Ballast Repair Kit for Panasonic PT-50LC13 - Page 4

Thanks very much.

I'd have to check my records but I think I purchased my PT45LC12 in '02. I've replaced the bulb three times, the first two times with panasonics $300 bulb in case replacement kit and the latest with discount merchant replacement bulb (phillips). The first two times worked fine (you know the drill), pull out the old and plug in the new. The latest I had to put on some surgeon gloves, disassemble the bulb from its case, reassemble with the replacement bulb and then install it. All was good for a few days until I turned the TV off and then decided to turn it back on again (within a few minutes). I let the unit cool off for the night and the next day it turned on again. Over the course of the next few weeks I noticed the bulb became more reluctant to fire up.

At this point I'd try to power up the TV, the green light would start to blink, then a few seconds later I'd here clicking, followed by silence, some more clicking and eventually the green light would turn red and the TV would power down.

I call discount merchant to ask if this might be related to the new bulb and based on what I described, the individual helping me seemed to think it was related to the ballast, not the bulb. To be honest, I wouldn't be able to tell. She recommended I investigate the ballast and if things didn't work out I could always ship the bulb back so they could test it.

At this point I stumbled upon this forum and for the most part have read through the multi-page correspondance that discusses (in many spots) the PT45LC12 (or similar). I figured for $30 it would be worth purchasing the ballast repair kit and trying it first before returning what is presumably a perfectly good bulb.

As of now my plan is to replace all the items that come in the repair kit. If that doesn't do the trick then I'll send back the bulb to see if it's damaged.

If anyone has any suggestions based on the above, I'd be more than greatful to hear them.

Thanks.

johngim -

In all probability, it's the bulb that's at fault.

As you mentioned, the Panasonic bulbs worked fine. It's when you went to a generic cheap bulb, that you began to experience problems so soon.

Same with me. I got a generic cheap bulb, had problems with it lighting up, installed the ballast kit, but the bulb soon after would not light at all. I then returned the bulb, and got another original Panasonic bulb & enclosure ... TV has worked regularly since then.

You can install the ballast kit. It might help, but be aware that you can actually mess things up also, which would then be an expensive board(s) repair or replacement.

If you do attempt the ballast repair, please let us know of your results with your current Philips bulb.

Tomwill
end of thread for now, I see. I got the kit and 4 addl xtors.
I am inquiring of the tiny relay diode at the relay (40-12). no marks anywhere and I mean no-where; old and the board. Seems it should sink (line)to the supply side (resistors acording to standard relay mechanisms); my CB has no marking. we'll see...

Different mine is, green light on; clicking...then to red, no lamp led. Also discount bulb #2. worked both bulbs less then 24 hours. Had 4 Pany bulbs work fine until this bulb a'round since it was new new. The replacement bare bulbs ($125) did not have the 4 side screens at the top for ventilation (obviously -and I asked). Reset always close to changes. I hear if the bulb life reset is not done ASAP it can kill the ballast!?! I am doing the ballast since there is not another bulb to "their warrenty" They say it has to be the ballast!...thoughts?

Merry Christmas, everyone of us!

rjfranken -

Sorry for the short answer ... Happy Holidays!

As posted here, the CB diagram is located under that diode. I know, seems stupid, but I guess when first assembled, that diagram was visible.

Basically, the orientation of that diode should have the line (cathode) pointing towards the circuit that has the 3 surface mount resistors in a row. You can verify this by taking a sharp object and very gently scrap away the epoxy coating to reveal the markings on the diode and verify the orientation before removing the diode.

Thanks! I did look at all the posts and scraped it and ... Thanks again.

tomwil,

It appears I have a similar problem to rjfranken. We both purchased replacement bulbs from discount merchant (phillips), the bulbs worked initially and now we suffer from the same ailment - green flashing light, followed by clicking, eventually the red light. He's indicated that he's gone through two bulbs (and dis. merch. won't offer another), whereas I've gone through one (possibly) and am considering sending it back for testing.

To date, I've received the panasonic repair kit, installed all replacement components except the transitor, reassembled the tv and ended up with the same result, i.e. green flashing light, followed by clicking, eventually the red light.

I've ordered the add'l transistors, but, before installing them I'm considering trying an original manufacturer's bulb (with housing if needed). I hoping that within the return policy window I can troubleshoot whether or not it's the bulb or remaining transistors.

I've tried to research less expensive but original manufacturer replacement parts and ended up with the following results: Lamps-DLP offers an orig. manuf. lamp w/ housing for $264, DLPLampSource offers an orig. manuf. lamp for $169 and BlueStar-Online offers a factory lamp (noted as replacement Osram lamp) for $115. I don't want to make the same mistake of going too cheap but at the same time I'd prefer not the spend anymore than needed.

Do you see any issue going with the "lamp only" offers?

Thanks for the input.

johngim -

What constitutes an OEM bulb? I think to be very sure, the bulb should be obtained from the manufacturer itself. As you read the previous threads, there seems to be lots of claims of companies offering OEM bulbs and having problems with them later on.

My working solution ultimately was to purchase the actual TY-LA1500 bulb package from Panasonic. Realize that Panasonic does not sell the bulb separately, but as a package including the bulb, enclosure, and a filter. And, it is expensive at $299 plus shipping costs, but I believe comes with a warranty. If you can find a company that is selling a truly unopened TY-LA1500 package (one without being refitted with another bulb), you can get it slightly cheaper.

It really seems bulbs are a gamble. When a bulb blows out, the companies will blame the ballast. When you repair the ballast, it seems you still have to replace the bulb because supposedly the ballast killed the original bulb. But, that replacement bulb soon dies also. Do you still blame the ballast, or the bulb? That is why companies restrict the number of replacements.

In your situation, it appears you have the same options as I did - either seek bulb replacement from Discount Merchant, or ask for a refund and apply that to a true Panasonic bulb. As I said, I got the refund, bought from Panasonic, and have had success since then ... it works reliably and consistently.

Please let us know of your decision, and of your ultimate success.

tomwil,

Just to recap - in the past, I had always purchased replacement lamps in housings through Panasonic. More recently (Aug. 2008) I decided to try an inexpensive bulb, knowing very little about OEM, factory original, manufacturer original, etc. I purchased a Phillips lamp (no housing) through Discount Merchant. The effort to switch the lamps was reasonable and the lamp fired up the first time I turned the TV back on. From that point on, I noticed that if the lamp had been used recently then it was reluctant to start up again. After a few weeks it just didn't light up at all.

I called Dis. Merch. and they suggested I check into the ballast. I ordered the ballast repair kit and changed all parts except the transistor. I reassembled the TV and tried the replacement Phillips lamp with no luck - same result as before introducing the ballast repair kit - green blinking light followed by clicking and eventually red light.

I then decided to order a lamp with housing through DLP Lamps. This is a Panasonic lamp with housing but for a few dollars less. I installed the Panasonic lamp with housing this past Sunday and the TV has been working fine. If the TV continues to work then it's likely I never had a ballast issue and the problem was directly related to the Phillips lamp.

I've also contacted Discount Merchant, brought them up to speed and plan to send back the Phillips lamp. If the lamp checks out OK then I'll get 75% of my money back, if it checks out as faulty/failed then I'll get the full 100%.

I'll keep you posted on lamp performance as time ticks by.

Hello all,

I recently experienced a very similar situation that you all have. Last month my PT-50LC13 told me the bulb life was getting high and that the bulb should be replaced (the bulb is original). I ordered a new (Philips) lamp that came with the wires and connector attached to it. I swapped the new lamp into the existing housing. It worked great for a few weeks until I started getting the 75 green flashes, etc. At this point I put my original lamp back in, and it worked fine.

I then proceeded to order a ballast kit. The kit came in and I had it about a week before my original bulb finally blew out, which prompted me to stop procrastinating and install the ballast kit. Like most, I installed everything but the fuse and the transistor-looking thing (I metered the original fuse to ensure its operation). I spoke with some electrical engineers at my work who are of the opinion that the two pairs (four total) of transistors on the ballast should be replaced in pairs, so I opted not to replace the transistor.

I got everything reassembled and fired it up, but all I got was the 75 green flashes again! This got me thinking about something I had noticed about my lamp a couple weeks ago- forgive me if I'm using incorrect terminology, but the wires going to the anode and cathode of the new lamp were opposite to what they were connected to on my original lamp. I swapped the wires, and now the set came on just fine!

My point of all this pontification is as follows: did swapping the anode and cathode wires really make a difference? Obviously the set came on, but I'm not convinced the bulb will continue to operate. Does anyone know if having the anode and cathode wires switched would cause a bulb to sporadically function?

Hello all,

I had to replace my bulb in February of 08 and I purchased the replacement lamp from DLP lightsource...the tv has been functioning properly until a week ago and I got the same power indicator flashing sequence as other have described. Before coming to this forum I assumed we blew another bulb and I sent it back to DLP lampsource assuming it was burned out. It was replaced under their 1 year warranty and I reinstalled it and the tv will not work. Same green/red/lamp flashing sequence. The replacement bulb is an OSRAM. So could it be a defective bulb or most likely the ballast after reading all the posts I assume the ballast. My father has the same tv and I was thinking about pulling out his bulb unit and trying mine...could this damage his tv at all? I would hate to mess his up by moving the bulb etc.

Thanks in advance

I just purchased a PT-50LC14. It has similar issues with the blinking LED's. Solid red power light when you plug it in, turn it on, it blinks green for a short time then blinks red with the bulb led blinking occassionally. The person I bought it from included the Ballast repair kit. They either did not have the time or the know-how to attempt the repair. The issue I have is, there are huge differences in the Ballast board on the LC14 model vs the LC13. There are at least two of the components that I can not find on the board. Can someone help me figure out if this ballast repair kit is compatible with my TV, and if so what are the adjusted part labels on the board. Also, can anyone help point me in the right direction to find the service manual? If I had schematics and trouble-shooting techniques, that would be helpful. Not sure if my problem lies in the ballast, more than likely its a cheap bulb. Just thought I'd start with the ballast repair since I have the parts. Any help is appreciated!!

Tough call.

When you plug in your model number in Panasonic's Parts and sort by Part Number, there are only a few matches with the LSUC0022 Ballast Repair Kit. Probably Panasonic substituted newer part sources on your model.

You can try to replace the components that you know are a direct match, and see if that alone might correct your problem.

More likely, you have a defective bulb, but since you have the kit, it might be worth trying.

Please let us know your results.

Well I did replace the parts that did match up, which was D1315, C1330, and F1301. That leaves parts 2, 3, and 5 (from original pics in thread). #5 matches Q1306-09 but like most said, you only get one and there are 4 so I'm not worried about that. Its 2 and 3 (D1301 and R1305) that are a little more important, but I can not find them on the board anywhere and I know the service manual would list if such parts exist on this model. And you are right, panasonic doesn't list the part number for R1305 (D1F5100E0002) as a part for this model. It does list the part number for D1301 but without the service manual I don't know what location it actually goes in since there is no D1301 to be found.

Any way, as for results: After replacing the parts that I could identify/match, some progress seems to be made. When I push the power button the light stays green and it looks like there is light coming from the bulb, but only for a short period, then there is a faint green flash on the screen, and it goes back to a red flashing power LED. There is also a humming/buzzing noise coming from the back of the TV now too. I'm heavily leaning towards the bulb being the culprit.

The person I purchased the TV from said the guy that "gave" it to him had recently replaced the lamp. So now I'm 3rd party DIY'er. I don't know what kind of replacement the other guy used, OEM, OEM 'equivalent', or just a bulb replacement and didn't wire it into the housing that well.

My next step is going to be examining the Lamp assembly and see if I notice anything not right.

Any other suggestions for my journey? I also have a PT-47WX53G that I'm trying to repair. Gotta love Panasonic RPTV's!

On a slightly related topic. What kind of life do most people see out of the cheaper bulbs? Just trying not to initially spend $250 on a lamp assembly from Panasonic until I know for certain that's the issue, in case I have to spend $300 on a new ballast. Just don't want to spend the $100-$125 on something that's not going work at all. Any input would be appreciated.

I ordered the aforementioned ballast repair kit and wondered if anyone had specific step by step instructions on how to do the repair work. The illustrations above are rather vague. Thanks in advance.

It is suggested that if you do not have electronic and soldering experience, performing this repair is not recommended.

If you do have the experience, then if you carefully read this whole thread, you should have little problem in replacing the components.

In particular, there are pictures and links that show the location of the components, the disassembly manual, and even soldering techniques.

You don't mention the model TV you have, but if you have the PT-40LC12 series, there is an additional thread here on the forum that has component replacement instructions.

I don't have any experience but my cousin who is an electrical engineer for Motorola does and he is going to perform the work for me. I am just trying to make it as easy as possible for him and have everything available ahead of time. I have the PT50LC13 model and noticed it is different than the 40LC12 model which had better instructions on its thread.

Hello all you experts! I am new at this. I have the blinking green followed by a sparking or humming noise the noise comes on twice, than 30 sec after the humming noise comes on again twice,it does this for 4 times. Than the red light does not stop flashing every 1 sec plus lamp light every 5 sec, the fan and the red light does not stop until I unplug the unit. After replugging the unit I tried again to restart with the same response sa the first time.

How can you tell if it is the light, or the ballast, or both,or maybe something else, that needs to be replace, without waisting money on one or the other?

Can you help me to diagnose the problem?

Thanks!

Provided you are only getting "1" lamp light blink every 5 sec, here is what to look for according to the service manual:

1) check or replace the lamp
2) check or replace the temperature (thermal) fuse
3) repair or replace the ballast

Probably the cheapest or easiest step is to check that the temperature fuse is not open. Then replace the lamp. Then repair the ballast using the kit.

More than likely, it is your lamp that is giving the problem.

had my lemon since 2004. since then, ive replaced the bulb twice and the ballast once. this last time, the bulb blew - its clear from all the glass shards inside the bulb. i would replace the bulb, but i dont want to replace the bulb only to have it blow again. my question is do i need to replace the ballast to make sure that the bulb doesnt blow again? or can i go without the hassle of replacing the ballast?

razorweb -

It is most like the lamp only. Lamps do seem to explode at times.

Usually if the ballast was at fault, the bulb would not start or the circuitry would shut down the TV due to an abnormal condition, such as current or voltage overload.

Someone just gave me this PT-50LC13 TV. The power light just flashes green slowly, then faster and then it goes red and nothing ever happens. I have read a lot of the posts in this thread and ordered the LSUC0022 ballast repair kit, but now I think I also need the D1302 bridge rectifier as well. I haven't gotten it off the circuit board but a friend that dowses and is good at it, says the repair kit won't be enough. That this D1302 is also bad. Actually, he said that only D1315 and Q1309 that come in the kit need replacing, along with D1302. How do I get a part # so I can try to order this extra part that isn't in the kit? My friend says the HID bulb is still good, so I figure if I can get these three parts replaced and have a nice TV, why not?

According to the service manual, D1302 is part # B0FBBR000004. It is available at Panasonic Parts for around $12.

The PT-50LC13 D1301 part # MA2Q73600L matches the PT-50LC14 D1307.

Thank you. I see it is back ordered. Good thing I'm not in a big hurry to watch TV any time soon.

I didn't check availability at Panasonic ... sorry! But it appears it is in stock at http://www.partstore.com and cheaper at $10.

Hi All,

I've been following all the posts since my PT-50LC13 stopped working. I got the signal that the lamp was the problem (flashing red led) and replaced the lamp. But this did not fix the problem. After reading the posts here I suspected it was the ballast. I ordered the repair kit. Its here and I went back through the forum to look at the instructions and diagrams for fixing the ballast and noticed some posts I had missed before. So before I proceed I wanted to throw a couple of questions out there:

1. I noticed some talk about the thermal fuse. I did not check this. Should I? Could this also give the blinking lamp its bad signal? If I should check it, what does it look like and where is it located?

2. I saw broger's post and assumed that removing the ballast board would be fairly easy (it looked like it was right at the back of my set). But I just viewed tomwil's post on removing the ballast board. Yikes! However, those instructions are for the pt-42 set and not the pt-50. Do they still apply? Is there any easy way to get the board out of the pt-50lc13? Or do I need to follow his instructions? I want to make sure Im doing the right thing before I take half the set apart.

Thanks again for all your help!

Melissa

First, do not use the disassembly instructions for the PT-40LC12 ... your model is a lot easier. I had posted the disassembly instruction link for your PT-50LC13 here.

On page 3 of that document, you will see where the thermal fuse is located (with connector P1306). Usually you can short out the fuse temporarily to check if it is open and defective.

Thanks so much for your last reply. I am sorry for not responding back until now. I did replace the old components with the new ones provided in the ballast repair kit. That did not solve my problem completely, but buying a new bulb did. I purchased a brand new bulb online, which included the housing for $115.00. It was a great deal.

The picture quality is excellent... very bright and vibrant colors. It has been 3 months since I replaced the bulb and installed the ballast repair kit and I must say the TV is working flawlessly. Hopefully with my installing the ballast repair kit I will get the maximum amount of hours out of my new bulb. I would have to say for my investment I got a pretty darned good deal on this TV. It's in mint condition and came with the TV stand as well.

Panasonic PT-50LC13
Price for TV $50 - bought used from a local seller
Price for ballast repair kit $20 - shipping included
Price for new bulb $ 115.00 - shipping included

Total investment $185.00

Thanks again for this post on how to repair the ballast problem