Sony TVs are generally a trusted and reliable brand. However, even these TVs can have issues. If your Sony TV has a blinking red or green light, it may be a sign that there is something wrong. This article outlines the cause of both red and green flashing lights to help isolate the issue with your TV.
The red light on a Sony TV will blink when an internal hardware error is detected. The number of flashes indicates which component has failed. A green flashing light is normal during start-up or when the remote is being used. However, if there is no picture, there may be an issue with the backlight.
I will explain each of the light codes below so that you can determine which component of your TV has failed. You can also find general troubleshooting tips that may get your TV up and running again without replacing any parts.
Sony TV Red Light Troubleshooting
Below are a number of general troubleshooting tips you can try to fix any issues with your TV, particularly red light errors.
Hard Reset
A Hard reset will drain all residual power from your Sony TV, forcing it to clear any internal memory. This does not clear your preferences or downloaded content, but will erase the TVs memory of any small errors that may be preventing it from working. Follow the steps below to perform a hard reset.
Step 1: Turn off and unplug all devices from your TV.
Step 2: Unplug your TV from its power source.
Step 3: Wait for 3 minutes.
Step 4: Plug the TV back in and turn it on.
Step 5: Reconnect your devices.
If the TV works after the reset, but then fails when connecting your devices, the issue is likely to do with the device, rather than the TV.
If your TV is a Projection TV, you may need to wait longer for the TV to cool down. In this case, you should try leaving the TV unplugged overnight.
Update to the Latest Firmware
If your Sony TV is a newer model that can connect to the internet, you should make sure the firmware is up to date. Sometimes there are bugs in the firmware that can only be fixed through an update. You can update your TV using the steps below.
Step 1: Press the ‘Menu’ or ‘Home’ button on the remote.
Step 2: Select ‘Help’ (the ‘?’) or ‘Settings’, depending on your TV.
Step 3: Select ‘Customer Support’, ‘Product Support’ or ‘Setup’.
Step 4: Select ‘Software Update’.
Step 5: Select ‘Yes’ or ‘Ok’ to perform the update. You may need to select ‘Network’ prior to this step if your Sony displays this option.
If you cannot manually update the TV, it still updates automatically. Make sure that this function is switched to ‘On’. You will find this feature in the same settings as above.
Plug the TV Directly into the Wall
If you have your TV connected to a power board, there may be a fault with the power board or the surge protector may have activated. It may be as simple as plugging your TV directly into the wall outlet for it to work again.
Factory Reset
A factory reset will erase all your saved preferences and downloaded content, but can be very effective at clearing any software errors. To perform a factory reset, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the ‘Home’ button on the remote.
Step 2: Navigate to Settings > System Settings > Customer Support.
Step 3: Select ‘Factory Settings’.
Step 4: Select ‘Ok’ to proceed with the factory reset.
If you cannot see your screen, you will need to perform a hard reset on the TV first. Once your TV is back on, follow the directions below.
Step 1: Hold the ‘Up’ arrow on the remote.
Step 2: While still holding ‘Up’, press and release the power button on the TV (not the remote).
Step 3: Wait for the TV to turn back on before releasing the ‘Up’ button. You may need to press the power button again.
Step 4: Follow the prompts to set up your TV.
Sony TV Red Light Flashing
A flashing red light indicates that your Sony TV has detected an issue that needs to be resolved before you can use it again.
Most errors can be cleared by performing a hard reset, detailed above. This will clear the TVs memory of any small errors and allow it to function normally. However, there may be an underlying issue that causes the error that will need to be resolved.
Overheating
TVs are designed to dissipate the heat they produce through vents, found at the back of the TV. If these vents are covered or dusty, the internal components of the TV will not receive enough air to keep them cool, putting them at risk of overheating.
When the TV senses an increase in temperature, it will generate an error code to turn the TV off. Resetting the TV may clear the code, but if it is still hot, it will turn off again. Make sure the vents are unobstructed and clean and that the TV has had time to cool down before you attempt to turn it back on.
Software Update
If the blinking light is more of an orange or amber color, this means that the TV is downloading or installing the latest firmware update. This is a normal process and the flashing orange light will stop once the update is complete, which may take a few minutes. You cannot operate the TV or remote in this time and should not turn off the power.
Sony TV Red Light On and No Picture
TV in Standby Mode
A solid red light simply means that the TV is not being used. Pressing the power button on either the remote or the TV unit will wake your TV or turn it back on. If one of the buttons is not doing this, try the other; it may be that one of the buttons is no longer working.
If there is no light at all, the TV does not have any power and you should check the connection to the wall outlet. Otherwise, the error codes are listed below.
TV Timers
If the solid light is more of an orange or amber color, and your screen appears off, this usually means that a timer is active. This can be a sleep timer or the On/Off timer.
The sleep timer is used to turn the Sony TV off after a set amount of time, whereas the On/Off timer will turn the TV on and off at a set time during the day. You can turn both timers off using the steps below.
Step 1: Press the ‘Home’ button on the remote.
Step 2: Navigate to Settings > Preferences > Clock/Timers.
Step 3: Select ‘Sleep Timer’ or ‘Timer’ (On/Off timer).
Step 4: Set each to ‘Off’.
Sony TV Red Light Error Codes
As mentioned above, a blinking red light on a Sony TV will indicate there has been some form of error within the TV. It is important to count how many times the red light blinks because this indicates exactly what error the TV has experienced.
These errors are either fixed using a hard reset or factory reset. If these troubleshooting methods don’t work, the circuit board in question may need to be replaced.
|
Number of Red Blinks |
Error |
|
2 |
The power board has failed due to the main power supply. |
|
3 |
The power board or motherboard has failed. If the standby voltages appear okay on the power board, then it is the motherboard that is the issue. |
|
4 |
Another power supply issue with the power board. |
|
5 |
A fault in the LCD panel or the inverter board. |
|
6 |
A backlight problem, which can be traced to the motherboard, power board or inverter board. |
|
7 |
A temperature malfunction, causing issues with the motherboard. |
|
8 |
An audio error, caused by an issue with the motherboard. |
|
9 |
An internal fan error, found on the motherboard. |
|
10 |
A digital FE error, found on the motherboard. |
|
11 |
A trident error, found on the motherboard. |
|
12 |
A T-Con error (timing control board), affecting either the T-Con board or the LCD panel itself. |
|
13 |
The backlight balance. This can also relate to the inverter boards or the LCD panel. |
|
14 |
An HFR error, relating to the LCD panel or the T-Con board. |
Sony TV Green Light Blinking
The green light will normally blink as the TV is turning on or whenever you press a button on the remote. This indicates that the TV is functioning normally.
A green or white light on the front of a Sony TV indicates that the TV is on. If the Sony TV light blinks when you press a button on the remote, it means that the TV is receiving the signal from the remote.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on June 15, 2021.
However, not all Sony TVs have this feature. If the Sony TV light blinks green and orange alternately, it could indicate an unsuccessful software update. To fix this issue, you can try power cycling your TV for about four minutes.
If the issue persists, you can try performing a soft reset by pointing the remote at the LED and pressing and holding the POWER button for at least 5 seconds or until a Power off message appears.
If after one minute the TV does not restart, press the POWER button on the remote to turn on the TV.
If these steps do not resolve your issue, you may want to contact Sony support for further assistance.
Sony TV Green Light On but No Picture
If you are not getting any picture on your TV but the green light is still on, you may have either a backlight problem or an issue with one of the circuit boards. Unfortunately, this could be the motherboard, power board or inverter board, so it is hard to isolate the problem.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on June 15, 2021.
You can confirm if this is a backlight issue by shining a torch on your TV screen. If you can make out the image with the torch, the backlight is no longer working.
Related Articles
Sony TV Keeps Muting and Unmuting
Sony TV YouTube Sound/Screen/Login Not Working
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on June 15, 2021.