LG OLED TV F23 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F23 on an LG OLED TV is an internal hardware fault code, most often pointing at the power or protection circuit.

In plain terms: the TV is shutting itself down or refusing to start because a safety sensor thinks something on the board is out of line.

LG doesn’t list F23 in normal user manuals; for you it basically means “internal hardware error, probably power‑side”, not a menu setting you can toggle.

Official Fix

Here’s what LG wants you to do before anyone opens the TV:

  • Power reset: Unplug the TV from the wall. Hold the power button on the TV (not just the remote) for 10–15 seconds. Leave it unplugged for at least 60 seconds, then plug straight into a wall outlet and try powering on.
  • Bypass cheap power strips: Pull any surge strip, smart plug, or extension cord out of the chain. Bad strips cause a ton of phantom “F” codes. Use a known‑good wall outlet only, tested with another device first.
  • Strip it down: Disconnect every HDMI, USB, antenna, soundbar, and external drive. Try to start the TV with only power connected. A shorted HDMI device or USB stick can trigger protection and look like a TV failure.
  • Look and listen for life: When you hit power, watch for an LG logo flash, standby light changing, or a soft click from inside. If it starts then dies a second later, that’s classic protection shutdown—still a board issue, not a software setting.
  • Factory reset if it stays on: If the TV actually boots but F23 shows up only in a service/diagnostic screen, go to Settings > Support > Reset to Initial Settings (wording varies by webOS version) and do a full reset. After that, run Settings > Support > Software Update to load the latest firmware.
  • Stop if the code or shutdown keeps coming back: At that point LG’s official answer is “internal fault, service required”. A tech will meter the power board and main board and replace whichever one is failing, sometimes both.

If the TV is still under warranty, don’t open it, don’t try board swaps. Call LG support with the model, serial, and F23 code and let them eat the parts bill.

The Technician’s Trick

When it’s out of warranty, here’s the kind of stuff we try in the field before declaring it board‑dead:

  • Deep discharge reset: Unplug the TV completely. Hold the power button on the TV for a full 30–40 seconds. Then leave it unplugged for 15–30 minutes so the power board fully drains. This can clear a latched protection fault from a power spike or brown‑out.
  • Airflow and dust check: Pull the TV away from the wall, out of cabinets, and away from heaters. Blow light canned air across the rear vents (short bursts, don’t spin fans like a turbine). Let it cool for 20 minutes, then try it in open air. Marginal overheating can trip protection and spit out F‑codes.
  • Different circuit test: Plug the TV directly into a different outlet in another room, nothing else on that outlet. If it behaves there but not on the original circuit, the problem is your house power (voltage sag, noise), not the TV. Fix the wiring or run it through a quality line conditioner.
  • USB firmware reload (if it will stay on): If the TV will run for at least a few minutes, grab the latest firmware for your exact model from LG’s support site, copy it to a USB stick as they describe, and update through the TV’s Support menu. Corrupted firmware is rare but real, and this is how we clear it without swapping boards.

If it still won’t leave standby, cycles on/off, or keeps logging F23 after all this, assume a bad power board or main board and plan around that cost.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Premium LG OLED under ~5 years old, no burn‑in or major panel issues, and a firm repair quote for boards is under about 40–50% of a comparable new OLED.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Mid‑range set around 5–7 years old, minor banding or image retention, and repair is landing in the 50–60% of replacement range.
  • ❌ Replace: Older than ~7 years, any obvious burn‑in or panel damage, or the estimate (parts + labor + pickup) is flirting with the cost of a new TV.

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