Ok a good few years ago I posted the following guide on a repair for the above projector on the AVSforum:
The problem was that a year or so ago (a long time after the initial repair) the clutch on the cinema filter motor began to slip and got steadily worse until it was taking about 20 tries to get the projector to start. I'd been putting it off for ages, but eventually decided to tear the projector down again to 'tighten' up the clutch. No big deal, just a bit of time and effort.
I carefully stripped everything down as I did in the guide above and tightened up the nut on the clutch. Put everything back together and the problem was fixed, great. However something didn't look right on the screen, colours were off.
Upon investigation it seems despite how careful I was, somehow I managed to create a small tear in the blue panel ribbon connector. This tore through many of the tiny almost invisible to the naked eye copper tracks leading to no blue channel effectively making the projector about as much use as an ornament.
I honestly could have kicked myself.
I tried to repair it with the help of a microscope, but the tracks are just far to small and about 15 were damaged in the space of about 2-3mm (that's how tiny these things are)
So it was either sell it as parts, but i didn't want to that as it only had 1700hrs on the original bulb and was pretty much perfect in every other way, or repair it.
I decided to try and repair, nothing to lose really. First I looked for a complete optical LCD unit, new, used and ebay for parts. Couldn't find one anywhere except China and that wasn't cheap. Around £450. The whole optical unit from an Epson parts seller was as much as a new projector, no chance.
In the end I found the original new part from seller in China who provide parts for projectors at a very reasonable price.
I thought I was taking a gamble as to whether I would receive it or not, but for £64 with discount worth a shot. Luckily 10 days later the part arrived exactly the same as the original.
With that in hand I set about the repair.
I didn't intend to make a post on it, but before I started I looked everywhere for advice by others that had done it and there was hardly any! Many, even on here said it couldn't be done. The alignment would be impossible without specialist equipment etc.
Well nothing to lose and don't like being told something isn't possible, so might as well have a go.
So here are a few pics of the repair:
I won't post pics of the strip down as that can be seen in the link above.
1. Here is the part in question attached to the optical block:
2. The old part removed next to new part for comparison. It is exactly the same as the original. All identifying marks, location of components and print are identical, even the printed part number on the ribbon, so I'm pretty confident it's an original part that Epson used.
3. Initially I tried to repair the ribbon, unsuccessfully by soldering the tracks together. Unfortunately just far too small.
Before:
After:
4. I had to come up with a way to be able to attach the new LCD panel to the block, but still allow movement. The panel is attached by only 2 small screws, no glue or anything else. These screws when loosened allow a very small amount of adjustment. The ONLY way to align the panel for convergence (how the heck they do this at the factory I do not know!)
First idea was to loosen the screws and use a couple of bent to shape paper clips and some foam to provide pressure on the LCD against the mounting plate. This didn't work well as it just pulled the panel out of alignment.
Using the panel alignment grid I couldn't get the convergence right no matter what as there was always soft thick blue lines on the the left side of the grid, even when the right was almost aligned.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the convergence problems, but it turned out to be a focus problem. The plate that the LCD mounts on has little lugs on each corner. The corners of the plate can move forward and back on these lugs and set the focus alignment which is set at the factory and glued in place. With my messing I had pulled the plate out of alignment on the left top and bottom corner. After getting that back into position the focus on both sides was equal.
SORRY DUE TO FORUM RESTICTION ON PICS HAD TO POST IN 2 PARTS.
Epson 5010/6010 'Cinema filter Error'...
www.avsforum.com
The problem was that a year or so ago (a long time after the initial repair) the clutch on the cinema filter motor began to slip and got steadily worse until it was taking about 20 tries to get the projector to start. I'd been putting it off for ages, but eventually decided to tear the projector down again to 'tighten' up the clutch. No big deal, just a bit of time and effort.
I carefully stripped everything down as I did in the guide above and tightened up the nut on the clutch. Put everything back together and the problem was fixed, great. However something didn't look right on the screen, colours were off.
Upon investigation it seems despite how careful I was, somehow I managed to create a small tear in the blue panel ribbon connector. This tore through many of the tiny almost invisible to the naked eye copper tracks leading to no blue channel effectively making the projector about as much use as an ornament.
I honestly could have kicked myself.
I tried to repair it with the help of a microscope, but the tracks are just far to small and about 15 were damaged in the space of about 2-3mm (that's how tiny these things are)
So it was either sell it as parts, but i didn't want to that as it only had 1700hrs on the original bulb and was pretty much perfect in every other way, or repair it.
I decided to try and repair, nothing to lose really. First I looked for a complete optical LCD unit, new, used and ebay for parts. Couldn't find one anywhere except China and that wasn't cheap. Around £450. The whole optical unit from an Epson parts seller was as much as a new projector, no chance.
In the end I found the original new part from seller in China who provide parts for projectors at a very reasonable price.
L3C07U-96G00 Projector Lcd Panel Epson TW8100/TW8500/TW9000w Panasonic PT-AE8000 Projector Assy
Brand New L3C07U-96G00. Find A professional supplier export High-Quality Projector Lamp Products at the best price from certified Chinese Lamp manufacturers! Fast global shipping, over 1000 models of projector lamps in stock. Projector LCD panel, color wheel, DMD chip, projector ballast, 100%...
www.iprojectorlamp.com
I thought I was taking a gamble as to whether I would receive it or not, but for £64 with discount worth a shot. Luckily 10 days later the part arrived exactly the same as the original.
With that in hand I set about the repair.
I didn't intend to make a post on it, but before I started I looked everywhere for advice by others that had done it and there was hardly any! Many, even on here said it couldn't be done. The alignment would be impossible without specialist equipment etc.
Well nothing to lose and don't like being told something isn't possible, so might as well have a go.
So here are a few pics of the repair:
I won't post pics of the strip down as that can be seen in the link above.
1. Here is the part in question attached to the optical block:
2. The old part removed next to new part for comparison. It is exactly the same as the original. All identifying marks, location of components and print are identical, even the printed part number on the ribbon, so I'm pretty confident it's an original part that Epson used.
3. Initially I tried to repair the ribbon, unsuccessfully by soldering the tracks together. Unfortunately just far too small.
Before:
After:
4. I had to come up with a way to be able to attach the new LCD panel to the block, but still allow movement. The panel is attached by only 2 small screws, no glue or anything else. These screws when loosened allow a very small amount of adjustment. The ONLY way to align the panel for convergence (how the heck they do this at the factory I do not know!)
First idea was to loosen the screws and use a couple of bent to shape paper clips and some foam to provide pressure on the LCD against the mounting plate. This didn't work well as it just pulled the panel out of alignment.
Using the panel alignment grid I couldn't get the convergence right no matter what as there was always soft thick blue lines on the the left side of the grid, even when the right was almost aligned.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the convergence problems, but it turned out to be a focus problem. The plate that the LCD mounts on has little lugs on each corner. The corners of the plate can move forward and back on these lugs and set the focus alignment which is set at the factory and glued in place. With my messing I had pulled the plate out of alignment on the left top and bottom corner. After getting that back into position the focus on both sides was equal.
SORRY DUE TO FORUM RESTICTION ON PICS HAD TO POST IN 2 PARTS.
Last edited: