Hey Beth--send it out for backlight fuse replacement---simple, quick, easy and you'll be back on the road to repair. Drop me a line if you want to do mail in: jessabethany@gmail.com
Quit messing with it though---it is really easy to accidentally take out the pins on the digitizer connector with a lot of connect/disconnect cycles---then you'll also need a digitizer fpc replacement.
jessa
Mayer--thanks for commenting, I always find it difficult to see the line here---
Can I share my line of thinking and you can give me some guidance?
From experience, we know that this poster's problem is almost certainly the classic iPad mini backlight fuse.
We know that a wealth of info out there encourages folks to 'jump the backlight fuse' without explaining that all the adjacent components are critical.
The likelihood that Beth, who "does not normally take on these types of repairs" will have success performing a repair that requires microsoldering as DIY is, unfortunately, slim.
The likelihood that a local repair shop without specific experience with this repair would attempt to jump the fuse and further damage the iPad is high. I see a line of banged up iPads with notes full of regret that they didn't just send it out initially.
If I didn't happen to do this repair, I would still want Beth to know that she has the option of mailing her device for a quick, inexpensive fuse replacement----and that if she was able to get over that hurdle--she would certainly be able to complete the rest of the repair on her own.
Judging by the number of "are you real?" emails I get, it seems to take a leap of faith to send a device off for a mail-in repair. I know that if I were in her shoes, it would make a difference to me to know that someone with a small but respectable iFixit 'reputation' offered this service as a mail-in repair. Most people that find their way to me were unaware that mail-in board-level repair even existed. (cont)
I guess I see my answer as answering her question "What to do next?" as exactly what I would say if I was pointing her to person X that could easily remove an obstacle to her ability to complete her own repair. I see it as helpful information, not advertisement.
I struggle with this a lot---I know that the single reason I learned to do board-level iDevice repair is that while using iFixit, I could not find anyone that could replace a charging coil on the iPhone 4S that my twin toddlers helpfully 'washed' for me. I would have *loved* for some other jessa to pipe up and say 'just send it in for a board fix and then take it from there"---I still have that phone, now needing trace repair from a botched PMIC reball as I floundered around DIY unaware that help was out there. I would have loved to have been able use someone's board work as one of many tools in my repair project.
Just as prevalent as the 'rice cures water damage' misconception, is the idea that "motherboard failure is the end of the line for iDevice repair" Because of this---my view is that pointing people to the option of my board-level help is the same as pointing out the existence of a fantastic repair tool that they are probably unaware of that can help them save their device.
I'm sure this comment doesn't belong here---but I struggle with this issue often and certainly don't want to offend anyone or be considered a 'spammer'
Thoughts?
(didn't know where to put this, but I sure would like to clarify this issue)
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You mentioned privately that you tested and you do have continuity across the backlight fuse.
I would:
1.) Try a new LCD.
2.) Confirm by posting a photo that the component you measured is the backlight filter.
3.) Test the backlight diode---it should be open in one direction only.
by jessabethany