Question Sony OLED tv XBR-65A9F blinking LED 8 times

[astronomer2021]

I have a Sony/Bravia model XBR-65A9F that won't power on. Front LED blinks 8 times then repeats. This TV is only 3 years old so info is tough to find. I spoke with tech support at Sony, they don't have the codes for this model!!!!! I have a College Degree in electronics and have verified the power supply is working when I hit the power button. I've tried the factory reset using the Power button/ vol(-), this shows a flashing green light, then it returns to 8 blinks(red).
Any ideas? I'm not ready to shoot from the hip and just start replacing boards. Has anyone fixed one these TV's before?

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

Why do so many people come here before doing a Google search?
With your "degree in electronics" you should know to type in your make /model and the blink code into Google which will narrow down your problem significantly. and move on from there. But I did it for you, click HERE. It may just need a power cycle, unplug for 10 minutes, pressing the power button a few times, then plug in and restart. Works more often than not. Here is a different FACTORY RESET PROCEDURE. THESE MAY NOT BE YOUR EXACT MODEL, BUT THEY BOTH APPLY TO YOUR TV. So does THIS

You have not verified the power supply board works, only the standby voltage, 1 of 4 voltages. 1)3.3V standby 2) 5v logic 3) 12V or so volt for audio and 4)130V for backlight LED's.

Why replace boards? I fix them 9 out of 10 times. What happens when you find a bad backlight LED, ONE bad LED and they all go dead. And you get the parts for $35 on a $650 set? I tear down the set and spend a little time replacing them all. Saves a TV from a landfill and a bunch of money.
Real schools teach you component level repair. NOT board swapping.
Repair the board, 50 cents, and yes, a little time, depending on your knowledge and experience. Replace the board, up to $120 dollars.
Sometimes it is better to replace the board, but not as often as you think.

 

[astronomer2021]

Why do so many people come here before doing a Google search?
With your "degree in electronics" you should know to type in your make /model and the blink code into Google which will narrow down your problem significantly. and move on from there. But I did it for you, click HERE. It may just need a power cycle, unplug for 10 minutes, pressing the power button a few times, then plug in and restart. Works more often than not. Here is a different FACTORY RESET PROCEDURE. THESE MAY NOT BE YOUR EXACT MODEL, BUT THEY BOTH APPLY TO YOUR TV. So does THIS

You have not verified the power supply board works, only the standby voltage, 1 of 4 voltages. 1)3.3V standby 2) 5v logic 3) 12V or so volt for audio and 4)130V for backlight LED's.

Why replace boards? I fix them 9 out of 10 times. What happens when you find a bad backlight LED, ONE bad LED and they all go dead. And you get the parts for $35 on a $650 set? I tear down the set and spend a little time replacing them all. Saves a TV from a landfill and a bunch of money.
Real schools teach you component level repair. NOT board swapping.
Repair the board, 50 cents, and yes, a little time, depending on your knowledge and experience. Replace the board, up to $120 dollars.
Sometimes it is better to replace the board, but not as often as you think.

Ok thanks, OLED TV's (XBR-65A9F) do not have backlights so there is no 130Volts coming off the power supply. When I press the power button, all the correct voltages come up on the power supply. The plugs have screen printing to show the pinout voltages, gnd, signals, etc.
The screen does not come on and after a short period of time the LED blinks 8 times over and over. I've tried ALL the reset methods. 8 blinks is a CPU board error. There about $130usd. I repair off-line switching power supplies mostly.

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

Astronomer,
OH WOW! Something I have not heard of before because it's a OLED!!
But that doesn't matter, as I understand the theory just fine. I assume you have no sound either, correct?

Sorry,I've been offline for some time, but in case your still looking here..... am happy to help if your still around.
I was too busy with my own business to help others for awhile.

It is very likely that the TV is telling you the OLED driver section is down, because you have your voltages,
and the OLED driver is not working, which I assume is on your main board. If not please let me know, and better yet,
send a picture of the back of the TV, back cover off.
I bet it has a great picture when working, very good black levels because they are LED
If you happen to still be following this thread, how old is this TV? Any warranty left?
Because it really sounds like the Main Board is going to be your solution. And I'm guessing for your TV it could
be pretty expensive. Write back if still around, I understand if not. It just may be possible to fix the main board.
I fix MOST of the circuit boards, replacement is last ditch option for me.
If it IS fixed, please let me know what the problem/fix was, I'm very curious!

 

[astronomer2021]

Thanks for the reply.
The TV is 2018 and out of warranty. I bought it used for seriously cheap(not working thinking I can still fix it). I recently read an article about the growing numbers of angry Sony OLED TV owners. Turns out the Sony/Bravia OLED TVs have an alarming failure rate after just 2-3 years. The problem is the Main CPU Board failure. These TVs are $4000 new. Now there's a Consumer Movement trying to build momentum and they want Sony to be held responsible for a free fix. A recall perhaps. At present Sony will send a tech to do the repairs at a high cost(your cost). A new CPU board is only $150usd.

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

Wow, thats a big dollar TV!
From what I understand, these recalls, should it happen, only apply to the original owner.
Just like the warranty. You have to show proof of purchase from store to be able to use the original warranty.
So if you do want to fix it, as long as the TV panel plugs directly into the main board, you can be certain that the
main board will be the issue.
The only other thing I could suggest that would be cheaper is doing a close visual inspection,
looking for swollen electrolytic capacitors, or visibly burnt out semiconductors, or board fuse checks, etc.
(Look for components with the prefix F -- as most TV fuses don't look like the glass cylinders you may be used to)
Some surface mount fuses look like SM resistors, or white ceramic rectangular parts less than 1/4 of an inch long, and 1/8" or less
smaller on all 4 sides. I am not sure of your experience level.
It's not uncommon at all to be able to find visual damage if you know what to look for.
If your thinking of replacing the main board, I'd go to Shop Jimmy. They sell quality parts, and give troubleshooting tips as well, though this problem
is cut and dry as the main board..
You could ask if you wanted if Sony has made any corrections to the original design to make it more reliable.

Oh, one other thing that is rather common to go south on the motherboard is the EEPROM, but you need good soldering skills if that is the issue.
If soldering tiny things is not in your wheelhouse, If you find nothing visual, I'd just replace the mommy board.
Your call at this point.

 

[astronomer2021]

I tried Shop Jimmy. No Stock on that motherboard. I bought one from Electro Parts Outlet for $150usd. Now I got a new problem; that was 10 days ago. I paid the extra fast shipping. I haven't heard from them at all. No tracking number, they dont answer my emails, the phone goes direct voice mail and no call back.
As for the existing bad motherboard, I have checked for the obvious under my circuit board microscope. Checked for shorted tiny capacitors(a known problem). Using my surface mount soldering equipment I resoldered the CPU(a tech on youtube tried this and it worked great). That didn't work either. If the new mother board doesn't fix it, it's on to the next tech who wants to give it a try. I've lost bigger money on the stock market. I recently repaired a power supply for an LG OLED TV that had no power period. It turned out to be the PWM for the standby(wake up) circuit. I'll keep you posted.

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

You are not having great luck with either the manufacturer, I can't believe they don't know what the flash codes means? Of course they know!
They just don't want to help out non- -Sony dealers.
I have a high degree of confidence the main board will fix it.

 

[astronomer2021]

Well the new CPU board arrived today. Still nothing. Once again after about 3 minutes there is a relay click and a Red LED blinking 8 times. I seriously need to find out that code. Sony.com won't tell me.

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

Astronomer2021,
Well this comes as a shock to me that the main board couldn't repair the problem.

1. you reported that the power supply was putting out correct voltages. (I believe you on this)
2. The screen drive is supplied by the Main board, and you reported a dimming of the screen intensity.
3. The fix for most people with this problem is the Main Board!

Logic says there is a very high likelihood that there was a main board issue!
Color me surprised it did not fix the issue!

If you feel like looking further trouble-shooting, I would put a meter on the power supply output(s)
(I'm making a assumption you you do not have a O-Scope), is that the case?)
Check the initial reading, then after the failure on each output voltage. Too bad we missed the voltage pre-screen dimming however.
Your right though, knowing the meaning of the 8 blink failure mode may be the key in this case.
I'm going to do some searching on your model , and see if I could have any luck with my contacts.
Sorry I had a part in leading you down the wrong road here, but it's pretty hard to be more thorough when
I have no access to the TV myself.
Oh here is a good idea, unplug the screen connectors, unloading the output drivers, and lowering vastly the load on the power supply, and see if it STILL happens, and if the voltage changes. That will give some some valuable info regardless of what the outcome is. Also switch the meter from DC to AC when the cables ARE connected, to measure the noise component.
The non scope method of measuring the noise component.
-Beauford

P.S. - Please include some pictures of the guts of this puzzle wrapped in a enigma. I need to see the layout of this TV .
P.S.S. : That relay click is most likely the TV sensing an over-current, that could be coming from anywhere that is drawing to much current, so the TV is doing a self-protective auto-shutdown.
E.G. It could be something like a electrolytic capacitor going bad causing a current overdraw.
That is the single most common power supply failure in SMPS supply's.

 

[astronomer2021]

I did not report a screen dimming issue. There is no display and no sound upon hitting the power button. I do have an oscilloscope. I have checked all voltages even with the other boards removed. Its all the same. Because the screen is not broken I'm assuming its ok. I'll put it back on Craigslist for someone who has a broken screen on this model.

 

[BEAUFORD_SAVAGE]

Sorry, I have been answering a lot of questions, I must be mixing info up from another post.
I went back to the beginning and read this thread.

As far as the screen being OK , That's the most likely component to be bad!

You have replaced the power supply and main board, And you have a panel full of LED's, AKA tiny DIODES!!! If this were a LCD screen I would agree with you.

All it would take is enough of the diodes in the screen to short, and you would get this EXACT problem you have now.
These are semiconductor components by the thousands. It actually seems if there is 1 thing I would NOT trust, It's the screen!
See, this is a TV has a current OVERDRAW, causing it to shutdown. This is what I have fixed countless times on non-LED TV's, and If it's not the boards, it's the screen.
If it were mine, I would be selling the boards on E-Bay, and tossing the rest. It just stands to reason.
But hey, your TV, your call.

 

[astronomer2021]

Thanks for the long discussion. I think I'll take that advice and sell the boards on ebay or local Craigslist. Even as a retired guy I could put many hours into this tv and never get it to work.
Regards