My sa-wct290 subwoofer wont turn on at all. Please advise. null

Question

middz · Accepted Answer

Hi I am a repair engineer, and this is a common fault with this and other Sony sub woofers ,
If there is no led lit on the sub woofer front then most likely the reg ic on the amp part of the sub woofer has failed.
Sony brought out a tech bulletin out for engineers about this.
the repair consists of replacing faulty ic and a slight mod to the drive circuit for the ic.
Take your sub woofer to a repair shop and they should have it working again in no time.

aruba · Answer

I fixed one of these last week for a friend and it is indeed the TI (Texas Instruments) DC/DC controller part# TPS54334 that is the problem. 
This part can be ordered from Digikey.com, their part# is 296-47882-1-ND. The cost for a single piece is $2.27, not bad. If you want to order 
it from the manufacturer (TI) it is part# TPS54334DDA which is the 8pin version. This part is IC8000 (8pin) on the board as shown on the 
attached picture. Other pertinent voltages are marked on the picture in case your unit has another problem and you need to start debugging. 
Hope this helps you guys out there with this Sony sub-woofer with a "NO POWER" problem.

MARK · Answer

SONEY MODEL SA-WCT290 SUBWOOFER NO POWER

Jocko · Answer

Our SA-WCT290 sub lasted about a 14 months before it failed to turn on. I was optimistic about reading this is a known issue which is great if you're under warranty. I read one of the latest postings here with regard to the ability to repair the sub and the "Tech Bulletin" Sony put out. Did a little added research and found there is a repair "kit" Sony authorized repair centers are soaking folks to the tune of $100 to install. Total rip off; the repair shouldn't cost anything if it is a common known issue. Add to the repair charge the shipping and handling you have to pay to get your gear to/from the repair center and it's not worth the trouble. What was the old Sony advert claim? "Sony, No Baloney." Right.

Answered by Jocko 6 years ago

Rocko · Answer

Follow-up to my previous post. I have successfully replaced the reg ic with a new TPS54334 and the sub is now working. No exp replacing surface mount components but fortunately only an 8 pin chip so manageable. It's possible to replace yourself with a steady hand and patience. Be careful with the traces going to each leg and note that there are solder pads under the chip holding it to the board.

Answered by Rocko 5 years ago

Rocko · Answer

As many have said likely the reg ic. Heres post about it with a couple pics- page must be translated from russian https://paltux.ru/blog/aktivnyj-sabvufer-sony-sa-wct290

apparently you can also use MP2307 as a replacement for IC8000 (TPS54334).

BenG · Answer

Same issue with the sub after 13 months! Sony should replace this for free.

Karl · Answer

Hi Middz,

Please advise what component the Reg IC is. I would like to replace this myself. Thanks. 

Hi I am a repair engineer, and this is a common fault with this and other Sony sub woofers , If there is no led lit on the sub woofer front then most likely the reg ic on the amp part of the sub woofer has failed. Sony brought out a tech bulletin out for engineers about this. the repair consists of replacing faulty ic and a slight mod to the drive circuit for the ic. Take your sub woofer to a repair shop and they should have it working again in no time.

Answered by middz 3 weeks ago

Sometimeshelpful · Answer

I have same subwoofer with no power. I'm replacing IC8000. It's the 3.3v regulator IC. Hopefully this fixes the issue. Will update when part arrives.

Jeff · Answer

Same with me. Lost power on the subwoofer after 14 months. Took to a local repair shop and they wanted $230 to repair after charging me $35 to diagnose. I was willing to pay $75 to get it fixed, but not $230 when a whole new CT290 system costs $200. I guess I'm just going to go without a woofer for a time. I bought the extended warranty on the TV, but none on the sound bar.

Answered by Jeff 6 years ago

SlickJones · Answer

Just buy a whole new unit, bring it home, swap subwoofers, return it to the store, tell them it didn’t work, get your money back.

Alan · Answer

I had the exact problem, the subwoofer won’t turn on as the LED was off, I purchased following item to solve this issue
- TPS54334DDA x 2 (one for backup) and a roll of solder wick From digi key (total ~$24 including shipping and tax)
- Weller solder iron 40w (I did not go with 25w because 40w package include a smaller diameter tip Which is easier for election solder) from Home Depot (~$40 tax included)
The whole process was straight forward, takeout the 54332 from the PCB and solder the new one, make sure all the pins are soldered probably (I had to borrow my moms magnifying glasses for this process) 
Now subwoofer green LED is on and working great! 
Good luck all

Eman · Answer

Who can perform this repair for me? I don’t have the tools for detailed soldering of circuit boards. I’m near St. Louis, MO.

Answer

I have the same problem...Best Buy is not even answering any calls...will have to fix this on my own...pretty Sad!
Costumer Service goes a long way!
Will have to re think about Best Buy ...Maybe is not the best way to buy! Will check other places next time.

Gogo · Answer

@oldthechie. Hey man. Have you tried replacing that voltage regulator chip ? Did it fix your issue ? I have the same snag with the sub. Thanks

Rocko · Answer

reg ic, see image

SonySubwooferDown · Answer

So it's not just a plug and play.
Need to heat the solder to remove and new solder once installed to secure?

PiperArcher · Answer

I had this problem as well after about 14 months The russian site mentioned below had instructions. 

https://paltux.ru/blog/aktivnyj-sabvufer-sony-sa-wct290

The russian translation to english is 

From SERVICE CENTER №1 FOR ELECTRONICS REPAIR,
TV, AUDIO AND VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

"The device showed no signs of life at all. The power indicator on the front panel did not light.

After the diagnosis, the fault of the TPS54334 DC / DC converter was found out. This chip is not on sale, it is also impossible to order from the manufacturer. Due to the lack of such a small and modest detail, the device could be considered unrepairable. But we know how to act in such cases. By comparing the documentation, it turned out that this chip has an always available analogue of MP2307. After replacing the converter, the device worked."

Answer

can you help

Answer

no it will not turn on

Brooklyn · Answer

Turns on but won't work

None · Answer

Just ordered 2 parts from digikey incase other is damaged . Total $10 shipping and handling 4 day delivery. If it’s over 14 ounces they will Bill me additional. Let’s hope this does the trick. Thanks for the info.

Nugget · Answer

What can I do to make my SuB Woofer connect?

JohnItaly · Answer

Someone posted photos. Can I ask which is the broken piece? Example: Can you circle the faulty part in red? Thanks!

Answer

My subwoofer is not working advice on how to connect

Elquenodebesernombrado · Answer

For sony SW WCT380/381

first check IC7104(SI-3010KM), pin 1 3,4V, pin 2 28v, pin 3 gnd, Pin 4 11.8v pin 5 1V.
If you do not have 12v or 3.4v replace the ic7104

Later check IC 7203(tas5614la), pin 18 3.2V, to see if the amplifier it´s clipping.
YES
then Check FUSE F72001 (32v 5A) if its open replace it.
NO
Check again IC7203(tas5614la) pin 17 (OTW) 3.2V and 16 (FAULT) 3.2 v
YES
Check pin 1 CN7201 (/TH_DET) 3.2V and the power board.

im Testing this SW like a 2 moths to determine this diagnostic, Your welcome.

Mike · Answer

I'm having the same issue, it just stopped working. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? I have the geek squad 2 year plan. They said it will take 2-3 until I get it back

MrVi4 · Answer

If you have plug power and TV on you push the On button on (green) on Remote. If soundbar not lights up blue telling you what your selected it should be damaged.

SonyListens · Answer

Hi Deuce1n, Kindly check on this link for troubleshooting steps to help isolate the issue:
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00032599
~Ralph

“My sa-wct290 subwoofer wont turn on at all. Please advise.”

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