Samsung Color Wheel replacement!

This varies a little depending on model number of the set.

Usually a bad color wheel will produce a high pitched sound or even a grinding noise; some sets may actually shut down if the wheel is bad or shattered.

To determine if you have a bad color wheel:

1. Turn set off and wait for main fan to shut off.
2. Unplug the set.
3. Remove the lamp door and then remove the lamp.
4. In the direction the lamp faces you will see a round opening; the color wheel is facing this opening. It is a round plastic wheel with colored segments—we want to look to see if any of the segments are missing; a shattered wheel should be clear to see.
5. If the wheel is shattered or makes the high pitched fan like sound you can with the model number go online to someplace like Ebay with the model number of your set and find a part number and replacement wheel for your set---most of these are 70 to 90 plus shipping—make sure you get the right part.
6. The wheel turns at about 14,000 rpm and eventually the motor seizes up causing this problem.
7. Depending on model number there are some variations on how to replace it; but for the most part it requires the following.
8. With the set unplugged remove the entire back cover.
9. Locate the optical light engine dead center in the middle of the set. Some models have a large square box in front of it that you have to unbolt and remove plugs from one side—mark the plugs so when you remove them you can put them back in the exact same place.
10. The Light engine has to be pulled out of the set to replace the color wheel; this kind of repair usually takes less than an hour from start to finish.
11. Once you get the engine out you will find a somewhat square black plastic shroud on the right side of it----3 philips screws secure it to the frame of the engine.
12. Remove the screws and you should be able to pull the shroud up and away.
13. The Color wheel has two cables coming out of it; one is a 3 or 4 wire small square plug and the other is a flat ribbon cable. Be very careful when you remove the plug with wires—some people break the wires and then have to get the plug out of the socket with care. Both plugs connect the color wheel to the optical engine. The flat orange ribbon cable only has contacts on one side-WHEN YOU REMOVE IT NOTE WHICH DIRECTION THE CONTACTS ARE ON---if you put it in backwards(it can be done) the lamp will not turn on.
14. You need to be careful when you replace the shroud over the color wheel so that the two cables(the ribbon cable and the other one) do not get pinched by it.
15. With the wheel replaced; install the light engine back in place.
16. All these sets have a safety switch on the back edge of the frame---it is a lever that will not allow the set to be turned on with the back removed. After you have installed the light engine back if you want to see if it worked; tape or hold the lever(usually blue and on the right side as you look from the back).
17. If the set comes on and the lamp comes on do not look directly at the lamp---Once you see you have a working set turn it off and wait for the lamp fan to shut off in back—usually a few minutes.
18. Bolt everything back and replace the back cover also---this should complete the repair.
19. Some of these sets after you do this will work but the color will look off--flesh tones will be off--if this happens there is a small jumper on the metal box on the light engine that needs to be located and pulled out--places that sell the color wheel do not tell people about this. SD TECH