LCD Monitor Repairing

Setup a work area with a soft cloth down so you do not scratch the screen.

Lay the monitor on its face or screen.

Remove the screws from the back.  

With the screws removed, the case will be slightly loose but the front and back will be held together by the internal clips. 

Look at the photos below to come to grips with what you are dealing with. It should go a long way in helping get the shell apart in only two pieces, as apposed to several pieces (which would be bad).

If you fingers are strong and your finger nails have an edge to them,  you may be able "gently" separate the two halves.

The best approach is to use a plastic putty knife to separate the front from the back. 

Start at the top or where the frame is the most sturdy. Thin edges near buttons are best left to last.

There's no easy way to do this.  Just be careful and avoid breaking the plastic clips.  Once the first clip comes free the rest comes apart much easier. Each model is different but they all have this basic design in common (clips and screws). Our test subject had three screws for the case and three more screws that attached the base.

Putty knife separating the shell

We've opened several of these now and found working from the side or top is the best place to start. Once the 1st clip lets go rotate and open the rest of the clips. As the clips open the rest comes easy

Remove the back

Remove the shielding if there is any.

Check your cables

Photo showing the plastic clips on the front and back of the shell.

You can see a series of clips which hold the shell together.

Number the connectors before you remove them. Write the numbers on the socket and plug for each match up later.

Once you get the case open, the hardest part is behind you.  
Disconnect the cable running from the front panel to the chassis. (Use a sharpie to label the connector and socket)

Remove the shielding that covers the area near the power connector. 

Mark each connection with a Sharpie. Label ABC or 123 but you need to mark every connector and the corresponding socket with the same code.  This is critical because many of the connectors look exactly the same and are very close together.

Good example of confusing connectors that need to be labeled.

The image below shows the inverter board. It is a small board that is unique to your monitor's model. However, it has several cables attached and is considerably smaller than the monitor.

The power plug will be mounted directly on the inverter-board or wired to the inverter board.

The culprits are the electrolytic capacitors found on this board. These little guys dry out due to age, heat, and just plain being over worked. Most manufacturers use cheap capacitors and this is the reason why we are here and the reason we are going to do a better job than the manufacturer did.

Examine the inverter board for blown capacitors. All capacitors showing a rounded top are very bad. Some may be bad even if they do not show a rounded-top, but all with a rounded top must be replaced. Replacing all capacitors (sans the giant one in the middle) is the best idea.   Again you do not need to replace the giant capacitor unless it obviously bad. 

Watch the video above for a clear identification of where to find the bad capacitors.
The capacitors in the monitor are the cheapest available. You will want to replace them with the best available.
Capacitors used in consumer grade monitors have a life of 1000-2000 hours.  We are going to replace them with quality capacitors rated for a minimum life cycle of 6000-8000 hours. Even under heavy office use, these new capacitors should last five years. 

The video above compares a bad and good capacitor side by side.
Please note: Caps with bulging tops are bad but caps that look normal could still be dried up and dead.
So if your monitor tries to light up but fails to light up, this is a very likely cause.

The photo below above show the three worst capacitors, but I will be replacing eight capacitors on this board.
Notice how they bulge at the top? This is a dead give a way of a ruptured capacitor.

Document your capacitor locations.
Draw a map or just use your camera to take a photo of the inverter board and write the values on the photo.
The values will be in micro farads. The printing will look like "uF". You also need the voltage rating. Pick the best life cycle you can afford.

When buying capacitors for this job, you need polarized. If you do not buy polarized you will damage your monitor. A polarized capacitor is easily noted by the stripe with "-" symbol printed on one side.  This the negative leg and goes in the hole marked as negative on your circuit board. 

De-solder all capacitors.
Using a De-solder tool, vacuum out the solder and remove the caps.

Mount your inverter board.
Plug in all your cables using your sharpie numbers to guide you.
Before snapping the case back together, plug in the power cable and turn on the monitor.
After a few seconds, the monitor should detect there no video cable connected and it will display a message or test pattern.
That's all you need to see. Pull the power plug & put it back together.

Put the case halves back together.
This is easier than you can imagine so be sure you are ready. You do not want to crack it open again for a very long time. The two halves will act as if they want to be together.
With a slight press and a cascade of snapping latches, the two halves will become one again.
Install the screws and give it a final test.