LG OLED TV Error F36 Fix Guide

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What This Error Means

F36 on an LG OLED TV means an internal hardware fault, usually on the power or main board, has been detected.

In plain English: the TV’s electronics fail self-check, so the set locks up, reboots, or refuses to turn on instead of starting normally.

Official Fix

Here is the official, warranty-safe path LG wants you to follow:

  • Unplug the TV from the wall. Wait at least 60 seconds. Fully out of the outlet, not just standby.
  • While it is unplugged, press and hold the power button on the TV itself for 10–15 seconds to drain leftover charge.
  • Disconnect everything: HDMI, USB, antenna, soundbar, consoles, streaming sticks. Leave only the power cord.
  • Plug the TV directly into a known good wall outlet. No surge protector, no extension cord, no smart plug.
  • Turn it on. If it boots without F36, go to Settings > Support (or General > About This TV) and run a software/firmware update.
  • After updating, disable fast-start options like Quick Start+, Always Ready, and similar ‘instant on’ features, then power the TV off and back on a couple of times.
  • If F36 still appears, or the TV still reboots or stays black, LG’s official line is: stop troubleshooting and book service. Contact LG support with your exact model and the F36 code.

If the TV is under warranty, do not open the back cover. LG can deny coverage if they see tamper marks, missing screws, or board swaps.

The Technician’s Trick

Here is the off-the-record stuff techs actually do on an F36 OLED that is out of warranty.

  • Safety first. Unplug the TV and let it sit at least 10 minutes. These boards carry high voltage. If you are not comfortable around electronics, stop here.
  • Get the back off cleanly. Remove the stand, then every perimeter screw. Lift the back cover straight off. Do not twist or flex the OLED panel; it is thin and easy to crack.
  • Reseat the power connectors. Find the power supply board where the AC cord plugs in. Carefully unplug and replug the low-voltage harnesses going from the power board to the main board and, if present, to any panel driver boards. A loose connector can be all it takes to throw a fault like F36.
  • Reseat the ribbon cables. Gently unlock and reinsert any flat ribbon cables between the main board and the panel/driver boards. They must sit perfectly straight and fully inserted in their sockets.
  • Look and sniff for damage. Burn marks, a sharp burnt smell, cracked parts, or bulged capacitors on the power or main board are big red flags. That usually means that board is done and needs replacing, not more resets.
  • Test with bare minimum. With the back loosely in place, reconnect only the power cord and try a power-on. If F36 is gone and the TV now boots, add your HDMI/USB devices back one by one. A shorted external device or cable can also trip protection.
  • Swap the guilty board, not the whole TV. If inspection (or a meter, if you have one) points to a single bad board, replacing just that power board or main board is the normal pro move. Match the exact part number printed on your original board when you order.

That is the real-world flow: reset, reseat, inspect, then replace the failed board. If any of that sounds sketchy, pay a shop to do exactly those steps instead of guessing.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: TV is 2–5 years old, picture was perfect before F36, and a quoted repair or board swap comes in under roughly 40% of the price of a similar new OLED.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: TV is 5–7 years old, you already see image retention or burn-in, or it needs both power and main boards, pushing the bill toward half the cost of a new set.
  • ❌ Replace: The panel or driver boards are called bad, the screen is physically damaged, or the repair quote is close to new-TV pricing; panel-level failures on OLEDs are almost never cost-effective.

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