My Blendtec blender LED display is broken! :(

**Atomini** · 10-22-2012, 09:24 AM

So a few days ago the LED display stopped working on my Blendtec. The motor and everything still works perfectly, but I just can't see the display. What's really weird is if I smack the blender, the display flickers on and off. If i'm blending something and I turn it up to the highest blend speed, it flickers (from the vibrations i'm assuming). What's also really weird is if I take the base and turn it UPSIDE DOWN, the LED display comes on and stays on! When I turn the base right side up, the display shuts off! What the hell!?

So I opened the thing up, thinking maybe something like a wire is loose and just needs to be fitted better (yeah yeah I know, I may have voided the warranty by opening it). I took out the logic board and took a look at it, and turns out everything is fine inside, nothing is loose or anything. WTF?! I'm not too concerned about this, as the motor still works fine and I still blend stuff with no problem. It's just that without the LED display, I can't see the menus and can't select specialized blend cycles if I need them because I can't see anything.

Anyone here know anything about logic boards / mainboards / LED displays or anything about this stuff?

**Noles12** · 10-22-2012, 09:28 AM

Seems like something that would be covered under warranty. Does it have one?

**Atomini** · 10-22-2012, 09:54 AM

Yes it does, i'm going to look into it. But I don't want to have to send my blender away for god knows how many weeks or months just for a small problem like this. Like I said, I can still operate the blender just fine. Nothing is wrong with the motor.

**austinite** · 10-22-2012, 09:57 AM

^ that's the worst part of buying online. Have you checked to see if they have any authorized retailers in your area? Or are they strictly online?

**Noles12** · 10-22-2012, 09:59 AM

Yeah. Maybe a small appliance repair shop could fix it for cheap

**HitIt** · 10-22-2012, 10:35 AM

call them, maybe they can send you a new display only. probably a typical issue.

**MR-FQ320** · 10-22-2012, 12:40 PM

Yep Im an electronics wizard (professional), its probably a loose wire / connector and the vibrations are making it contact again.

You or somebody handy with a screwdriver is going to have to open this baby up, take the plastic covers and get to the LCD display and check the connections.

LCD panels literally do last forever, its the stuff that powers them that does not stand the test of time.

Hope this helps.

**Atomini** · 10-22-2012, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by MR-FQ320

Yep Im an electronics wizard (professional), its probably a loose wire / connector and the vibrations are making it contact again.

You or somebody handy with a screwdriver is going to have to open this baby up, take the plastic covers and get to the LCD display and check the connections.

LCD panels literally do last forever, its the stuff that powers them that does not stand the test of time.

Hope this helps.

I did take it apart and I didn't see anything visibly or physically loose and such. I can take pictures for you to see and you can let me know, as you have a better trained eye for these things than I probably do. The logic board seemed pretty solid and everything looked like it was fitting together pretty damn good. I'll take another look later on.

**MR-FQ320** · 10-22-2012, 01:21 PM

Some pictures would help, is it just dim ? Like the back light is not lit?

**< <Samson> >** · 10-22-2012, 01:46 PM

Call the main man in Utah.

They are great people to deal with. I don't know who you bought it from but they will try their best to hook you up.

**Atomini** · 10-22-2012, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by MR-FQ320

Some pictures would help, is it just dim ? Like the back light is not lit?

YUP! I just checked it and its definitely the backlight. Upon closer look, the display is on but its very dark/dim and when I slap it lightly or when it blends (or when I turn the unit upside down), its the backlight that flickers on and off.

Possible explanation or fix?

**< <Samson> >** · 10-22-2012, 02:04 PM

Possible fix = get another base < Problem solved.

**MR-FQ320** · 10-22-2012, 02:33 PM

The backlight either works or it doesn't, is it connected to the board ok ? Bad solder joint ?

The problem is this: how much does a back light cost ? It probably comes attached to the display, the supplier will probably charge you about 2/3 rds of what a new unit would cost. It's how the home appliance industry works, items are only meant to last five years, if they lasted for ever where would the economy really be ?

**Nicotine** · 10-22-2012, 03:20 PM

will the LED display blend?!

**Atomini** · 10-22-2012, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by MR-FQ320

The backlight either works or it doesn't, is it connected to the board ok ? Bad solder joint ?

The problem is this: how much does a back light cost ? It probably comes attached to the display, the supplier will probably charge you about 2/3 rds of what a new unit would cost. It's how the home appliance industry works, items are only meant to last five years, if they lasted for ever where would the economy really be ?

When I looked at the board a few days ago everything looked fine and solid. I'll open the thing up and take a look at it again tomorrow, and get some pictures for you to see.

**Atomini** · 10-23-2012, 05:37 PM

I FIXED IT!!! .... temporarily.

I took pictures but then it's way too difficult to explain what's going on, so I took videos instead. See here:

MR-FQ320, thoughts?

**Capebuffalo** · 10-23-2012, 06:27 PM

Razor has a slightly used one for sale on Craig's list.

**Atomini** · 10-23-2012, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Capebuffalo

Razor has a slightly used one for sale on Craig's list.

LOL

No need, my makeshift fix solved the problem. My Blendtec is now sitting on my counter with the LED display nice and backlit again.

**austinite** · 10-23-2012, 07:53 PM

good work atom

**lovbyts** · 10-23-2012, 11:11 PM

OMG. Didnt you have any bailing wire? lol You dont own a soldering iron? They are CHEAP. Go to any radio shack and pick one up. Want me to send you one? I have at least 5. Really they are only like $15 for a decent one.

Trust me they come in handy. I fixed my daughters $80 hair straighner a few weeks ago. I also recently replaced all the capacitors in the ECU on my car because if they are over 7 years old some begin to leak or go bad and it's several hundered for a new ECU and only about 1hr and $2.00 worth of parts to fix it.

**austinite** · 10-23-2012, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by lovbyts

OMG. Didnt you have any bailing wire? lol You dont own a soldering iron? They are CHEAP. Go to any radio shack and pick one up. Want me to send you one? I have at least 5. Really they are only like $15 for a decent one.

Trust me they come in handy. I fixed my daughters $80 hair straighner a few weeks ago. I also recently replaced all the capacitors in the ECU on my car because if they are over 7 years old some begin to leak or go bad and it's several hundered for a new ECU and only about 1hr and $2.00 worth of parts to fix it.

You're talking to my guy all wrong. Do it again, and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron.

Guess the movie!

**lovbyts** · 10-23-2012, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by austinite

You're talking to my guy all wrong. Do it again, and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron.

Guess the movie!

Joe Dirt of course.

Christopher Walken's line.

**austinite** · 10-23-2012, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by lovbyts

Joe Dirt of course.

Christopher Walken's line.

Winner! You get Atomini's busted up blender.

**lovbyts** · 10-23-2012, 11:29 PM

Tell him to send it to me, Ill solder it for him.

If anyone charges you more than $5 to solder that connection it's a rip off or they are just doing it to spite you. I couldnt charge someone for something like that. Takes all of 2 minutes to let the iron warm up unless you have an instant hot (I forgot I have one of those too) and then it's all of 30 sec from start to finish.

**austinite** · 10-23-2012, 11:31 PM

I don't think he will let it go, not even for a day. There was a rumor somewhere that Atomini purchased a baby crib for the blendtec. Not that there is anything wrong with that....

**MR-FQ320** · 10-24-2012, 03:29 AM

Yep atomi seen the vid. Defo a bad solder joint. Now either borrow or buy a soldering iron off somebody, remove the top LCD board from the main board by pushing the four white retaining clips in, touch on each of the pins with the soldering iron and feed a little solder onto each joint in the area whwre the clip you placed Is. if there is particularly bad one that will be the offending joint

Wow what a blender ! I'm not surprised you want it fixing haha. It looks like a $300 blender. Mine has features like on AND off. Lol. GL.

**Noles12** · 10-24-2012, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by MR-FQ320

Yep atomi seen the vid. Defo a bad solder joint. Now either borrow or buy a soldering iron off somebody, remove the top LCD board from the main board by pushing the four white retaining clips in, touch on each of the pins with the soldering iron and feed a little solder onto each joint in the area whwre the clip you placed Is. if there is particularly bad one that will be the offending joint

Wow what a blender ! I'm not surprised you want it fixing haha. It looks like a $300 blender. Mine has features like on AND off. Lol. GL.

If you found one for $300, it would be a pretty good deal

**Atomini** · 10-24-2012, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by MR-FQ320

Yep atomi seen the vid. Defo a bad solder joint. Now either borrow or buy a soldering iron off somebody, remove the top LCD board from the main board by pushing the four white retaining clips in, touch on each of the pins with the soldering iron and feed a little solder onto each joint in the area whwre the clip you placed Is. if there is particularly bad one that will be the offending joint

Wow what a blender ! I'm not surprised you want it fixing haha. It looks like a $300 blender. Mine has features like on AND off. Lol. GL.

I own a soldering iron and could probably do it myself. Do I need to go and buy extra solder? If so, what type? I have a bunch that came with the iron, but I think its lead. I'm not sure if a different metal needs to be used with computer chips and boards.

And yeah, it's a $500 incredible blender. I'm not letting a backlight issue ruin my day lol.

**MR-FQ320** · 10-24-2012, 08:06 AM

What you have will be fine, just google bad solder joints to get an idea of what you are looking for, or post a pic when you have the display removed, or touch the solder iron on each joint till it melts the solder an move on to the next one.