Strange JVC X30 Problem.. [SOLVED]

cartwheel113

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Hi all! Long time creeper, first time posting :)

I have been given a JVC DLA-X30B for my first home cinema build from a friend with a strange problem.

Starting at the beginning - the previous owner was watching it one day and it powered off. He presumed it was the ballast; so he ordered a (genuine) ballast and it was replaced by a local AV repair shop. He got it back home, powered it on and it was working perfectly. About 30 minutes in, it shuts off again. He then presumed it was the bulb that went, so replaced that - but to no avail.

When it's plugged in it has the normal, red standby light. Powering it on, it has the green light for ~45 seconds before going out and leaving no LED lights on. According to the manual, it's operating correctly. No red warning lights, no flashing amber lamp light. Resetting the bulb hours via the remote keypress combination seems to work as it should, too.

The "dim" light comes on, emitting a faint Blue/Green rectangular hue, the fans kick in and the lamp at the back is on (can just about see it through the rear vents) & it emits a fair amount of heat. Everything to suggest that it's working properly. But that's where it stays stagnant. Nothing else happens after this - no display or input, just a dim light. Swapping back to the original bulb gives the same results.

With a new ballast & a new bulb fitted, I am completely out of ideas as to what the issue could be. If any of you wizards on here have any suggestions, it would be highly appreciated! :)
 
It could be that it's a simple as checking the filter and cleaning it as if that's dirty that can cause an issue with overheating. Also where it's placed are you getting enough ventilation to it are any of the airflow ducts restricted, not enough space clearance from walls etc.

Other than that it would need checking over at a JVC repairer, trouble is that could cost as much as the pj is worth.
 
Yes, always worth checking the filter as it's so easy to do, however I doubt that will cure the problem as it was probably checked/cleaned by the AV repairer who replaced the ballast.

If you don't even get the DLA start up symbol, then it's probably a software problem which, as advised above, is going to be costly.

Sorry I can't be more optimistic, but at least you haven't paid anything for it.
 
Have you tried a Factory Reset? You can Google the details. It's quite easy to do, though getting the key timing right can take a few goes.
 
Thanks for the replies!

There seems to be plenty of airflow - the unit is sat openly on a desk at the moment so ventilation isn't an issue. The filter is all good; the whole unit is pretty much spotless!

Gary - I checked Google for a factory reset but it seems I need to have some sort of display to get to the Service Menu :( I currently have nothing displaying, just a dim Green/Blue hue. It's as if the lamp is staying in a "warm up" phase, if you will.

I'll try a firmware update when I finish work if I'm able to connect without altering the gateway settings on the screen, hopefully ruling out a software issue!

I've contacted an eBay seller who is also a member on here - he's only an hour away from me so it seems my next step is take it to him and see what he thinks. He's suggested that it may be a problem with the Iris. I'll report back once he's had a look!
 
You need to set the communication to LAN to update the PJ. You also need to set the IP address and change some other LAN settings, so the lack of a picture is going to stop that too.

It could be a stuck iris. If it is, you should be able to see that by looking into the lens, maybe with a torch.

Just FYI, I was Technical Manager at JVC until 2016, and the projectors were my speciality at the time.
 
You need to set the communication to LAN to update the PJ. You also need to set the IP address and change some other LAN settings, so the lack of a picture is going to stop that too.

It could be a stuck iris. If it is, you should be able to see that by looking into the lens, maybe with a torch.

Just FYI, I was Technical Manager at JVC until 2016, and the projectors were my speciality at the time.
Ah, I thought that might have been the case. I did notice there's a Mini USB port hiding behind a screw panel on the rear - I hoped I might have been able to get at it through that if the LAN option failed!

Thinking back to yesterday when I was tinkering with it, the hole behind the lens that the dim light came through did seem quite small. I've attached a screenshot from a video I took for the repair guy - the green light in the middle is the size of the hole (maybe ~5mm), it's set back maybe an inch or two from the front of the glass.. Would this be the Iris? Not sure if that's a daft question, a bit out of my depth when it comes to lenses etc - I've been more of a TV guy up until this point :laugh:
 

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That is smaller than it should be, so it's probably almost closed, but should be enough to get a picture of some sort. Feed it a video signal and hold a piece of white paper a few feet in front of the projector. See if there's anything resembling a picture.
 
I'm not with it at the moment, but crudely re-created what I see when I hold a white sheet up to it in Photoshop. Tried feeding a couple of devices into it with no luck - It's just a sort of washed out Blue/Green gradient, regardless of which input I use. It doesn't do anything else even if the Menu buttons are pressed!
 

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That does look like some sort of internal failure. I seem to remember seeing something like that on a unit that had been dropped!
 
I would take the projector apart, and reseat and reconnect all connectors, check that the thermal pads on the processor is still in their right place, it's likely a result of an assembly error.
 
Quick update!

Stridsvognen was indeed correct - stripped the entire unit down, pulled out every possible board, screw & wire I could get my hands on then reassembled & it powered on without a hitch. ~10 hours of stress testing later and it's still going strong!

I can only theorise that a wire was slightly loose and when it heated up it became unseated. Nothing was obviously loose or disconnected upon inspection so it was pretty much a guessing game.

If anyone else has this issue and decides to do the same, the only advice I would give is to take photos of wire locations etc as they go - it isn't a job for the faint of heart :facepalm:

Thank you all for your help - I'm over the moon with it! :D
 

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