I have/had a very noisy color wheel problem (X-1). (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

About a month and a half ago, the color wheel inside my InFocus X-1 started to make this terrible and very loud whining sound, it sounded just like a circular saw cutting slowly through a piece of 2x4. The picture was 100% uneffected though. That noise was something that I just couldn't live with, it was too loud.

Anyway, it was still under warranty so I sent it to one of their service centers in Louisville, Kentucky, this was about 2 weeks ago now and I can't get through to them for a status update. I tried them a couple of times on the phone, but after an hour wait(!) a piece, I hung up.

So I tried them on-line and after I put in my serial and RMA# it came back that it wasn't in their system even though I know it is because I spoke to InFocus last week and they did recieve it and said it was being prepped for service.

Anyway, I started this thread to ask if anyone else besides me had their color wheel do this? If so, what did InFocus do about it and is the problem gone? Also, what could have caused this extremely irritating noise from the color wheel?

I'll try them again tommorow I suppose. They have the worst phone service in exsistance though!

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Anyone care to take a guess at least?

I finally got someone on the phone and it still has had no work done on it. :frowning: That sucks because I really wanted it back by Christmas.

The guy told me they have to replace the entire optical engine and that it's a big job. The thing is, I did't do anything to make it go bad, I treated my projector like gold and took real good care of it.

What could have caused such a thing to happen?

 

[Brian Gi]

A friend of mine had the same thing happen at 1800 hours, sounded like an early model B-52 warming up on the tarmac. He was freaking out about his PJ but sent it into the same KY service center.

Yes getting thru to them on the phone is hard but they really do have good service and stick to their word. i.e. The warranty states they will fix or replace it in 15 biz days and they do respond to e-mail. It does take a while for the receiving info to be posted on their website.

Bottom line is they do respond to e-mail within a day. When the info was posted and an e-mail response stated they had parts on backorder, he sent them an email on biz day 16 stating the 15 day pledge. They immediately replied the part was still back ordered and offered to send him a refurb. He said yes and refurb was on the way. He's at nearly 1000 hours on the refurb, (It had a new lamp too!) with no problems.

Don't worry about Infocus, they may be buried right now but they keep their word, and that's ALOT more than I can say about most CE companies.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Brian,
thank you for the response. It's not really the service that i'm dissatisfied with, when I finally do get someone on the horn, they're very courteus and helpful, so no worries their.

But I was just curious as to what might have caused this problem. Did your friend ever recieve any status report about what exactly was wrong with his and what may have caused it? The only thing I can think of is that I do run it alot and maybe I wore down the color wheel.

If that's the case, I will cease watching tv on it when it returns and use it only for games, dvd's and the occasional sporting event. So they still have your friends PJ, how long have they had it?

 

[Brian Gi]

Sometimes the bearings just wear out. His happened over the summer so total time lost was like 20 days. Since Infocus has a great warranty I wouldn't be worried about overuse.
Other than the "Part on backorder" he didn't receive any other indications. I honestly think he didn't cleasn his filters regularly enough.