Part # 6871QYH039B at the same time. If you replace one and not the other the bad one will end up shorting the good one and you'll lose your picture within a week. You can do this work yourself by unplugging the unit and placing it face down on carpet (put down a soft blanket to protect the screen) and unscrewing the back of the unit (a power screw driver works great for this job because there are a few screws involved). The cheapest place to buy these two parts are: |
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New member Username: TimwatPost Number: 6 Registered: Jan-08 | Bob: Thanks so much. I had a guy in Texas (Dale Reich) who is a Vizio repair tech look at my power, Z and Y boards - he said my Y board was bad and said he installed replacement parts on my board for free. Upon receipt back TV didn't work at all - so I've just purchased a Y board off eBay, and will score a new Z board and install them both at same time. Thanks again for the very valuable info - this guy Dale Reich has vanished and is no longer returning my messages or emails. |
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Silver Member Username: Bill984Post Number: 273 Registered: Oct-05 | a friend of mines father in law had the same problem. out of warranty. he must have gotten lucky because they sent a tech to his house and replaced an 800 dollar board. |
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New member Username: BobbrightPost Number: 6 Registered: Apr-08 | There are two additional Y Sustainer supporting Boards called the Upper and Lower Y Boards in the P50HDM that can also be replaced at the time of the Z and Y Replacement. There part numbers are: 6871QDH088A and 6871QDH089A. Although some techies prefer to replace them at the same time as the main Z & Y Boards they probably weren't the cause of the problem and most likely don't need to be replaced. However, if you decide to replace them along with the Z & Y then it's additional insurance that it won't happen again, plus these boards are actually pretty cheap unlike the Z and Y which are a bit more expensive. It's also popular to add two additional CPU fans to the unit for additional cooling. Apparently the POD (Pop of Death) has something to do with the main Z and Y overheating. To add additional CPU Fans, which are also pretty cheap, you'll need a 3 Pin Y-Splitter (M-F) and a 4 Pin Y-Splitter (M-F) for extra plugs to connect to the additional fans but be sure to purchase a super quiet fans since the additional fans will be running along with the two 5 inch super quiet fans that came with the unit. |
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New member Username: GynotaiSan Jose, CA Post Number: 3 Registered: Oct-08 | They say Hindsight is 20-20. It just sucks when you spend your hard earned money on something, you expect it to last more than 2 years. Customer Support doesn't care, and all you're left with is a bad taste in your mouth, and a worthless piece of junk. The joy of a low price is long forgotten when you realize in the long run you've been had. $1500, now 2 years later I have to spend another $400 plus labor to keep it working? Makes the Panasonic model I was looking at the time a bargin by comparison. Sorry, that was the hindsight talking.  Mr. Wang: Remember we are the idiots that allowed you to expand your business from Costa Mesa to Irvine, as well as pull AmTran out of possible bankruptcy. Enjoy your good fortune while you can, because if you keep treating customers like you are, they won't be Customers any more. I wonder if I should part this thing out? :/ After I go buy the Panasonic! Is anyone else thinking Class Action Lawsuit? |
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Bronze Member Username: TimwatPost Number: 14 Registered: Jan-08 | Postcript from another thread - I managed to return the TV to Costco...after 2 years and out of warranty. They were very pleasant, helpful...everything I've come to enjoy from Costco customer service. Moral of the story is 1) buy consumer electronics from Costco if at all possible (esp. relative to the 'customer service' one receives from Best Buy, Frys and their ilk), and 2) stay away from Vizio. I ended up with a 46" Samsung LCD and couldn't be happier. I do have brand new Ysus and Zsus boards available for sale (purchased them before I talked to Costco 'bout taking my dead P50 back), if the forum buyer in Florida doesn't come through soon, they'll be available for sale once again. Tim |
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New member Username: MikeclarkeCherry Hill, NJ USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-09 | Tim Wat, you have almost $500 in salvage there. I have fixed about 100 Vizio's. Customer's are always suprised to see Samsung parts inside. Not all are Samsung, many are LG. You never know what your going to see in there. They are great for the price and you can get parts now. I have 3 of them! Last thing. Costco!! No joke they are the best by far. |
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Silver Member Username: Armykyle1Ms Us Post Number: 344 Registered: Dec-08 | i have a vizio 32" for about a year 6months now and it gets alot of use, i even dropped it once about 3.5 feet too. i guess im lucky, it works great with my laptop too |
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New member Username: ArothafelPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-09 | I don't know if this thread is still active... but, I just got the POD (pop of death) the other day. I'm out of warranty and will not waste my time with Vizio. I just want to know how difficult it is to change those boards. No soldering? Just clip in cables? Or do I need a degree in electrical engineering? As my wife says... I typically know just enough to be dangerous. Call me James Bond... but if it's just a matter of plunking down $300-400 bucks for parts and removing the back panel and inserting boards, then it seems easy enough. Anyone have any experience actually doing it? Bob Bright-- thank you so much for the part numbers and resources. Do you think this is a difficult fix? You sound like a technician - so perhaps you make it sound very easy. I would look forward to hearing from anybody who's done this fix before I start surgery! Thanks in advance, -- Art |
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