TV leaking oil?

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I just got a 12 y/o 56" RCA projector flatscreen TV, basically for free. When I got it home there was a puddle of what looked like clear oil or glycol in the back of my truck. I dismissed it as maybe it came from a bridge or something. When I got the TV inside the house and turned it on it didn't work; picture is very blurred, just a big blue blob. If you press menu, you can make out a big black blob inside the blue blob. I opened up the back panel and this oil stuff seems to have come from inside the TV somewhere, as the inside is drenched with it. What the heck is this stuff?

What should I look at first to try to get this thing working? I noticed that it has some pretty huge tubes inside for the projectors (I was pretty surprised to see tubes in there; I thought tubes were a thing of the past) and the warning labels say that there is 34KV present and give instructions to discharge it. I'm not sure if I want to tango with 34KV; anybody know what a TV repair guy would charge to look at it?
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
The Oil in the lens Assy is leaking. Rear projectors with Trinitron tube layout has oil inside the lens assembly.

I know, I have dismantled a few lenses.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Was the TV made by the same company that makes rusty Ford cars that leak oil all over the place?

I think the oil is used to cool the tiny CRT projectors in the old projection TV.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Ok, so I dismantled the TV today and found 1 tube/lens assembly with diaphragm blown out, all the oil gone. 2nd assembly diaphragm has a big hole in it, looks like an arc went through it or something, all the oil gone. 3rd assembly, diaphragm is still intact but burned, looking weak. All 3 tubes glass looks cloudy/smoked. I'm thinking that something inspired all 3 tubes to commit suicide. I cannot find these tubes anywhere online. part # for the tube assembly is xx15449-010. I also cannot find the service manual online. TV chassis # PTK195MB. How do TV repair shops get service manuals? Without having seen the price of the tube assemblies, judging from the looks of them I assume that the price for 3 is more than a new flatscreen; can anyone confirm this?

EDIT: my part# was wrong. there's actually 3 different part #s for the 3 different assemblies. xx15247-710, xx15247-720, & xx15229-510. I found the 1st two, 165$ apiece. Assuming the 3rd one can be found at the same price, I would be looking at spending ~500$ on the TV. Then I need to find & purchase a service manual so I can figure out why they blew up in the first place so it doesn't happen again.

So, my next project will be turning this TV into a 56" fish tank.
 
Last edited:

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I had the same experience, but without the oil. A "friend" gave me a big projection TV. Friend is in quotes because I'm not sure it was a friendly thing to give me that POS. I repaired it. Three weeks later something else broke. This went on for about 3 months and I sent it to TV heaven. I just couldn't keep it fixed!
 
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