T30 more flicker

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thomaslp · #1 Post by **thomaslp** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:25 am

Hi,

I posted this issue a few weeks ago:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=57244

My T30 flickers when running on battery. I tried to change the battery and I thought that the problem was solved but yesterday it started again.

The laptop only flickers when running on battery. I tested the battery with my voltmeter and it seems to be fine.

Any other ideas?

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:40 am

Get yourself a bottle of your famous local brew Aalborg Akvavit.
Drink it and you won't notice it at all! LOL.

thomaslp · #3 Post by **thomaslp** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:49 pm

Sounds like the solution

#4 Post by **rkawakami** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:22 pm

From reading your earlier thread and your note that a new battery (temporarily) fixed the problem, I'd have to guess and say that there's a problem with the motherboard, either in the battery charging circuitry or in the power supply system when the battery is being used by itself. You would be very lucky to find any particular component(s) which is causing this problem, however, something to look for based upon my experience with T23s would be a loose inductor coil on the motherboard near the battery terminals. I don't have a T30 but this is what a T23 motherboard looks like:

http://www.rkawakami.net/ibm_t2x/mobo_top_72_legend.jpg

At location G6, there is a black, square component which has a circular ring on top. There's an identical looking one at C5/C6. Those have a tendency to lift off of the motherboard. I'm guessing that the T30 would use a similar one in the battery charging circuit. Your new battery may have been working fine for a few days but if the T30 doesn't allow a full charge, then that might be the reason the flicker returned.

The other possibility is that the inverter board is getting old/weak. That would be a simpler fix to attempt if you can't find anything obviously wrong on the motherboard. Good luck!

thomaslp · #5 Post by **thomaslp** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:56 am

Hi,
thank you for the answer. I have not been able to find any loose components. One other thing that I think is strange is that when running on battery and connected to an external monitor there are no flickering.

Second I have discovered an interesting thing. When running on battery the monitor only flickers when there are HD activity.

#6 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:35 am

That sounds like a poor or loose connection of the battery.
Check if the connectors are perhaps a bit corroded. With a very fine (e.g. watchmaker's) screw driver carefully 'scrape' the contacts, both of the battery and inside the battery compartment.
The vibrations of the hard disk when active might cause the 'wobble'.

T30 more flicker

T30 more flicker

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