T23 SXGA+ is it worthwhile to replace red tinted backlight?

[hkazemi]

Hello,

I have two Thinkpad T23 SXGA+ 1.2 ghz laptops (no internal wifi), both of which have begun to exhibit the red tinted backlight problem mentioned elsewhere in this forum. This is only noticeable during ~ the first 30 seconds when the screen is turned on, or when the brightness is turned down.

I'm planning on selling these laptops sometime in the next month or two (not sure whether on here, on Craigslist, and/or on eBay). Would it be worthwhile for me to replace those backlights beforehand, or am I just looking at a breakeven or a loss on this improvement? The laptops are perfectly usable as-is with the screen brightness turned all the way up.

Thanks,

-hk

[AlphaKilo470]

It depends. If you can replace the CCFL without damaging anything, that'll help the resell value of the computer. Replacing the CCFL isn't an expensive tast up front, it's just time consuming and risky.

If you have the pink tint, the screen's days are numbered.

[Harryc]

I've done sxga+ T23 backlight replacements. This is not a fun exercise. Even if you manage to get it in and back together without damaging the LCD diffusion layers or the CCFL itself, the results are mixed because it is very difficult to do without resultant backlight bleed. So, I guess I am not recommending this repair.

[hkazemi]

I've done sxga+ T23 backlight replacements. This is not a fun exercise. Even if you manage to get it in and back together without damaging the LCD diffusion layers or the CCFL itself, the results are mixed because it is very difficult to do without resultant backlight bleed. So, I guess I am not recommending this repair.

I think one of my T23's must have heard me talking about selling it. The backlight on one of them just started flickering and then a few minutes later it went dark (the brightness control made no difference). I tapped the lid-switch, and the image returned for a short while and then things went dark again. I tapped the lid-switch one more time, heard an electrical 'static' sound from the lower right corner of the screen that was only present while the screen was active, and then I shutdown the laptop.

An hour later I rebooted that laptop and was seeing the same symptom where I'd hear that static sound, see reddish flickering, and then the screen would go dark. After maybe 10-15 taps of the lid-switch, the screen stopped flickering and returned to a stable state. Would it be reasonable to interpret this as the CCFL tube not firing up properly (end of life and red), thereby forcing the inverter to try repeatedly (flickering and static sound), and the inverter giving up after a certain number of CCFL fire-up attempts (screen goes black), with the inverter's attempt counter getting reset by the lid-switch? (Or maybe the inverter overheats from repeated fire-up attemps and has an overtemp sensor that shuts itself down?)

What do you think is my best option for that T23...sell it as-is or to part it out? Is there any market for T23 sxga+ panels that need a CCFL replaced? Could you share any additional CCFL replacement pointers on what to do/not to do that are specific to the T23 SXGA+ panel?

I'll close by saying it is ironic that my T23 that has been experiencing the slight red tint for the longer period of time, is not the one that is dying quickly. The quickly dying T23 screen has went from no red to this flickering in a matter of only a few months (~3-5 months), while the other T23 has had red on boot for over a year and hasn't noticeably degraded.

Thanks for all your comments!

[RealBlackStuff]

Read up about CCFL replacements here: http://www.lcdparts.net/

[Harryc]

If the parts are in reasonably good condition you'd be better off parting it out vs. doing an LCD replacement. The CCFL is shot from your description. Again, I would not recommend replacing that particular CCFL to my worst enemy, but you might as well try it since it is dead. You have nothing to lose except for $20 including shipping.

[Johan]

... I recall seeing a very detailed, step-by-step CCFL replacement guide for an A31p, which in my opinion gives a good impression of what big job this is - and how many times you are able to make mistakes or damage/break something; see for yourself Replacing the CCFL of an IBM A31 notebook.

I would surely (surely!) much rather leave this to some 100 % qualified person, such as James --> LCD CCFL Backlight Repair/GPU Rework - I'll fix it for you!.

Johan

[ajkula66]

My opinion, as a re-seller as well as someone who has done backlight replacement himself is: don't bother. Sell it "as-is" or part it out.

Aggravation is not worth it IMHO...

Just my $0.02...

[hkazemi]

I haven't yet decided whether I'll try it myself, however I have found more LCD repair articles, including one where a T23 SXGA+ had its backlight replaced. I do think that using latex gloves to protect the LCD parts from hand oils would be a good idea:

T23 SXGA+ backlight replacement
http://kihwal.fayoly.net/proj/t23_bl.html
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replacing ... ight-lamp/

Dell Latitude D610 screen layers replacement
http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2 ... cd-screen/

[beeblebrox]

If the parts are in reasonably good condition you'd be better off parting it out vs. doing an LCD replacement. The CCFL is shot from your description. Again, I would not recommend replacing that particular CCFL to my worst enemy, but you might as well try it since it is dead. You have nothing to lose except for $20 including shipping.

harryc,
I replaced the CCFL on a couple of T2x Thinkpads.
It is really easy once you figure out what steps you have to avoid (learning the hard way). I can replace the CCFL now in 20 minutes.

The problem with the light bleeding that you have... I know it and had it myself. You forgot to clip the light rail properly onto the light diffuser. I had exactly the very same light bleeding until I figured it out. You have to put the metal light rail in an angle onto the diffuser and then clip it on it. Voilà, no more light bleeding and a perfect new screen.

NOW: the major problem for me is - How do I find a good CCFL supplier? I tested a few suppliers and they all sell crap. Cheap junk from China that dies after 6 months to 50% brightness.
I figured out that the best solution is to buy a quite new, but cracked Samsung screen and take the CCFL out from there.

Just my 3 cts (dollar value adjusted)...

[Harryc]

Nice tip on the diffuser/rail clip. I'll look for it next time I do one. Thanks.

[hkazemi]

NOW: the major problem for me is - How do I find a good CCFL supplier? I tested a few suppliers and they all sell crap. Cheap junk from China that dies after 6 months to 50% brightness.
I figured out that the best solution is to buy a quite new, but cracked Samsung screen and take the CCFL out from there.

Just my 3 cts (dollar value adjusted)...

Which CCFL suppliers did you try? I'm familiar with http://lcdparts.net/ and http://digikey.com/ . The T23 SXGA+ replacement photo montage I linked to above took a donor CCFL from another panel, just like you're talking about.