Fix Your Stuff Community Store

Model A1181: 1.83, 2, 2.1, 2.13, 2.16, 2.2, or 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

1203 Questions View all

Options

Black screen: Inverter, Cable, Display or Logicboard?

Hi!

Please help me!

My screen kept turning black if i tilted it, so i replaced the inverter cable. It worked but only in the low light area (1-2 bars). It stopped to work after a while and the screen didnt turn on at all. So i replaced the inverter, which didnt help. I would like to know if there is a sure way to find out if there is a problem with the inverter, the inverter cable, display or logicboard.

Any help would be appriciated.

Thanks in Advance

Maxim

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

Is this a good question?

Yes No
Score -1
1 Comment

It was a bad screen. I ordered a new one and everything is fine now!

by

Add a comment

3 Answers

Filter by:
Most Helpful Newest Oldest
Chosen Solution

Options

If your model is the A1181, there is no soldering in the repair. Here's the guide with video on doing it: MacBook Core 2 Duo LCD Panel Replacement

Was this answer helpful?

Yes No
Score 5

2 Comments:

Thank you, i knew. I was talking about replacing only the lamp in the panel.

by

I wouldn't blame Maxim: if there's a level beyond "difficoult", the refurbishment of an LCD panel looks like that.

Furthemore, if one want to be a cheapskate, while new panels have dropped in price in the last years, used ones get to be sold at half price.

by

Add a comment

Options

There's no surefire way, I'm afraid to tell you.

However, a damage on the logicboard would mean a damage on the capacitors near the inverter cable, and that's a really, really rare occurence.

The usual troubleshooting for your issue implies:

  1. Replacing the inverter cable: it usually does the trick if the backlight goes on and off when the display is tilted
  2. Replacing the inverter, who's usually the culprit for a dim or flickering light
  3. Replacing the display.

You told that the light worked only in the "low part" of the display. Was it also dim, and affected by a pinkish/yellowish hue, lacking luster?

Your kind of display gets its light source by a CCFL Lamp, something that, for a visual reference, looks like a very thin, stretched neon, lodged in the low area of the display, hidden by a reflective foil that reflects the light evenly.

Thus, despite no one can be absolutely sure that you've not got capacitor issues, I'd try going for a display repair.

Afterall, the CCFL have a shelf life shorter than the rest of the laptop.

I'd telly you to go for a full LCD panel replacement: good refurbished panels are half the price of new ones, and new ones are still less expensive than a logic board.

You could also replace the lamp only, but no one goes that: it's a painstalking work of peeling off the reflective foil, avoiding to crimple it, desoldering the CCFL lamp, soldering back a new one and hope to have done nothing wrong.

Was this answer helpful?

Yes No
Score 3

4 Comments:

Thank you very much. It was really helpfull. By "low light area" i ment the first two bars of bars of brightness adjustment. Since i already replaced the cable and the inverter i have to replace the screen, and since i am really bad at soldering i will buy a whole panel. I have one more quastion: what do you think could be the reason for the display working ONLY with low brightness? Could it be an avidence for the bad capacitors? Can i test them with a multimeter somehow to be sure?

Thank you for your help.

by

In my life, I've never seen a case of bad capacitors. That's a really, really rare occurrence. I know you can test with a multimeter the Inverter, so you could try to see if there's current in the inverter cable.

A display shutting down at its maximum setting, AFAIK, shows Inverter or CCFL issues.

As I told you, besides using a multimeter to check carefully what comes out the Inverter Cable and the Inverter, there's no other troubleshooting to do.

by

Thank you very very much!

by

I can only add my personal experience: my own LCD flickered badly. Not the kind of "refresh" you may see when you're working late and your eyes burn, but when I was at max brightness to max minus 3 bars, it literally strobed.

After a change of Inverter and LCD, it got fine. I hope that'll solve your issue too.

However, recheck the Inverter, if you've not bought it by a reputable source. Some used inverters tend to be DOA...that is, malfunctioning on arrival.

by

Add a comment

Options

I got the exact problem.

I tryed changing the inverter without success, then I tryed to changing the inverter cable no success. If the brigthness il set to max (16/16) the screen go black after few seconds, if setted to 7/16 bars the screen works whit random blackout, if I increase one bar (8/16) works for few seconds then go black again.

I just ordered a new inverter, hoping that the refurbished one I bought was broken.

when the screen go black, to turn it on again I have to set brightness down to zero (0/16) (F1) and then increase (F2).

I need some advice.

Do I need to replace the LCD Screen?

Cris

(sorry for my English ^_-)

Was this answer helpful?

Yes No
Score 0
Add a comment

Add your answer

Maxim Proleskovski will be eternally grateful.
View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 0

Past 7 Days: 0

Past 30 Days: 0

All Time: 2,431