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iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 (Late 2009, Core 2 Duo 3.06 or 3.33 GHz) ID iMac10,1, EMC 2374 (Late 2009, Core i5 2.66 GHz or Core i7 2.8 GHz) ID iMac11,1

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Is it possible to replace only the backlight?

Hello,

since 3 days my display is in the left corner much dark than anywher else and sometimes it's flickering. But only the backlight turns on and off. I don't have any problems with the display.

I think my LED backlight or the backlight board is defective. Our local Apple Service Provider made a quotation: display-change 670€ -that's to much. Since 2,5 month I don't have any warranty. :((((((

Is it possible to replace only the LED backlight?? What can i do to fix it?

Today I changed the backlight board trying to fix my problem. And: Nothing changed. So I think the display itself is the problem, but an exchange would cost too much.

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Update

i have exactly the same problem :( exactly! same corner, same bleeding, iMac i7 bought it in january 2010, what can i do?

Im in Berlin Germany, if someone has information please let me know .

Thanks

email: jak@moistcreation.com

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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Hi Jose - how old is your Mac? When did you buy it? Is it a 27" ?

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Same problem here...

Couple of nights ago when working late suddenly the screen on my 27” iMac went dark on the left side of the screen. Not completely dark… but maybe 20-30% darker. I watched it happen… very scary !

Waited couple of minutes and turned my iMac on againg… and the screen was bright as ever.

Next day - happened again.

Today… well - haft the screen is okay. The other - left side - belongs to the Dark Lord.

If I turn off the computer and let it rest for 15 minutes… it’ll be okay for some time.

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Im getting the same problem right now, my iMac 27" screen has shown slight signs of brightness flicker, and today I noticed the one side seems a bit darker and suddenly it went a lot darker. Atleast its only 4 months old so it has a warranty so they should fix the problem I hope...oh there goes another flicker to full on bright and right back to the darkside..SUUUCKS

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Hi all , it is possible to repair = solder left side backlight connector inside lcd . We repairing it at daily basis .... MiB , Maczone.cz

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MiB - what is the cost of that repair?

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12 Answers

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You may have a warranty and don't know it. All you may need to do is register it, the warranty is not restricted to the original owner. Please give us the details on why you think it's not covered. You don't want to replace that backlight tube even if you could find one.

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I don't have warranty because I bought it in december 2010. I called with the german apple support and they also said "my warranty is expired". Unfortunately I bought no Apple Protection Care because I thought it's a 2000€ machine and should work at least some years without any troubles. Now I know better.

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Please give the last three letters of your serial number as I think you have the wrong machine listed. Also if it was bought in December of 2010, it's still under warranty.

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The last 3 numbers are "5RU". Sorry I made a mistake. I bought him in december 2009. Sorry

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OK, it's the i5 not i7

Apple iMac "Core i5" 2.66 27-Inch (Late 2009) Specs

Identifiers: Late 2009 - MB953LL/A - iMac11,1 - A1312 - 2374

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No, its a i7 Late 2009. Look at the screenshot!

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I found that the problem is one connector on the back of the LCD-LED panel that is loose and therefore not transmitting the power to the LED lights on that zone of the screen.

I fixed mine by removing it and soldering some wires directly to the screen board.

You have all the info here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/404...

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Son had the same problem with his 27" iMac,

One of the easiest repairs I have ever done,

perhaps excluding getting all the way down to the problem.

The problem is "cold solder" joints, I.E. the joint crack from stress, age and heat.

A quick touch of the solder iron, back to original.

You need to get the display out, peel the tape off, (keep track of it)

a few screws and some latches will remove the bezel.

Be careful at this point as you are now into some component that should remain clean and the actual display screen is easily cracked or damaged.

Once you are all the way disassembled, you will see where the 6 or so (on each side) wires go into the back, on the bottom on either side. From the front you will see the connector that these wires connect to the led "back light" boards,

Have some one experiecned with solderting, watch the heat!

reflow the solder joints and reassemble.

Enjoy your like new, trouble free display.

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Hi guys,

Urge you to look here for a possible easy solution:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/308...

scroll down o the post by nicholas or the post with the images.

Hope it helps!

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I am going to talk to my lawyer about starting a class action lawsuit for this problem tomorrow.

My last imac had a defective power supply after two years, i had apple care, they replace it and 2 years later it smoked again, this time 1 year out of apple care protection, this time i bought a refurb with a 1 yr warranty, no apple care plan, 1 month in the power supply went kaput, they reaired it, now a couple months past 1 yr warrant , dark left side of screen. I've enjoyed apple but this will be my last mac purchase. If they can't admit when theyv'e made a mistake on a 2000.oo product then i can't afford to be a customer any longer. i am an illustrator and this machine is a tool I need for my income. I'm tired of paying twice as much for garbage machines.

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I've had my 27" iMac dissembled... to see if I could find the cause... the cold solder joints. No luck. iMac is from december 2009. Problem occurred aprox 1 1/2 - 2 years from purchase. I've learned to live with the left-corner-dark-spot problem... even though it's annoying. Most of the action on the screen happens on the right side... iTunes in the dark spot - even added a ssd disk and filled it up with ram (one of the ram slots didn't work by the way) - to breathe an extra year of life to my soon ancient iMac. I will however buy a new one probably within the next year... and cross my fingers not running into any dark spots again.

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Hello bought my 27" November 2011 and about 4 months later the same left side went dim.

I bought a year of protection through the retailer (Best Buy) and just before the expiration was up I took it in to see if they could repair it and they said it would be too much to repair @ $1,700, worth more than the computer itself.

They gave me the option to get a newer model. (I paid only $1,300 for that 27" because it was a floor model and Apple was getting ready to launch their newer IMacs in 2013 so I got some discounts) Now I can only buy Mac that is of equal value or put up the difference.

I ended up getting the 21" instead, which is faster than the one I bought. I made a stink about all my programs installed so they took out the hardrive and just gave it to me.

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I bought my 27" iMAc in June 2012. In November 2013 the left side of the screen went dark exactly as described by others here. I rang Apple Support, I had extended my 1 year warranty by 2 additional years. Almost immediately the person in Apple Support diagnosed the problem as related to the LCD screen and said that the screen would need to be replaced, under warranty. He double checked with a colleague and confirmed the initial diagnosis.

I brought the machine to Apple Centre last Saturday for repair, and on a visual inspection, the person there changed the diagnosis to probaly the backlight board needing to be replaced. He ordered a new backlight board and, just in case, he also ordered a LCD screen, if the replacement of the backlight board didn't work. While the cost is covered by warranty, I was given an invoice, cost £429/c €500 / c. $700.

I asked if this was a common problem and was told that in about two years there, he had seen this two or three times.

I was told it would be three to five days and hope to collect it this week. I will update when appropriate.

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1 Comment:

It's now March 2016. iMac been working fine since the repair. No further issues.

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same problem here, imac 27, i5, model mid 2011, bought May 2012 in Germany, LED Backlight left side first only flickered, now its off permanently.

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Mine was purchased April 2010 and I persisted with AppleCare and the rep passed on my email with photo to the Engineering team, and I just got it fixed for nothing.

So maybe Apple is recognising this manufacturing fault.

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I have the same problem, and I've been looking for and broken LCD or just for the backlight led strip (left or right) for LM270WQ1(SD)(C2) LCD (imac 27 mid 2010)

The part number is Young Lighting LGT2781. Anyi dea where to find it?

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I found, that only from (other) broken LCD . AFAIK , not possible to buy as spare part

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Replace the ccfl. They are available on the internet. http://www.lcdparts.net/CCFL.aspx is one place.

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Would you mind pointing out one for the model the poster has?

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iMac 27" has no ccfl backlight. Its LED!

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Then it maybe a bad led. That is easier to fix (since leds are available almost everywhere). It should be a strip of them and you go through the strip looking for the smoked led with a multimeter. Get replacement leds from sparkfun, digikey or mouser electronics.

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I have the strip in front of me.Please let me know:

- how to identify the exact led part number or its specs?

- how to solder them

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Epola will be eternally grateful.
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