MacBook Display Inverter

My Problem

Display went dark. Diagnosed problem to a display backlight inverter or data cable.

My Fix

Ifixit help guides allowed me to try an initial repair by switching parts from another MacBook that had died years ago. That operation was not successful, but based on my comfort with Ifixit's help guides, and the relatively low price for parts, I decided to order parts and give it a shot. This time the operation was a success! I am writing this on the old MacBook!

My Advice

If you don't have one, buy a screwdriver with your parts! I did, It was well worth the extra $5, due to the incredible time saved compared to using the old "glasses repair kit" screwdriver during my initial, unsuccessful attempt at scavenging parts from an old machine.

My Problem

The monitor would not turn on reliably, and cheap inverters from eBay wouldn't do the job. I had to open the laptop very carefully until the backlight was warm enough or it would turn off again.

My Fix

Since I had used other cheap inverters before, I had already used the guide many times before without a hitch. This time I guess I was feeling very cocky and forgot to connect a few things, like the Bluetooth chip.

The inverter from iFixit works... better than the ones from eBay, but I still get a little flickering and uneven illumination if the display brightness is 4 pips lower than the maximum. Sometimes it won't turn on if I open the laptop too fast, so I still have to take a moment before opening it completely. When the display is cold, it will flicker and seem like it won't turn on, but it almost always works, so 3 out of 5?

My Advice

When you're putting the Macbook back together, make sure you connect every little thing correctly. I only forgot connecting the Bluetooth thingy and the display data one because I didn't take my time.

Take the repair as an afternoon of crafting, not as a hurried repair, and everything should be fine. Patience is key!

My Problem

Screen would light up momentarily at startup and then backlight would go out

My Fix

Took a shortcut and just removed the monitor bezel , three screws, and the plastic cover over the inverter. Replaced the inverter, refitted the cable and closed it back up. Took less than 10 minutes.

My Advice

No need to take the whole machine apart, especially with a laptop this old. The risk off cosmetic blemishes was worth the shortened repair time (although I was able to do without any blemishes).

My Problem

The backlight of my MacBook (1.1) was flickering. It was very annoying, so I looked up, what could cause the problem. I found out, that it has to be the inverter or it's cable. I bought both to be on the save side.

My Fix

The repair was a lot of fun and pretty easy too. The guides helped me a lot and my MacBook is now fully working again!

And btw, I installed a newer OS on it and build in a SSD. It runs like it's new.

My Advice

So many different screws! Make sure you have a system to organize them.

My Problem

Things happen in runs. I had two clients with the same model Macbook, and each computer had the same problem. The two clients came to me within two days. It seems to be an unlikely coincidence, but maybe it's not.

One computer's display didn't light up at all, though the client said he could get it to light up if the lid lifted just a crack, insufficiently to read it. I couldn't even get it to do that. The other computer did display, but you had to move the lid back and forth several times. I was sure it was on its way out.

My Fix

I knew it was either the inverter or the cable in each case. It might have been both. But since the repair takes so long, I ordered an inverter and a cable for each. I didn't want to do the repair twice for either computer.

The procedure took a long time, even after practice. It took at least three hours for each computer. The hardest part was putting the plastic tabs back into the screen to make the bezel snap in. That took an hour!

The plastic Macbook is not really well made. The plastic case tends to fall apart, and so do some internal plastic pieces. It's a good thing Apple stopped making them. I find it odd that Dell and other companies know how to make a plastic laptop both durable and serviceable. The Apple is neither. Apple computers are normally very durable, but they also tend to be the hardest to service. I don't know why this is. Thank goodness for ifixit, which guides us through it all.

My Advice

Use plenty of light. Use small containers for all the little parts. I also use a digital vernier caliper to measure the lengths of the screws. The measurements I got are different from those on ifixit, so I learned to compensate by a little.

My Problem

My son's white Macbook's lcd was not lighting up. The screen was black and the only way to see what was going on was to put a flash light to the screen.

Apple and other repair shops wanted a ton of money to repair and I didn't want to spend that kind of money on a 5yr old system.

My Fix

So I googled the Mac's symptoms and then I found this site and started looking at the repair pictures and figured why not try this myself.

I purchased the display inverter and the inverter cable. Once I recieved the parts I went back to the fixit's site with step by step pictures of how to do the repair. Followed the pictures and to open, replace the parts and close the system back up. Much to my amazment the repair was extremly succsesfull!

My Advice

I saved a ton of money, my son is happy to have is Mac back and I'm thrilled.

This is the best site out there!