repair newb looking for help with monitor (3007wfp-hc) backlight issue

[varun11]

CFL and Other parts Available...

Hi !

You can check the link below for arranging the CFL Tube for different size monitors ranging from 4.8 " to 46".

http://www.lcdparts.net/CCFL1.aspx

Hope this may help you....

cheers!!

 

[bammbammfran]

JNHARRINGTON's problem did turn out to be the inverter board. Flipping the board end for end as in one of my other posts made the darkness move from top to bottom and did verify the issue

to Anro Fosyd:
The inverter lights the bulbs and general screen brightness.
The controller board sends power to the actual screen pixels and lights the individual pixels.

Since you said it does get dim after it gets hot, try unplugging the DVI after the darkness on the screen shows up to get it into the lor test screens and to get a better idea if it is inverter related or the controller.
If after it gets hot and if the darkness does show up in the colored test screens then it may be inverter related (possibly power board related). If the colored test screen are even brightness right after unplugging the DVI then it is probably in the controller.

Since it favors the one side of the screen, and if it is in the controller board, then it is more than likely in the large main chip at the middle of the board.

 

[plasmaj]

Maybe I should start a new thread on this, but I am also having problems with my 3007WFP. I have been using it as an external monitor for my laptop for a few years and it suddenly stopped working. It is not the laptop (I have tried it with other monitors).

The monitor will no longer wake up from standby - it remains completely black and the LED power light remains an amber color. If I disconnect it from the computer however, it turns blue and the monitor will cycle through colors in its self-test mode.

Doing the following steps fixed the problem for a day, but it stopped working again and the steps no longer are effective: 1) disconnect from computer, 2) disconnect power cord), 3) hold power button for 10 seconds, 4) reinstall monitor

Is this a power board problem? I watched bammbammfran's videos (very excellent - thank you). Does it make sense to remove the power board and inspect the capacitors?

 

[bammbammfran]

There is a 95% chance that your problem is in the lcd controller board Also called a t-con board.
They used several model screens and t-com boards in these, so you have to open t to see which you have since the different models are not all interchangeable.
The Capacitors on the power board are pretty well rated ones and these boards hardly ever fail.
The controllers fail from heat, adding a cooler to the board is what I usually do to help prevent the replacement board from failing again.
Fran

 

[plasmaj]

Thanks bammbammfran. do you think the logic/main board is a possibility also? I found one of those on ebay but haven't been able to locate a controller board yet. On another forum I found someone with the same symptoms said replacing the "logic board"solved their problem

 

[bammbammfran]

The logic board on ebay is the DVI main logic board
That one is not your problem board.
What makes it confusing is that some people call the lcd controller or T-con board a logic board which is probably what the other poster on another forum meant ( I did not read the other post that you are mentioning, so I can not say for sure)
Most common lcd controller board is the LM300W01 STA2 F11 which lcd_repairs may have since they have the ST A2 screen listed, BUT, some 3007s have different versions depending on which screen dell decided to use in your monitor.
Did you check your board number ?

 

[plasmaj]

Thanks again. The other post was on a different site, and i thought he may have his terms confused, but he hasn't responded. I haven't opened the monitor yet to get the board number. I hope to tonight, or tomorrow night more likely.

 

[plasmaj]

that's my board - the LM300W01 STA2 F11. I'll check with lcd_repairs.

 

[plasmaj]

this may be it

**broken link removed**

my P/N is 6870C-0093D , but this is 6870C-0093B . Should that matter?

 

[artbydana]

I also have a 3007WFP that decided to die on me, and have identified my tcon as PN 6807-0093B, however I can only find the "C" models for sale. Will this work as a replacement?

 

[Ewout_vB]

I have some questions as well. I have two 3007wfp-hc's. One is very yellow on the right and left borders and does not seem to be as bright as the other. And the other has yellow-ish spots throughout the screen (seems like bad backlight uniformity) and one mark on the screen that almost looks like a water stain but is somewhat blue-ish.

Anyone know if any of these problems can be addressed?

 

[OlPhart]

Howdy, in my limited dealings it's always been inverter issues. It starts with the HV inverter feed stabilizer capacitors degrading due to heat X age. If they get bad enough, they cause the push-pull mosfets driving the inverter stage to go bad.

If yours' is just degrading now, open it up, check the larger caps around the inverter stage. If tops bulged:: BAD, it's a sign: replace them All. Else, I use an o'scope to check how much ripple is in what should be a stable DC feeding the mosfets driving the inversion stage. There's the judgement call... Good Hunting... <<<)))

 

[infotime]

I have a dell 3007wfp that belongs to a client. When he got it new from Dell it didn't work. Then he let it sit in his garage for more than three years for reasons I'll never understand (he's only been a client for about a year). Anyway, the monitor will power on and cycle through the various colors full screen but will not display any input from the DVI port.

Anyone have any idea what part needs to be replaced. Believe it's the main logic board and was about to order one then found this site.

Longer story...

My client mentioned that monitor to me about 6 months ago. I recommended a local TV repair shop I'm familiar with to repair and they picked it up. They had it for a while but were unsure about their DVI connections. I stopped by with a PC with a DVI connection and saw that the panel looked fine with the test pattern and would display all the full screen colors as I described above. The owner of the repair shop eventually told me that since he can't order the boards directly from Dell that he'd be unable to repair it. This all took several weeks to transpire.

I decided that it looked like a simple repair and that the boards were available on eBay and elsewhere. I told my client that I would fix it for him. I picked up the monitor and brought it home. I removed the bezel and the back panel which they left mostly disconnected from the repair shop. I laid it face down on a table and began digging into the back of it trying to find a part number. Well, I never actually dug, I decided to search for more info and found this thread.

Now for the BAD part. Today I went to verify it's behavior before asking for help and THE PANEL IS F-ING CRACKED! I have no way to know if I did it or the TV repair shop did it, so I'm going to have to just eat it.

It still cycles through the colors and behaves like before. So now it needs whatever logic board or boards and a new panel. Which at this stage is too late probably. I'm thinking I need to figure out what the repair would have cost, figure out what a similar refurbished model sells for and make up the difference to him.


So, I still need to know what the original repair would have cost parts and labor wise.

 

[GavinFarringtonPhoto]

Since this seems to have turned into a general-purpose thread about the backlights in the 3007wfp-hc...

Mine has served me well for about three years now. I profile it using a Spyder3Pro, and in the process of profiling I have kept the brightness at 120cd/m^2. (Adjusted using the basic back-light control buttons adjacent to the power button.)

Beginning about 9 months ago, I noticed that whenever I re-profiled the screen, I was having to turn the brightness up a bit in order to keep hitting that 120cd/m^2 mark.

Over the past 3 months, I've watched the maximum brightness start to slip even more rapidly. Beginning last week at max brightness, the screen can't even muster 90cd/m^2.

Further, when looking at the screen without the color profile loaded into the video card LUT, the colors have shifted dramatically toward a dingy yellow.

The color and brightness are uniform across the entire display. It's just dull and aged looking now.

I initially assumed the CCFL bulbs were aging, but after reading through this thread am I to understand that it could actually be an inverter board?

I'd appreciate any input. Since my livelihood depends on my photography I'm tempted to run out and buy a Dell U3011, but if this screen has any life left in it I'd still love to use it as a secondary monitor.

Thanks guys. There are clearly some really knowledgeable people in this thread!

 

[bammbammfran]

There is a slight chance it is bulbs, BUT, I doubt it since it is uniform.
I've done 150 30imch units in the last 4 years and I have not run into any bad bulbs till last week on a U3011, so odds are pretty good that it isn't bulbs.
Also since it is evenly yellowed, It probably isn't the standard old age yellowing in the lcd panels face that plagues these and the apples. At least I haven't seen burn-in problems on these like the apples get.
Also, since these inverters run in two separate stages (half feeding the top bulbs and of course the other half feeding the bottom ones, it's not likely it is the inverter

More than likely, you are losing some of you power boards power and I think it may be on the side that feeds the pixels. (could possibly be on the inverter side) Inverter side should be reading about 24volts dc and can be checked at the first group of 5 pins on the power supply board and also at the top of the board or on the fuse on the actual inverter.
The 18 volts to the controller board can also be checked on the 6th pin down from the top of the powerboard on the opposite side of the board that the inverter is on., or on the actual controller boards fuse which is near the controller boards smaller plug and is usually greenish with an N on it. (also labeled F1 63v 2A)
18 and 24 volts will only be there when the unit is powered on and should be checked with dvi connected and active. The test screen that shows up when the dvi is disconnected will not always give an accurate reading to the controller board.

A word of advice, DO NOT touch the power supply aluminum heatsinks when the unit is plugged into the wall.
AND
be gentle not to damage the power button ribbon during disassembly.
Search youtube 3007wfp disassembly.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

So, I still need to know what the original repair would have cost parts and labor wise.

Probably more than the monitor is worth. Dell, like other manufacturers don't make service info available. Once it's past warranty forget it except for inverters, panels and bulbs.

**broken link removed**

 

[GavinFarringtonPhoto]

Awesome info bammbammfran, thanks!

So after reading your post and watching your video, I decided this fit squarely into the "weekend project" category, and not the "be done in an hour" category, so I ordered a Dell U3011. I figure I'll put the 3007wfp in the corner and work on it when I have time, and maybe in a month I'll have an awesome secondary monitor.

Dell called today to confirm the order details for the U3011, and in the process of that call, mentioned my Nov 2009 order for the 3007. After hanging up I realized that Nov 2009 is less than three years ago... hmmm.....

On a wing and a prayer I called up Dell tech support. I explained the problem, and convinced them that I'm not crazy by reading the output numbers from my colorimeter. Guess what? A replacement unit will be here in 1-2 days.

Now I've got two 30" displays on the way. My U3011 order, and my replacement 3007wfp. I wonder how closely they match in terms of color? Would be awesome to run them side-by-side... OTOH if they don't match very well, perhaps someone will buy my 3007 from me, and I'll put that money into another U3011. Oh the possibilities!

Moral: Check your warranties! (And props to Dell for being so easy about it.)

 

[rockymountainman]

Hi,

May I continue to add to this thread? Looks like the best one going regarding the 3007WFP-HC & lighting issues.

Upon waking my monitor is dim - achieves full brightness after about 5 mins tho.

According to the Possible Solutions an option is to
• Perform monitor reset.

However since the Utility Tool is not compatible with Windows 7 I am going to install Vista on a spare partition so that I may bring up the OSD & perform a monitor reset? This seems like a shot in the dark - no pun intended.

Very encouraged that bammbammfran has seen almost no instances of bad bulbs or inverter boards. This monitor is only 3 & 1/2 years old & in my opinion lightly used. I can live with it taking a bit to warm up but thought it might be worthwhile to post here so that I might prepare myself for the eventual demise of this beautiful 30" monitor. Would certainly like to be able to fix it when that day comes.

Any ideas why it takes a bit to warm up?

thank you,

rockymountainman