Stern Jurassic Park LCD screen flickering and going black
The LCD screen on my 2019 Stern Jurassic Park Pro has started flickering intermittently. It will show the normal display, then flicker rapidly for a second or two, then occasionally go completely black for several seconds before coming back. The game continues to play and make sounds even when the screen is black.
The flickering seems to happen more often when the game first powers up. After it's been on for 30-60 minutes it tends to stabilize, though it still happens occasionally. I've tried adjusting the brightness in settings but that doesn't seem to affect the flickering behavior.
The game is in my basement game room — temperature is stable around 65-70°F and humidity is controlled. I bought it new and it's been doing this for about the last three months.
yemons·3/21/2026★ 1 Answer
LCD flickering on Stern Spike 2 games is almost always caused by a connection issue between the LCD panel and the node board that drives it. The most common culprit is the LVDS (Low-Voltage Differential Signaling) cable that runs from the CPU/node board to the LCD panel in the backbox. These cables can develop intermittent connections from vibration over time.
Start by powering down the game and opening the backbox. Locate the LVDS cable — it's the flat ribbon-style cable connecting the LCD panel to the node board. Carefully disconnect and reconnect it at both ends, making sure the locking clips are fully engaged. While you're in there, check the power cable to the LCD panel as well. If the LVDS cable shows any signs of wear, kinking, or damaged connectors, replace it — Marco Specialties carries Stern LCD cables and connectors. You can also find compatible LVDS cables at Pinball Life.
If the cable swap doesn't resolve the issue, the LCD panel itself may be failing. Stern used several different LCD panel suppliers and some batches have had higher failure rates. You can test by swapping in a known-good LCD panel if you have access to one. Also make sure your game is on the latest firmware — Stern has released updates that addressed some display timing issues on the Spike 2 platform. If the game is still under warranty (or even recently out), contact Stern directly as they've been fairly good about LCD replacements.
yemons·3/21/2026