Samsung TV makes a strange clicking sound
My Samsung TV (52″ LCD) started clicking several times before finally switching on after 30 seconds, this relay clicking gradually got worse each time I turned the set on. ( It turns out that this is quite a common problem with Samsung TV’s of all sizes). The problem seems to start after the TV is a year or two old (normally outside guarantee) and sounds like a relay clicking on and off. Samsung deny there is a design problem, so I thought rather than spend money on an engineer, I would try and fix the problem myself.
I thought the first place to look for a problem like this is in the power supply.
- I unscrewed the back cover of the TV (20 screws)
- Removed the metal cover of the power supply (4 screws)
- I carefully looked over the power supply looking for anything out of the ordinary, low and behold I could see a few capacitors (the cylindrical shaped components) that had raised tops. These raised tops are caused when the capacitor breaks down and forms hydrogen gas, if left, eventually the capacitors will blow, and hopefully the top will split open and release the gas pressure, if not, they may just explode.
Check out Capacitor Lab for more details on what to look for when a capacitor fails.
I checked out the replacement cost of a new power supply board, I couldn’t find the exact power supply online but this company has ones for smallers TV starting at around £160. So I was guessing it would be around £200 for a new one. Ouch, definately time to DIY.
I decided to replace all the capacitors in the power supply, I guessed if some were bad, then probably Samsung use cheap or poorly designed capacitors and at some point the others would go bad too. and replacing all the capacitors wouldn’t cost much more .
Each Capacitor has 3 important values
- The capacitance measured in μF (micro farads) eg (1000μF)
- Voltage (eg 50V)
- Temperature (eg 105°C)
This particular Power Supply Unit (PSU) has 3 different types.
- 1000μF 105°C at 10V
- 1000μF 105°C at 25V
- 47uF 105°C at 50V
RS Components have a good selection, so I opted to buy from there. It cost about £12 including postage for a 5 pack of each of the capacitors. I took a few photos of the circuit board so I wouldn’t forget what I was doing and set to work.
I re-opened the TV, and completely removed the Power Supply Circuit Board, you need to remove several connectors, again, I took some photos just in case I couldn’t work out where they all went when putting it back together. I made sure the Power Supply didnt have any residual power stored in the capacitors by unplugging the TV (whilst it was turned on) from the plug. This is very important as messing with a power supply even 30 minutes after it has been turned off can still give you a nasty shock.
I then drew a simple diagram marking the polarity of each capacitor. To remove each capacitor takes a little time, you need to heat each pin using a soldering iron and whilst it is still molten pull or wiggle each leg out in turn. I found it easiest when I used the other leg as a pivot and rotate the capacitor around the fixed leg.
Anyway once removed, you I used the de-solder pump to clean up any solder that was clogging up the hole and then I inserted a new capacitor (checking the values again) and making sure the polarity was same as the one I had just removed. turning the board over, I bent the pins a little, soldered the joints, and snipped off any left over wire.
I put the board back in and hey-presto it all worked beautifully. Job took about 2 hours in total and excluding tools £12 for the components and postage.
[Added 21th May 2009]
If you snap off the solder connector on the PCB when doing this replacement, it is worth noting that you can re-attach your component in another place as long as it is electrically equal. The Red Line in the diagram below shows where an existing component was, this component could then be re-soldered into any of the positions marked in green. But in the case of a capacitor which has + positive and – negative legs, you must make sure that the leg is re-attached to the same track, I have marked with a + plus sign which track it must be re-attached too.
[Added 7th Dec 2009]]
After replacing the capacitors a few people are still having problems, it appears that this can be fixed by resetting the EPROM chip (apparently – a simple matter of shorting two of the pins). http://www.tv.quuq.org/forum/index.php?topic=2377
and http://www.tv.quuq.org/forum/index.php?topic=1744.0 both detail the procedure, although it hasn’t worked for everyone who tried it. (Thanks to Jason for these links)
[Added 10th March 2010]
You are not alone, there have been almost 65,000 visits to this page in the last year. The answers to many of the questions people are asking are scattered through the previous comments, Most people with little experience have been successful in fixing their TV’s although for a few, it didn’t work, the symptoms were similar but cause was different. A few of the more recent comments reveal that people are becoming more successful with getting Samsung to repair their TV’s, its definitely worth trying before you launch into a self fix.
[Added 28th June 2010]
Before attempting repairs yourself it is probably worth trying to see if Samsung will repair the TV for you, Samsung seem to now accept (unofficially at least ) that there is a defect in these capacitors, and in an increasing number of cases will send out an engineer to fix them. Skim through the comments below to get more info.. A polite but assertive approach seems to yield best results, remember they are in the wrong and there is plenty of consumer law in most countries covering their liabilites and responsibilities.
If you fail to get Samsung to repair it, 100′s of people have had success with the replacement fix I describe above, a few of the failures are probably due to similar symptoms but a different fault. Again if you are unsure read some of the 100′s of comments below
[Added 25th February 2012]
**** Samsung has settled a Class Action Law Suit (in the U.S.) http://www.samsung.com/us/capacitorsettlement/ *****
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Just spoke with Sherlyn from Chat Live. Her first suggestion was to unplug from surge protector and plug straight into the wall. Tested it 5x and it worked perfectly everytime.
Hello all I too have a samsung TV that will not turn on and clicks, does anybody know the actual samsung contact number that I would need to contact the correct people to discuss this and get it sorted?
Many Thanks if you can help
Update from my previous post on 19th Feb – Getting my TV fixed FOC by Samsung, it’s 18 months old. Kicked off when they said I had to pay to get it fixed now getting it done free! engineer booked for Monday 27th.
Brian, the number for Samsung is 08457267864.I think it’s option 1 for Audio visual support, if you dont get anywhere phone the same number and select option 6 which is customer services. Dont give up. I’ve got a engineer coming monday to fix my 18month old tv free.
There is a class action suit settlement. See http://www.samsung.com/us/capacitorsettlement/ . I recently got rid of my Samdung, but I plan to file a claim since I ended having to do the repair on my TV, and my inlaws, by myself. I still plan on never buying another Samdung product, but at least I will get something for all the grief I put up with. I suggest if you plan on filing a claim, do it sooner than later.
Further to my message of 12 February, 2012, Television was collected a week after reporting problem to Samsung by Samsung’s preferred repairers here in Western Australia. One week later, after not hearing anything, I telephoned them asking when I can expect it back and what was the problem. The problem was…..capacitors, in fact the whole power board…..what a surprise (not). They have had to order the part in and it won’t be ready for, perhaps, a week. Without a tv for about three weeks. Don’t ever buy a Samsung TV and, if you do, ALWAYS purchase an extended warranty. They are very unhelpful here in Australia. To all those lucky people who had technicians come out and wonderful Samsung responses, what countries are you in?
Thanks to the advice on this thread, I contacted Samsung custmer service by e-mail. They aranged for a local engineer to attend and he replaced four faulty capacitors, with Samsung picking up all costs!
Thanks to the advice on this thread, I contacted Samsung custmer service by e-mail. They aranged for a local engineer to attend and he replaced four faulty capacitors, with Samsung picking up all costs!
I should have mentioned, I’m in the UK and the TV was an LE40F86BDX, bought in March 2008, so out of warranty. Samung customer service acknowledged a known “Capacitor” fault and arranged the repair, on the proviso that the fauilt was with the capacitors.
Samsung bad plasma tv.
Does anyone have customer service in the us for me to call them up
This morning, when I turned the my LN52A650, it started clicking! I had no idea what was happening, so I unplugged it and looked up “samsung tv clicking” and found this site. Read the bottom about the settlement and my TV fit every criteria. I called the number on the settlement website and they’re going to repair it free of charge! I bought it April 2008, and after almost 4 years of heavy, flawless use, this issue popped up. I’m unhappy the issue popped up, but I’m very pleased the Samsung is going to fix it for free! Thanks for the link to the settlement!
FYI, I believe the US number is 1-800-samsung.
Had the problem of my TV not coming on .It would take up to 15 minutes then suddenly burst into life. I looked on the Internet and I was not alone this seemed to be quite common.I contacted SAmsung direct and they took all the details os my 40 inch LCD and my address and phone number . Said they would fix the problem free of charge (the TV is 4years old) true to their word an agent called me the same day and the TV was fixed the next. No Charge.Fantastic service WELL DONE SAMSUNG GREAT SERVICE!!!?
Hi all those that forwarded me the links and information, I was able to get hold of them and fair enough my 4yr TV was picked up and fixed in a couple of days
Thanks again all :X
A year ago I had a long, running battle (documented in these pages) with Samsung to get my 42″ plasma fixed when it developed the dreaded clicking malfunction. After two months and three trips to their local authorised service agent it was fixed at no cost to myself. A couple of weeks ago it started doing it again. Armed with all my previous experience I managed to deflect the call-centre clones who tried to fob me off with the usual “out of warranty” scenario, especially when I could quote them a reference number. Unlike previously, this time they did admit that “some models” had faulty capacitors that caused the clicking sound. However, they told me that the repairs they had carried out were only guaranteed for 3 months. After several phone calls and much protesting, I actually received a call from someone who actually seemed to hold a responsible role and said they would refund me the cost of the TV, less depreciation, and take away the defective TV. This was over a week ago and the actual paperwork has yet to arrive, despite their assurance that it had been posted. I consider this something of a result as they didn’t offer me a replacement set and I can now get a new TV of a more reliable brand. Thanks to Earth Info for highlighting this problem and also for informing me of my rights as a consumer, which I now use on occasions when manufacturers try to skirt their responsibilities of supplying quality products.
One of my four samsung tv’s started this. Samsung is on their way out to fix it for free!
Thank you for the post and information. Have managed to contact Samsung UK and they are willing to fix the capacitor issue on a 3 yrs old LE40 model via VisualFX within 3 days.
I have also just encountered this same problem on my Samsung 40″ which I purchased in June2008. I decided to send a polite email to Samsung asking for their support and help.I have to say their response has been nothing short of fantastic and extremely prompt.In less than 3 days I have had 3 emails from them and they have arranged for my TV to be collected tomorrow and taken for repair all free of charge.I have not met such good customer service for a very long time. Well done Samsung!!
Hello everyone,
I have 2008 52″ Sansung LCD TV which just started a few days ago clicking when turning on.
I will call Sansung customer service in Canada and hope to get this fixed.
I will let you know my results.
Thanks.
I replaced 4 capcitors in our 40″ Samsung LCD TV, LE40R7, bought Dec 2006. We had the clicking on/off 30 times before it came on – now comes on normally. I notice all the capacitors that blew were 10V 1000uf – I bought a packet of 10 for £1.97, 25V rating, 1000uf. You could see the faulty ones because the end where the + indents are was bulging slightly with some leakage. You need a steady hand though !!
Hello!! I’m one of the samsung technical support agents. I would like to inform you a couple of things about the capacitor issue…
The capacitor issue is not a “COMMON FAULT” as people say, Capacitor issue only occurs with specific Tv mondels thats why we offer FOC inspection if the engineer confirmed the fault it will be FOC repair.
However not any TV with a capacitor issue gets repaired if it is OOW.
As for “Krisht” Plasma is not even on the list for Capacitor issue as it already has 5 capacitors inside so if your TV is faulty and it is OOW go fix it yourself and pay for it without making the Technical agents life miserable just because you dont UNDERSTAND that it is not a common fault with you TV..
We always would be more than happy to assist customer with anything however reading blogs over the internet and assuming things then call the agent and say I READ OVER INTERNET THAT CAPACITOR ISSUE IS A FAULT WITH ALL SAMSUNG TVS AND I WANT MY TV TO BE REPAIRED FOR FREE makes you only look ignorant, because as explained before its not common with AL Tv and not all models..
So, same problem as everyone here. I bought my TV, the LNT4671F1, in 2008. Two years later the TV started to do the clicking and all. Called Samsung and they told me to go pound sand. So I bought a different brand TV and the samsung sat. This year I get an email telling me that Samsung will now fix the TV for free. Had the repair done and now no more clicking. I wish it ended there. Now there are 4″ horizontal bars on the screen that distort the picture. The problem comes and goes and it does not matter if the TV is cold or hot.. Anyone else having this problem? I can’t win with this TV!!!
I don’t mean to but in on this thread, but I’m desperate to find out more about computer repair in NJ. I can’t seem to discover high quality information on the internet… you know something about Step Up in NJ? They’re based out of Union City, NJ, …Step Up Technical Solutions 4407 Park Avenue 2nd Floor Union City, NJ 07087 (201) 617-0211
Hello everyone,
just to give you an update..
WARNING!!! do not buy a TV that has been re-ferbished and the serial number removed unless you are willing to accept what ever happens to the TV and you pay out of your pocked.
I called Samsung and they said they would of fixed my capacitor problem free of charged if their was a serial number. Referbished units are sold and Samsung warranty is removed.
So long story short, I have to pay $200.00 to get it repaired.
OH well , still worth fixing.
Just lessoned learned about how referbished units work, make sure they one who sells it to you gives you a warranty and not recommented to buy with a serial number removed.
Thanks.
Terry, a Samsung field engineer just fixed my clicking TV within an hour. Too bad it took a class action law suit to get this fixed for consumers. Fixing this problem is how you show us consumers that you stand behind your product. I feel like you did the right thing by fixing my TV. Even if you were somewhat forced.
Thanks! It is working great and I’m still a “Samsung only” snob.
Cody
i rang samsung today – 7/4/12 and they have agreed to service the tv free as a goodwill jesture, sounds a bit too good to be true, so we will see.
@Whatever
It may not have been the capacitor problem, but it was definitely displaying the same symptoms described in this thread, and Samsung agreed to fix it for free because it was a faulty product, even if it took two months and three trips to the workshop to get it working, only for it to break down less than a year later. (Thankfully, UK consumers are protected by law against faulty manufacturing.) And a class action suit in the US does indicate that there was a major problem.
Samsung have now agreed to part refund the cost of the set and take it away, rather than try another repair. However, it did take four weeks and lots of phone calls to get the correct paperwork sent out after the initial verbal agreement. Now I am waiting to see how long the set will be sitting on the floor awaiting collection before I can get the refund. This is not the first time I’ve bought a Samsung product that has died. I had a DVD player that lasted two weeks, with very little use. Luckily Amazon took it back, no questions asked. We now have a new TV from the other major Korean manufacturer. Hopefully this will fare better. We took out a very reasonably priced five-year cover from the retailer, just in case (which is refunded if not used). Definitely no more Samsung products for me. They’re not quite the bargain they first appear to be. However, to their credit, their customer service did eventually come through on the side of the consumer.
@Whatever,
I hope that Samsung approves of you announcing on a discussion board that you are employed by them and then you complain about customers with legitimate complaints “making the Technical agents life miserable” and suggesting that they are ignorant. That is the kind of lack of respect for people who have bought Samsung products that has caused so much bad feeling over this issue.
I called this evening it went really smooth. all they needed was the model number and serial number my address and phone number. They will send someone out to fix my TV.
Just bought my 3rd Samsung TV, a 55 inch top of the line LED model… After the initial problem with my 40″ LCD in 2010, have had no problems with it, or any of my Samsung TVs
Thank you to everyone here for your suggestions. I called Samsung yesterday(thurs) and theyre sending a technician to my house this coming Monday to fix the capacitor issue.
If I didnt find this site i would thought it’s normal wear and tear of the tv because i had it from 2008.
Again, thank you!
I purchased a Samsung 46″ TV in 2008-09 and recently after depressing the “ON” switch the TV turns On and Off by itself several times before actually turning-on. Has anyone experienced such a problem? It would be nice to be able to get some form of diagnosis and then focus-in on the problem and to try and fix it myself. Grateful for your views.
Is Samsung an acronym for Substandard Asian Manufacturing Sold Under Negligent Guarantee?
@Krisht,
samsung still dominates home LED market. Just ask Sony. so whatever they’re doing, we’re buying
I had the same clicking problem with my Samsung, but at the time i didn’t know about the lawsuit and tried to fix it myself… well a few days after changing the capacitors it started clicking again, so i started searching again and found this valuable info. I contacted samsung and they are sending a tech to fix it for free… thanks Earth Info!!!
I have replaced the entire power supply board. The tv still clicks and won’t come on. Any suggestions?
Michael, you might want to visit You Tube on this issue, Samsung Power on Power off defect, even my personal video nvdwarriorLTC. You are probably experiencing the same problem that I had. Even after replacing the powersupply capacitors, Samsung claims that “WE” the ignorant consumer, through repeated attempts to get the television to operate, caused damage to the motherboard. Call the Geek Squad buddy. They replaced my mother board at $220 for the board, $30 on a follow up repair call for the Geeks. Samsung absolutely refuses to admit a problem with the televisions with respect to the motherboard. Apparently, continuing to use the set with faulty capacitors causes corruption in the motherboard. Once I replaced the motherboard, it worked. I have joined the class action lawsuit for this reason.
I now have this problem with my 40″Tv I will contact Samsung today and try to keep you informed. Thanks for all the inputs will help
i have a 46″ samsung that was purchased in 2009. Same problem as listed above… clicking noise – and then over a minute for the tv to turn on. i opened it up and had 2 bad capacitors on the power board. changed the two defective items and had the plasma back on the wall within 20 minutes working perfectly. thanks
I own a LE32B554 samsung TV.
Blinking red light + screen does not switch on. I do not have clicking sounds.
TV is only 18 months old. Samsung say that this model is not known to have the problem and refuse to repair. What do you advice?
thanks
Our 52″ Samsung purchased December 2007 started the clicking a few months ago. It was 2 or 3 times before turning on, now up to about a dozen or so times and a good 30 seconds before it’ll turn on. Our model number is listed as one of the settlement models, called the number on the website this morning (http://www.samsung.com/us/capacitorsettlement/). After just minutes on the phone giving model and serial numbers, was told we qualified for a free repair of the capacitor and power boards. Appointment set up for next week. 4+ year old TV, friendly service rep, free repair…..happy so far!
I seem to be having the same problem as everyone has stated. My plasma tv wouldn’t want to turn on, took it for repairs and I was told its the power board. The power board was replaced and the plasma tv was working fine. A day later it started showing funny colours and the power issue cropped up again. I feel like throwing a brick at the tv now.
I have the same problem with my Samsung-TV, bought in june 2008. I called Samsung in Sweden and they know about the american settlement but – as the Samsung TV delivered in Scandinavia are not fabricated in the same place as the american, they won’t do anything for free!! Anyone else here in Scandinavia who has the same problem whit Samsung?
Well I am very pleased. After the call to Samsung they agreed to send an engineer to look at my set. He did arrive late but phoned me to say he had a problem. Looked at set from the door then checked ser no fetched his tools and replaced the blown capacitors less than one hour to fix. Fast efficient and good engineer. Well done Samsung will continue to buy their sets as i ungrade in the future
@Terry, it’s great that Samsung fixed the problem, however, I sincerely doubt that it was an engineer.
Engineers are too expensive for technician work.
Engineers are too slow for technician work.
Been an engineer for 30 years and believe i know the diffiernce and the strengths of both techs and engineers.
I had the same problem with my Samsung tv that is 4 years old. I e-mailed Samsung customer service yesterday morning and just explained the clicking on and off of the tv. I am now sat watching the tv. I can’t fault Samsung on their service!!!
My 50 inch plasma is just 5 months out of it warranty surprise surprise . So it’s broken,
Making a clicking noise now will show no screen whatsoever . The picture keeps going off .
Is this he same problems with the captors ?? Please help. Have rung Samsung they said somebody will fix free of charge only if this is the problem.
Rip off !,,, so if it is anything else I will be charged I think this is wrong reading the reviews it seems to happen 4 years down the line.
I cannot afford £550 for another tv.
Bad on Samsung I will kick up if I’m charged anything.
Hi, I have the same problem with a LA46F81BD 46″ lcd which I bought in 2008, I called Samsung Australia and the guy on the phone did not even acknowledge the known problem of dodgy capacitors in Samsung TVs and explained that unless it was in warantee, they would not dix the TV free.
Samsung TV does not turn on same fault as everybody else, took TV to the authorised dealer as informed to by Samsung help desk in Australia.
Mother board changed and fixed in 30 minutes cost $200.
Put bill into Samsung and they have refused to help.
They say I should have placed TV their and waited 3 weeks for a report then they would deceide if I had a claim. Plus I had to pay for the initial report of $80.
Below is Samsung Australia reply to my claim.
Good luck to any other Australian trying to get them to own up and pay for their defective TV.
Dear Shaun,
Thank you for contacting Samsung Customer Care.
It is unfortunate to be informed of this occurrence. A known fault is defined as a common defect affecting over 1% of the units sold. Unlike the civil case in America, this problem is not classified as a known fault in Australia so I cannot authorise to cover the cost of repairs.
I have escalated your requested to our resolutions department pending their decision. Provided to them is the receipt of the repair and your letter. Furthermore you will receive an SMS containing the claim reference number. In order to process your request, our resolutions department will also require a copy of your proof of purchase, kindly email that to vocqld@samsung.com or fax to 02 9763 9505 with the claim reference number clearly written on the receipt. A representative of the resolutions department will be in contact with you within 2 – 5 working days to discuss this matter further.
If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Samsung Customer Care on 1300 362 603.
Thank you for contacting Samsung.
Kind regards,
Michael H
Samsung Customer Care
http://www.samsung.com.au
Why is Samsung Austraila such wankers? You guys should initiate a class action suit, or whatever the equivalent is down there.
Shaun, I had a similar experience. I ended up having a repair guy come and fix it for around 260 bucks. He said, my particular model was very reliable. (yeah, obviously), and also insisted that he send the old power supply to samsung. I took a photo of the obviously fried capacitors before he left and have created a facebook page called “don’t buy a samsung TV”
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-buy-a-Samsung-TV/169720776488004
It was only after he left, that I realised that the broken power supply is my property, and he had not real right to take it away, presumably so Samsung can stop people from running their own tests on them.
Have had exactly the same problem with my 40 LCD tv. Called Samsung who were terrific at first and they arranged an engineer the next day. Eng came atme and picked up tv told it was free of charge as it was a known fault with my model.after a week I hadn’t heard anything so I called to be told that the parts required were obsolete and that the tv is now unrepairable I was told to email my receipt which I did and they have now told me I am only entitled to 35%of the value which was 1100 pounds I think this is ridiculous am I being unreasonable have now been without a tv for two weeks.