Vizio TV undoubtedly offers great quality pictures and is an ideal choice for home entertainment. But for some reason, many Vizio TV models eventually run into the same problem of not turning on even if the white light is on. So, what causes this problem, and how can you fix a Vizio TV that won’t turn on?
To fix a Vizio TV that won’t turn on, check your power cable connections and try another outlet. If the TV has an LED on the front, take note of if that LED is on but the TV still won’t turn on. That signals a failure of the TV’s panel. Next, get in touch with Vizio’s customer support.
If your Vizio TV doesn’t turn on, don’t sweat it. There are several quick fixes you can try, even if you don’t have some serious tech skills up your sleeve. Let’s get started so you can figure out how to get your TV up and running like before.
Why Won’t My Vizio TV Turn On But the Light Is On?
Various hardware and software defects could cause a Vizio TV not to turn on even if the light is on.
The issue often takes various shapes. In one scenario, the LED light changes from orange to a steady white color and there’s sound, but you can’t see a picture on the screen. The light continues to blink like that, indicating a TV hardware problem.
At other times, there’s neither sound nor picture, the white light comes on bright, then slowly fades, and the whole thing just stares at you, indicating a picture problem.
The white light could also change from dim to bright, but the TV won’t turn on. All these cases indicate various technical issues, most of which occur with the TV itself, including the following:
The TV Is in Standby Mode
Vizio TVs have a “Mute Screen” feature that puts the screen in sleep mode; in this case, it won’t display a picture even if the white light is on.
This usually occurs when you play audio files on your TV, like when you’re streaming music on Pandora or Spotify.
You can deactivate the feature by pressing and holding the ‘Mute‘ button for 5 seconds, the same way you could’ve activated it by accident.
The Power Cord Is Loose or Faulty
It often turns out that you have an inactive power source or a loose power cord. Additionally, your power cable could have kinks and tears, which affect its performance. While it may seem obvious, inspecting your power sources and cables before proceeding to any other troubleshooting steps is a good practice.
You’ve Assigned the Wrong Input
Many users have reported that Vizio TV won’t turn on even if the white light is on because there’s a problem with the source device. This is common if you’ve connected a set-top box, gaming device, cable box, or some other streaming device to your TV.
Remember, if you’ve assigned the wrong input while setting up the TV, you won’t get signals from the connected device, and it may appear that the TV is not turning on. However, you can quickly check this by pressing the ‘Menu‘ button. If the menu doesn’t appear on the screen, there’s a problem with your source device.
The TV Remote is Faulty
A faulty remote may also cause the TV not to turn on when the white light is on. Moreover, there could be a problem with the buttons on your TV set. But you can do a soft reset on your remote by taking out the batteries, then pressing and holding the power button for 10 seconds. Next, insert the batteries and try powering on your TV again.
There’s Electromagnetic Interference
As it turns out, some electronic devices placed near your TV can cause electromagnetic interference, preventing the TV from turning on. This usually goes for certain computers, routers, and other wireless equipment.
The TV will struggle to power on, the white light flashes, but then there’s no picture on the screen. Placing your TV in a cabinet or wall mount far away from such devices often solves the issue.
Your Backlight Is Faulty
Most Vizio TVs use a backlit LCD screen, which means there’s a system that shines light from behind the screen to make pictures visible. If the backlight system has technical issues, your screen will behave as if it’s dead, and the TV won’t turn on.
Here’s how to confirm if the backlight system is causing the issue:
- Reduce the brightness in your room.
- Shine a flashlight on your TV screen.
- If you see a faint picture, it means the backlight system has a problem. You should have it checked by a qualified technician who will advise if you need a replacement.
There’s also a board called the T-con (timing controller) behind the screen. It processes incoming video signals and controls how the screen displays images. If this board is faulty, the screen becomes unresponsive, and your TV won’t turn on.
The TV Power Supply Board Is Damaged
Your TV power supply board can be damaged, in which case it won’t be able to run the screen. This usually occurs if the capacitors, transistors, or other power electronics devices are fried due to a power surge.
How Do You Fix a Vizio TV When It Won’t Turn On?
These are the practical troubleshooting tips to apply if your Vizio TV doesn’t turn on when the light is on:
Check Your Connections
Press the ‘Menu‘ button on your remote and check for any response on your TV. If you don’t see any change, inspect the power cord to see if it’s loose or damaged. Disconnect the power cord from the outlet and reconnect it more firmly. You can also plug it into a different socket.
Once you’ve ensured, the cord attaches firmly to the socket, check the back of your TV to make sure there’s a secure connection there as well. It may not be obvious, especially since the TV could’ve been displaced by kids or a playful pet in your absence.
You should also check the HDMI cord connected to your TV from an external video source like your satellite box, cable box, Blu-ray, DVD, or AVR.
Turn Off the Standby Mode
Check your TV to see if there’s a steady red light, which means it’s in standby mode. You can turn it off by pressing and holding the ‘Mute‘ button for 5 seconds.
But if you see a blue light and your screen won’t turn on, you could be having a backlight problem.
Power Cycle Your TV
If you suspect you have power-related issues, try power cycling your Vizio TV. Press the power button to turn off the TV. Disconnect the power cord, then press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to drain any reserve power stored in capacitors. Let your TV sit for 30 seconds, then reconnect the power cord and turn it on.
Apply the Correct Input Settings
Sometimes your TV appears not to turn on because you’ve selected the wrong input source during setup. You must assign the correct input source for your TV to work properly.
You must also ensure all the cables coming from these sources are properly connected. And if you’re using the HDMI ARC port, be certain you’ve connected your TV to the external device through an HDMI 1.4 cable or the latest version.
So whether you’ve connected an AVR (audio/video receiver), DVD player, gaming console, cable, or satellite box, double-check to confirm the input matches the HDMI, coaxial, or optical port you’re using.
For example, if you’ve connected an AVR to the HDMI ARC, make sure the input settings for video are adjusted accordingly. It’s pretty simple, and you only need to press the source button on your remote control and choose the desired input mode.
Alternatively, follow these steps if you suspect the remote is faulty or you can’t find it at the moment:
- Turn on your TV and press the ‘Menu‘ button at the side or bottom.
- Navigate to the source option using the volume buttons.
- Select the correct input source using the ‘Menu‘ button.
Restore the TV Settings to Factory Default
Since your TV won’t turn on, we can’t reset it using your remote. But you can still restore the settings to default using the power, source, and volume buttons on your TV set. Depending on your TV model, you can find these at the sides or bottom of your device.
Press the power button so the TV is switched on, even if the screen won’t come to life. Next, press and hold the source and volume down buttons simultaneously. Do this for a couple of seconds until your TV tells you to press and hold the input button.
Long press the input button for 10 seconds. The TV will turn off, and reboot, restoring the settings to default. This can take around one minute, after which you can power it on to see if the issue is fixed.
Contact Vizio Customer Support
If none of the tips above work for you, it’s a good time to call Vizio Customer Support. The agents can guide you through specialized troubleshooting steps. While a technician can guide you through troubleshooting tips over the phone, there are some issues you can’t fix yourself.
In that case, they might advise you to send your TV for repair. And if you have a valid service warranty, you won’t incur the repair costs.
Seek Professional Technical Assistance
If all the solutions we’ve discussed so far don’t work for you, it could be that your TV has run into a serious hardware problem. And lots of these can occur — from burned-out capacitors to damaged backlight systems, driver boards, etc.
If your purchase warranty has expired, you might want to take your TV for professional servicing at your own cost. A qualified electronics technician will diagnose the problem, remove the faulty hardware components, and install new replacements.
A repair might set you back a couple hundred bucks, but you’ll undoubtedly have your TV up and running like before. Don’t attempt to figure out the problem yourself or repair your TV unless you’re very sure of what you’re doing.