Replace the color wheel in a Samsung HL-R6168W

My Samsung HL-R6168W (June 2005 build) color wheel died (to replace the lamp, visit Samsung HL-R6168W HLR6168W Lamp with Housing BP96-01073A
). I was going to get a new TV, but decided to try and repair this one. Do-it-yourself repair of the color wheel takes 60-90 minutes and saves $300-500 in technician labor costs. 

Identifying the Problem.

When it blew, the color wheel did not make a pop/bang/knock. Instead, the left side of the image got wavy. Next came what sounded like the turbofan of a jet engine. After powering the TV off the sound continued but eventually stopped. 

Since the spinning/whining/grinding sound on the color wheel is so loud, I decided not to turn the TV back on. My next step was getting a replacement color wheel, part #BP96-01103A! 

This repair guide is only for my Samsung and may differ from other R**68W models. However, they should be similar. The service manual is not necessary for this repair; in fact, many think the manual is useless for this process. 

Samsung HL-R6168W Color Wheel Repair Tools.

• Phillips screwdrivers (magnetized tips are best); a powered screwdriver makes this a faster repair 
• Jewelers screwdriver (one of those small ones for eyeglasses, etc)
• Flashlight
• Vacuum/Swiffer dust cloth/compressed air for dust

For these repair instructions, orientation is behind the TV where you’ll be sitting, so “left” means towards the AV inputs, and “right” means closer to the lamp. 

Samsung HL-R6168W Color Wheel Repair Steps.

1. Unplug the power and any cables. Tip: Label each cable with tape to make reattaching easier.
2. Remove the back panel. There is a small panel inset into the large back panel which spans the width of the TV. It is for lamp replacement. No need to remove it since it comes out with the back panel. There are 14 screws to remove. Once removed, you can pull the back panel straight out (no need to tilt it).


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

3. You see three major components. The middle one with the fan attached is what you want, with the light engine (LE). To the left is the AV input unit. To the right is the lamp (no need to remove it for this procedure).


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

4. Pull the LE straight out. 4 screws need to be removed. 2 are on a shiny bracket to the right. The one in the middle of the second photo was fairly tight in my set.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 



Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

5. There is a connector with a arrow on it. It attaches on the other end in the AV input unit to the left. No need to detach this. If you do, you can pull the entire LE out. I left it on. If careful, you can still get the LE out enough to easily make the replacement.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

6. This connector is to the right. It needs to be disconnected.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

7. The DVI cable attached to the AV unit needs to be disconnected. Leave the end connected to the LE on.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

8. There is cabling on the top and right side of the LE. It needs to be pulled out of the routing clips so there is room to pull out the LE.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 



Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

9. Now pull the LE straight out. It rests between two metal rails. See the picture below for a warning.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

10. You are looking at the DLP lens assembly. In front is an angled plastic shield. Be careful not to bend it when pulling the LE out. To the right of the lens is a black plastic shield. For my TV, there was a label indicating it contained the color wheel. Two small brass screws hold it in place. Remove these and keep them separate. The color wheel is held in by other brass screws that are different.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

11. This is the color wheel underneath the shield. Two more brass screws to be remove, marked by arrows.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

12. Before removing the color wheel, disconnect two connectors. The first is a copper ribbon. Just pull it out. The second is a gray-gray-blue wired connector. It is possibly the most difficult step of this process. Pry it out with a jewelers screwdriver or tweezers or whatever you have on hand. DO NOT pull directly on the wires. It could break! That would leave the connector stuck.


Samsung HL-R6168W color wheel replacement

 

13. Pull the color wheel vertically out. Be careful with the rubber surround on the right of the color wheel. You need to reuse part of it. Part can be thrown away, as your new color wheel should have some rubber (the black strip in the middle of the unit on the right below). From the photo, one section of the color “pie” did indeed shatter.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

14. This is the wheel well. Inside you may find tiny bits of colored glass. Try to get it all out with one of those tiny vacuums, a piece of Swiffer, or perhaps some tape attached to a pen.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

15. This is the wheel well shot from the left to the right. The blue arrows show the rubber surround that should be left. The yellow arrow points at some more rubber with two holes: One is for one of the brass screws, the other is for a pin that is in the color wheel unit. There is a similar setup on the other side of the well. Your unit may not have this hole. One person drilled out the pin that was in his new color wheel. I did not have this problem.


Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement

 

16. The second most difficult step is getting the color wheel back in. The well is a tight fit. I was afraid of scraping the color wheel. The easiest way was peering into the well from the front, rather than from the top. From the front, there is a crack that lets you see how the wheel lines up with the rubber surround on the right side of the well. By the way, if you want to avoid finger oils on the wheel, try disposable gloves to do this step; I did not find it necessary.
17. All done! Put all the screws back in, plug the two connectors back, and reroute the cables back into the clips. Don’t turn on the TV until the back panel is firmly in as the TV won’t stay on if the lens unit cover is not firmly in (as a safety feature).
18. You may need to adjust the index delay, if you see strange color banding in any scenes that have colors close, but not quite the same, in tone. Usually, it is most obvious in face skin tones (i.e. “clay faces”). If you adjust index delay, turn off the set, wait for the lamp to cool down, then hit mute-1-8-2-power in succession. The set should turn on with the service menu appearing eventually on the left. I don’t remember the submenu “index delay” is under, but find it and usually it will need to be lowered. For me, it started in the mid-50’s and had to be lowered to 47. These numbers are different for each Samsung model, so adjust until the picture is pleasing to your eye. By the way, the supposed “correct” way to do this is to make the reddish part of the test color bar appear the “most saturated”, if you have a color calibration device.

Samsung HL-R6168W Epilogue.

My new color wheel works great and is A LOT quieter than the old one. And that  was nearly as loud as my Xbox 360’s fans. On the downside, I immediately noticed that dreaded shadow problem, with a 1-1.5 inch shadow on the left and a 0.25 inch shadow on the right. I don’t know if messing with the light engine caused the problem, but others have also reported having the shadow problem after having the color wheel changed (even by a service technician). 

I was very careful with the light engine and did not bump it much. I called the support number and they agreed to cover the repair if it did indeed turn out to be a “light tunnel” problem. Of course, there was no way I was going to tell them I replaced the color wheel myself. It took a couple more weeks, but now the set is back to looking new!

For a lamp replacement, try Samsung HL-R6168W HLR6168W Lamp with Housing BP96-01073A
.

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