01
You stop paying for the wrong parts
One correct diagnosis costs far less than three wrong repairs.
Home/TV repair services/Diagnostics & fault finding
Diagnostics & fault finding
TV diagnostics: find the cause before you replace the part
Guesswork is expensive. Swapping boards until something works is how people end up paying three times for one fault. We test systematically, identify the actual failure, and only then tell you what it will cost.
Systematic testing
A written verdict
No obligation
Most bad TV repairs start with a bad diagnosis
There is a particular kind of repair story we hear over and over. A television stops working. Somebody replaces the power supply board. It works for two weeks and dies again. Somebody replaces the mainboard. Same result. By the third visit the customer has spent more than the television is worth and the original fault — a failing backlight driver quietly overloading everything downstream — is still there.
That happens because parts were swapped instead of tested. A television is a chain: mains input, power supply, mainboard, T-CON, panel driver, backlight, and the audio and signal paths hanging off the side of it. A failure anywhere in that chain can present as a symptom somewhere else entirely.
Fault finding is the skill that separates a technician from a parts fitter. We measure voltages, we check standby rails, we test backlight strips under load, we isolate the mainboard from the panel, and we prove where the failure is before we recommend spending a cent.
The detail
What a proper diagnostic actually checks
Symptoms lie. Measurements do not.
Mains and standby power
We confirm the set is receiving power, then check the standby rail. A television that shows no light at all and one that shows a red standby LED are two very different faults, and they point in opposite directions.
The power supply board under load
A power board can test fine at rest and collapse the moment the panel asks it for current. We test under load, not at idle, which is why we catch faults that a quick look misses.
Backlight strips and the backlight driver
If you can hear sound but see nothing, we shine a torch at an angle across the screen. If a faint image is there, the panel and the mainboard are alive and the backlight has failed. That single test saves customers a fortune in unnecessary mainboard replacements.
The mainboard and its outputs
We check whether the mainboard is booting, whether it is producing a signal, and whether it is being dragged down by a fault elsewhere. A mainboard that looks dead is often a mainboard being starved of voltage.
The T-CON board and panel drive
Lines, bands, half-screens and colour distortion frequently trace back to the T-CON board or its ribbon connections rather than to the panel itself. That distinction is the difference between a repairable television and a write-off.
Inputs, audio and network paths
HDMI ports, tuners, speakers, amplifier circuits and the Wi-Fi module all get checked, because a ‘broken TV’ is very often a broken input or a software fault wearing a hardware disguise.
What you get
Why the diagnosis is worth paying for
It is the cheapest part of the job and the part that determines everything else.
02
You find out if it is worth fixing
Sometimes the honest answer is no. Better to know that before you spend, not after.
03
You get a fixed price, not an estimate
Once we know the fault, we can quote it properly instead of guessing.
04
Hidden secondary faults get caught
A failing capacitor that has not killed the set yet is worth knowing about now.
05
You understand your own television
We show you the fault. You will know exactly what you are paying to fix.
06
It feeds into the repair cost
If you proceed with the repair, the diagnostic fee is taken into account in the final price.
Included
What the diagnostic report tells you
In plain language, not jargon.
The component that failedNamed, and shown to you where possible
Why it failedSurge, heat, age, dust, moisture or manufacturing defect
Whether it is repairableAnd whether repairing it is financially sensible
The fixed cost to repairParts and labour, agreed before we start
Any secondary risksComponents that are ageing and likely to follow
How to prevent a repeatSurge protection, ventilation and placement advice
Our process
How the diagnosis runs
01
You describe the symptom
What happens when you press power? Any lights, clicks, or sounds? A short video is worth a thousand words.
02
We test on site
Power rails, backlight, mainboard, T-CON, inputs and audio — measured, not guessed.
03
We explain what we found
In plain language, with the failed part in front of you where possible.
04
You decide what happens next
A fixed quote, no pressure, and no charge to say no.
FAQ
Diagnostics & fault finding — your questions answered
The things people actually ask us on the phone, answered straight.
Not sure what is wrong?
WhatsApp us the make, the screen size and a short video of what the TV is doing. We can usually narrow the fault down before a technician is even dispatched.
WhatsApp 063 866 0971How long does a TV diagnostic take?
For most faults, between twenty minutes and an hour on site. Intermittent faults — the kind that only appear after the set has been running for a while — can take longer, because we have to reproduce the fault before we can measure it.
Can you diagnose the fault over the phone?
Sometimes we can get very close. If you tell us the make, the model, exactly what happens when you press power, and whether there are any lights, clicks or sounds, we can often narrow it to one or two likely causes. But we will not quote a firm price on a phone description, because that is how people get misled.
What is the difference between a dead panel and a dead backlight?
It is the single most important distinction in TV repair. Shine a bright torch at a sharp angle across the screen while the TV is on. If you can faintly see a picture, the panel is alive and the backlight has failed — that is repairable. If there is nothing at all, and there is no sound either, the fault lies further back. Either way, we test it properly rather than relying on the torch alone.
Do you charge for the diagnostic if I do not go ahead with the repair?
Yes. Finding the fault is skilled work and it takes time, so the assessment is charged for whether or not you proceed. If you do proceed, it is taken into account in the repair price. You will know the assessment fee before we come out.
My TV was fine and then it just died after load-shedding. What is it?
Nine times out of ten, the power supply board. The surge when power is restored is far more damaging than the outage itself. It is one of the most common faults in South Africa and, importantly, it is usually a straightforward repair.
Will you tell me if it is not worth repairing?
Yes, and we do it regularly. If the repair cost approaches the price of a comparable new television, we will say so plainly. It costs us the job and it keeps our customers.
Book a TV technician
Stop guessing. Get it properly diagnosed.
Tell us the make, the model and what it is doing. We will tell you what we think it is, and what it is likely to cost to put right.
Board-level diagnostics on every major TV brand
Contact
Speak to a TV technician, not a call centre
- Call us
- 0861 995 085Open 24 hours · 7 days a week
- 063 866 0971Send a short video of the fault — it speeds everything up.
- Where we work
- Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Centurion, Midrand, the East Rand and the West RandSee every area we cover →