My old big screen needs help! Can you help me save it?

[T.O.W]

Electronic guys, I need your help. I have a 52" rear projection RCA that I bought used about 8 years ago and it's now having problems. She's been real good to me and I'm not ready to put her out to pasture. I know I should be at the point to upgrade but I'm not ready to spend the dough and it's a built in and I really like it... when it works. Here's what it's doing: Turns on just fine but then at any given time it shuts it's self off. Usually makes it about 60-75 minutes. After that it may or may not turn back on for a while. Almost always turns on the next day. Seems like something must be heating up to shut it off for a while...cools down and works again. I took the back off and sucked as must dust out as I could reach, but same deal. It there any hope to get this fixed without calling a repairman to fix an older projection TV? I miss my fishing shows

[Matt C]

Rear projection...

Either a bulb is burnin too hot or your power source is flamin hot n killin ya?, I had the same issue with a 52 rear. I ended up giving it away...he got it fixed for 100 bucks .

Either a cheap fix r put the sheets over her head.

I am curious to hear your result!

[upnorth]

Can you tell if it has an internal cooling fan? It could be failing. I would also check to be sure there is no plugged cooling vents.

[Jim Almquist]

Have you tried pointing a fan at the rear to see if that would help give you more time ?

It sure sounds like like it is over heating but I am surprised it last's as long as it has considering how hot those bulbs get.

[CJH]

Can you tell if it has an internal cooling fan? It could be failing. I would also check to be sure there is no plugged cooling vents.

That would be where I would start as well. Those bulbs put out a ton of heat.

[T.O.W]

Thanks guys I will have to try the fan. Tonight it won't even turn on.

[LMITOUT]

I have a fan for you:

20" Box Fan

[spearchucker]

Sounds like a Power supply going out or already out.

[LakeDocktor]

I again would say that it's overheating. I did see that you mentioned it's built in. With the heat built up by the TV, lack of air, and the fan pulling nothing but warm air and dust in, it may be already too late.

[Shack]

If you have this RCA 52":

I had the same problem and the more humid it was, the worse the problem got. It was caused by swelling in the switch housing around the little power button on the front of the TV. I had to go into and basically disconnect this Power switch and now I only use the remote to turn on or off. About an hour and not that hard at all.

What I learned from researching this issue is A) Something with the front power switch. If you have kids plugging in and out stuff in the front RCA Jacks, this concern could be related. Try resetting your TV back to the factory setting. Do this before you do anything with the front power switch. You will need to hold it in for 20-30 seconds during the process. Sometimes the timer settings can cause this issue and resetting them can correct it. C) Like spearchucker had said. Power supply! I had read that some were having issues with the power up module. This might be the case in your case because the TV is not coming on anymore. I just had to wait maybe 20-30 minutes at longest.

Find your model number of the TV and do a Google search with it. You will find a fix for this.

[spearchucker]

I again would say that it's overheating. I did see that you mentioned it's built in. With the heat built up by the TV, lack of air, and the fan pulling nothing but warm air and dust in, it may be already too late.

It may have been at one time, but it sure sounds like the power supply is gone now if it won't turn on at all.

[CJH]

I would think you would have to check the power supply - especially if its not turning on at all.

[Shack]

I guess re-looking into various models numbers of the 52" Rca TV's, there was a multitude of concerns. I may have missed it, but none of the issues that seem to reoccur mentioned anything about over heating. Most, besides what I posted, just suggested to replace the main control board because of flyback issues and stuff.

This guy might have an answer:

If would get you model number it would narrow this down.

[spearchucker]

It doesn't have to "overheat" for problems to show up. If components are failing they will often work at one temp and fail as they heat up to operating temp. That temp that they fail at might be the normal temp that they should be working at.