LG TV Not Turning On: EVERY Easy Fix

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I know how annoying it is when your LG TV won’t turn on, but unlike most people, I also know that an LG TV not turning on can be easily fixed with just a little effort.

I don’t want anyone else to have to buy an expensive replacement TV just because they cannot get theirs to switch on, so I have created this guide of every easy fix, which I am confident will help you to get your TV back up and running again in just a few minutes.

LG TV Not Turning On

Your LG TV won’t turn on because it is not receiving the correct voltage, the cables are not firmly connected, it needs to be reset, or there is a backlight failure. Fix it by unplugging your TV for 30 minutes and holding down the power button for 15 seconds before plugging back in.

The vast majority of people can fix their TV with just a simple soft reset, but for others, it might require a more complex fix.

We’re going to go through every fix, starting from the simplest up to the most advanced.

If you follow them all in order, I am sure you can get your TV working again.

Watch a quick overview of every fix if you prefer, in the video below.

1. Check Power Supply

It might seem obvious, but the most common reason why your TV won’t turn on is because of a household power issue, rather than a problem with the TV itself.

First, you need to confirm that your wall socket is supplying enough power, and there is no interruption of supply during use.

There’s a few methods that you can use:

Unplug your LG TV from your wall socket.
Remove any surge interruptors or smart plugs so that you have a direct line to your wall socket.
Plug another large device that you know works into the same socket and check that the new device works as normal. (It’s important that this device draws approximately as much power as your TV, to confirm the socket is fully working).
Remove the other device and plug your TV back into this socket.
Switch on the power and switch on your TV using the physical power button located somewhere on its case (usually beneath the LG logo).
See if any lights show on your TV. If so, you know your TV is receiving power and you can move onto the next step.
If you get no response from your TV, repeat these steps with another wall socket to confirm your household electricity supply isn’t a problem.

2. Reset Your TV

With modern electronics, it’s possible that your LG TV won’t turn on because of a software issue.

Power cycling your TV will clear out any issues with non-permanent memory and reset your main board without losing your personal settings.

This is quick and painless and won’t cause you to lose any of your saved settings.

Switch off and unplug your TV.
Hold down the physical power button on the TV for at least 15 seconds.
Wait for at least 30 minutes for any residual power to drain from the TV’s capacitors (which are capable of storing charge for several minutes).
Plug your TV back in and try switching it on. You should see a red light if you have been successful.

lg tv power button — The LG TV power button is often on the side of the TV

Make sure you do wait for the full 30 minutes before plugging your TV back in – you would be surpised how long the components within your TV can hold charge, and you want to make sure it has fully reset.

Although this seems a very basic step, don’t overlook it because in the vast majority of cases a simple soft reset fixes most issues.

Most people will now have their TV fixed and back up and running. If this isn’t you, then we’ve got a few more basic fixes to try before getting into the hardware fixes.

3. Reseat Your HDMI Cables

There’s a strong possibility that a poorly seated cable is automatically switching inputs on your TV, but as it’s not fully connected, it isn’t able to supply a signal and so it looks like your TV isn’t working.

This is also a common cause of horizontal lines on LG TVs.

This comes down to either a:

Faulty HDMI cable with a break in it
Damaged HDMI port with broken pins
Poor HDMI connection where the cable and connector are not fully making contact

To check your HDMI and other cables:

Switch off your TV.
Remove any HDMI or other physical cables connected to the back of your TV.
If you have any compressed air, use that to clean the contacts both of the cable and in the connector on the TV. If you don’t have compressed air, then blow gently on them.
Firmly push the cables back into their slots on the TV.
Switch your TV back on again.

It that hasn’t fixed the problem, then try using a different HDMI input. Most TVs have 3 or 4 HDMI ports.

If you have one that is on a different part of the TV then that would be the best one to try, as it this should have a separate connection to the TV’s main board.

Plug you HDMI cable into the new port, note the number next to it, then choose this HDMI input on your TV, by using the Input or Source button on your TV remote or the Input or Menu button on your TV itself.

You can also try removing all external devices, including those connected by Bluetooth and any coaxial or signal cables, so that the TV only has a power cable going into it.

When you turn your TV on, this means the screen will be black as it is not receiving any picture, potentially making it tough to see if it is truly working or not.

Try to pull up the on-screen menu. If you can see this, then it means that your external connections are the problem, and you should try reseating your HDMI cables one by one, until you find the damaged cable that needs replacing.

4. Check for a Damaged Power Cord

If you didn’t check when changing the wall socket that your TV is plugged into, you should now confirm that the power cord itself isn’t damaged.

In particular, look for kinks and knots in the power cable, which can damage the copper wires both mechanically and from increasing the electrical resistance, which generates heat, causing damage that may not necessarily be obvious.

Because of potential damage within the cable that you cannot see due to the protective sheath, it can be a good idea to use a new power cable, if you have one or can borrow one.

Also, be sure to carefully look at the power connector on your TV, if available, to confirm that the port is free from corrosion, dirt and dust.

5. See If Your Remote is Working

If you can see that your LG TV is getting power – maybe the red light is on, or you can hear sound from the speakers – there is a chance that the remote is not working.

If you are using an IR remote, then confirm that you have a good line of site to your TV.

If you are using an RF remote, confirm that it is connected to the same local network as your TV.

Don’t forget to check the batteries in your remote, replacing the existing ones with brand new batteries if you have no way of checking them.

For IR remotes, it’s possible to check if the remote is working by using your smartphone’s camera.

Simply point the IR transmitter on the end of your remote at your phone’s camera and you will see a red light appear when you press any button on the remote.

This doesn’t work for some cameras though, notably some iPhones, so check with another remote if in doubt.

6. See If You Have a Failed Backlight

If none of the above fixes have worked for you, the issue is likely to be a more serious one.

It should still be possible to fix yourself, but may require some tools and replacement parts.

One of the most common failure points on an LG TV is the backlight.

Usually, the backlight itself does not fail, but either voltage inverter (depending on the precise model) or the power board itself fails, meaning that the backlight is no longer receiving power.

Backlight failure is most likely if your LG TV won’t turn on and the red light goes off when you try to switch it on.

To check for backlight failure:

Follow your normal process for switching on your TV.
Get right up close to the screen and point the light on your phone or a flashlight directly at the screen.
Try changing channels with your remote, or going into the menu.
If the backlight is not working, you will see very faint images on your TV screen.

Luckily, this is pretty easy to fix, but it will require you to open up your TV. If you’re not confident with that, then your options are to either go to a repair shop, or get a new TV.

To fix a failed backlight:

Unplug your TV, hold down the power button and wait for at least 30 minutes. There are large capacitors in the power board for the backlight and these can hold charge for an extended period of time.
Place your TV face down on a large table or workbench. Make sure there is nothing that can scratch the screen on your work surface.
Ground yourself.
Open your TV by unscrewing the screws in the backpanel. It should come apart in two pieces: front and back.
Put the back panel somewhere out of the way and take a look at the circuit boards that have been revealed.
You will see a T-Con board for translating the signal into a TV picture, a power board and a main board. Any wires or ribbons that are near the edge of the TV should be disconnected.
Then remove the screws around the edge that hold the bezel of the TV.
With some care, you should be able to remove the bezel, panel and reveal the TV backlight underneath, which will be in strips of LED lights.
Use a voltmeter or TV backlight tester to check whether they are working, and replace any failures.
If these still work, you can test the power board (a circuit board identified by the obvious power connector) using your voltmeter or tester, and replace this if failed.

The position of the boards and their precise shapes and sizes will vary by model, but the T-Con board can be identified by the ribbon cables connecting it to the TV’s panel. Identify the main three boards you will see in the images below.

You can also take a look at the video below to see how to replace your LG TV’s backlights.

Is this hasn’t diagnosed the issue, then you should investigate the main board and any other connections you see using your voltmeter. Try to determine if all components are receiving power.

If you need to replace the power board or main board, then eBay generally offers a wide selection of relatively cheap parts.

Why Won’t My LG TV Turn On But Red Light Is On?

If your LG TV won’t turn on but the red light is on, this means that it is receiving power but is in standby mode.

Try switching on your TV using the power button usually located on the backside of your LG TV, rather than your remote which may not be working correctly.

If it still does not turn on, then there is likely to be a problem with the main board. You can see how to troubleshoot and fix this in the video below.

LG TV Won’t Turn On: No Power Light

If you are sure that your wall socket is delivering power to your TV, and the red standby light is off, try pressing the Menu button on the TV itself (not the one on the remote).

You can also try the Vol + button, and if you see or hear any response, this means you are most likely to have a backlight failure.

If there is no response, then you are most likely looking at a main board replacement, assuming you have already tried all of the steps in this guide.

LG TV Won’t Turn On: Red Light Blinks 2 Times

A blinking red light on your LG TV usually means that there is a problem with the power supply or processor.

This can be caused by a faulty surge protector, or by a problem with your home wall sockets, or by an internal fault within your TV’s main board.

Fix this by removing any surge protectors or extension leads, and try plugging your TV into a wall socket on the other side of the room.

You can also try a device that draws a similar current in the existing socket to determine if your socket is at fault.

If not, consider replacing the main board.

LG TV Support and Warranty

You can check your warranty information direct with LG.

Unfortunately, warranties typically only last a year unless you have already paid to extend it.

Because a failure to turn on can occur at any time, if your TV is under one year old, return your TV under warranty and get it fixed.

You can use the LG support site to help diagnose your problem, but if you are at this stage, then you are better off calling them direct on:

850-999-4934 or 843-243-0000 (Mon. – Sun., 8am – 9pm EST)

You can also email them directly, or even email the president of LG customer care!

Even if LG won’t fix your TV, they might still offer you a discount off a future model if you pester them hard enough! This is always worth a try in my experience.

What to Do if Your LG TV Won’t Turn On?

To wrap up, if your LG TV won’t turn on, then to fix it you can:

Check your TV is receiving power by testing your wall sockets.
Look for damage to your power cable.
Reset your TV by leaving it unplugged while holding the power button.
Remove any connected Bluetooth and physically connected devices.
Check your remote is working and has batteries.
Test if the backlight and other components are working.

If you haven’t been able to fix your problem using the steps above, then your next port of call should be to LG customer support, who can advise you if they are able to fix it.

If not, then you can try a local TV repair technician, but if they are unable to help, then unfortunately you are most probably looking at having to get a new TV.