Vizio Soundbar Lights Going Up and Down [FIXED]

Vizio soundbars are a great way to improve the sound quality of your TV. they provide a more immersive and cinematic experience when within movies, and TV shows, and they can also make music sound better.

However, with all the plus sides to choosing Vizio for your soundbars, there have been some existing users’ complaints about their soundbar’s lights malfunctioning.

If you happen to be plagued with such issues, don’t worry, we’ve got you. In this article, we will be going through the reasons why your Vizion soundbar lights are going up and down, and also step-by-step guides for troubleshooting it.

Vizio Soundbar Lights Going Up and Down: Possible Causes

Perhaps the only plus side to your Vizio soundbar lighting up and down is that it’s evidence that its indicator lights still work. Now, it’s important to know the specific causes so you’ll know how to troubleshoot each of them.

• Soundbar Searching for Input

In the actual sense, this is completely normal. Some Vizio soundbar models come with 12 light LED display that indicates the current function that you’re on. When you don’t have any function engaged, the device will begin to cycle for potential inputs; thus the 12 lights will start to flash one after the other, from top to bottom.

This is also the case when it’s in pairing mode and searching for a device to be connected with. If it doesn’t get to pair with any device the flashing eventually stops until you restart the system.

• Optical Cable not Connected

This is common among certain models that have bug issues. When an optical cable is your default means of connection, and it’s removed, you get to experience the lights going up and down at least till another source is connected, or the device restarted.

• A Problem with Power Supply

This is often the case when you notice the lights going off and on.  Usually, it’s a result of the device being supplied with the wrong voltage. In most cases, a simple power cycling can have everything fixed, but there are times when you’ll need to do a factory reset or firmware update.

• Problem with the Mother Board

Although Vizio soundbars are quite durable, the motherboard is still vulnerable to problems that may arise from issues like a power surge. When this happens, the indicator lights are usually the first to be affected. If you’re lucky, simply power cycling the soundbar will do, but sometimes the issue might be unrepairable.

Vizio Soundbar Lights Going Up and Down: How to Fix

Although we did cover some hardware-related problems in the previous section, it’s important to note that Vizio soundbars are quite durable, as such, it’s very unlikely to have this issue caused by an unforced hardware failure.

• Power Cycle the Soundbar

For any electronics (Vizio soundbar included), this is a quick troubleshooting method that usually works. All you need do is turn off the device, and disconnect it from its power source for about 10 seconds, then restart.

In most cases, this will solve the lighting problem, however, if it doesn’t you may have to try other methods like a factory reset or firmware update.

• Factory Reset the Soundbar

There are times when the lighting problem will be from a wrong sound setting. In this case, it’s often easier to just reset the soundbar rather than locating the specific setting that was changed. More so, the issue may not even be caused by the wrong sound setting, but resetting the device will solve it anyway. You can reset a Vizio soundbar by following the steps below.

1. Turn on the soundbar.
2. Press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds.
3. All of the LEDs on the soundbar will flash three times to indicate that the reset is complete.

• Update Device Firmware

If your problem is from the motherboard and a factory reset doesn’t seem to solve it, your next best option is to perform a firmware update – if there’s an update available. There are two ways to update a Vizio soundbar’s firmware; with the Vizio SmartCast app, and USB Drive.

• Using the Vizio SmartCast app

1. Open the Vizio SmartCast app.
2. Select the “Devices” tab.
3. Select your soundbar.
4. Select the “Settings” gear icon.
5. Select “System”.
6. Select “Check for Updates”.

If an update is available, the Vizio SmartCast app will download and install it automatically.

• Using a USB Drive

1. Download the latest firmware update for your soundbar from the Vizio support website.
2. Extract the firmware update file to a USB drive.
3. Connect the USB drive to your soundbar.
4. Turn on your soundbar.
5. The soundbar will automatically detect the firmware update and install it.

Once the firmware update is complete, your soundbar will restart. While that’s the case, ensure that your device is connected to the internet if you’re using the SmartCast app, and for a USB Drive, make sure it’s empty. Lastly, you want to make sure that you have a steady power supply and that the update process isn’t interrupted.