the display screen is blank and the feature button is flashing. the phone works to call out and even rings when we get calls, but i can't seem to get the flashing to stop or the display back. help?

Step 1, that football-shaped key... Push the top part repeatedly until the display comes back.

Step 2, Unplug the line cord. While holding down the * and # keys, plug the line cord back in. Release the * and # keys.

Follow the directions on-screen, which will test all display modes, buttons, and sounds for both red and green colored LEDs.

If the feature button continues to flash, press it and then lift the handset and hang up.

Also, it will help if you say what kind of phone system that DTU-8D-2 is connected to... DTU-8D-2 is the phone model only, and it could be connected to an Elite (48), an IPK, an IPK II, an IVS/IVS2/IPS, an IMS/IMX/IPX, an 8100, an 8300...

sorry, i dunno what kinda system it uses. or even how to find out. as for the troubleshooting, nothing happened. I pushed on the volume/football shaped button but nothing happened. i know that on my other phones it adjusts the brightness but on this one right now, nothing. i did the unplug thing but without the screen it was kinda hard to tell what to do next so eventually it just went back to blank screen/flashing feature. any other ideas?

Sounds like your display has gone bad, not too uncommon. Try 'feature 99 feature' to turn off the lamp, it might work.