Bypassing Protection Mode 6-Blink Error on Sony Bravia TVs for Diagnostics

If you've recently replaced the backlight LEDs on your Sony Bravia TV (such as KDL-32W700B / KDL-42W700B), only to find that it turns on briefly, shuts down, and starts flashing the standby LED 6 times, you're not alone!

A Soldering Iron and Solder

A 10 kΩ Resistor (Color code: Brown, Black, Orange)

A Multimeter (To verify resistor values and check connections)

Thin jumper wire

Precision screwdrivers (To open the TV

Before opening the TV, verify the exact error behavior:

1. Plug the TV in and power it on.
2. The screen might flash the Sony logo briefly, turn off, repeat this a couple of times, and then shut down completely.
3. Observe the red standby LED on the front bezel. It will flash in a specific repeating pattern: 6 blinks, a brief pause, and then 6 blinks again.

Unplug the power adapter from the wall and lay the TV face-down on a soft, clean surface to protect the screen.

1. Remove the screws securing the back cover and carefully lift it off.
2. Locate the main board where the LED backlight cable connects.
3. Near the LED connector, find the backlight controller integrated circuit (IC). This chip manages the current flowing to the LEDs and monitors for faults.

On this specific 40-pin controller IC, Pin 31 is the protection feedback pin. Our goal is to pull this pin to ground through a resistor to trick the IC into thinking everything is operating within normal limits.

1. Carefully locate and count the pins to identify Pin 31.

Using a multimeter, double-check that your resistor measures close to 10 kΩ (10,000 Ω).

1. Solder a thin jumper wire to Pin 31 of the IC.
2. Connect the other side of the wire to your 10 kΩ resistor.
3. Solder the opposite end of the resistor to a reliable chassis ground point (any gold-plated ground pad or shielding track on the PCB).

With the bypass in place, it’s time for a test run.

1. Plug the power adapter back into the TV.
2. Turn the TV on (either manually using the rear buttons or with a remote).
3. The backlight LEDs should turn on and remain stably lit without shutting off. The Sony logo will display, and the television will boot up normally!

Now that the TV boots successfully, you have successfully verified that:

1. The mainboard, logic board, and T-Con board are fully operational.
2. The issue is strictly a backlight mismatch triggering protection.

To complete your repair safely:

1. Desolder and remove the 10 KΩ resistor.
2. Order and install high-quality, OEM-spec replacement LED strips.
3. Assemble the TV back together and enjoy a safe, fully repaired television!