Diagnosing T60 14" LCD Issues

[fefrie]

My T60 LCD was never 'great' It was always a bit on the dimmer side, a bit pink on warm up, and not very vibrant in color. I've used it consistently for the past 6 years or so.

Today I noticed a bit of a flicker on the bottom right of the screen, then when I was working, the screen went completely black.

Restarted it, and I could log on, but 40 seconds or so later, black screen.

I can remote in, so thankfully, it's not the graphics card. If I shine a light, I can see the text on the screen.

When I remote in, or after the screen is dark/goes dark, I can get the screen to light up again, but pretty soon after that it goes black.

Same thing happens in safe mode or any other mode.

So basically, a minute or so of useable screen time, then gone. If I restart, it always comes back on. If I remote in (which turns off the screen AND removes any text on the screen (back to log in page)), then go back to the T60, I'll get another minute or so of workable time.

So I think I can fix this? Bad inverter? or bad CCFL? How would I diagnose the difference? Am I on the right path here?

If it's the inverter, it's an easy fix. If it's the CCFL, not so easy. Getting proper connection will be hard.

Any reccomendations?

[RealBlackStuff]

You could try to replace the inverter, but my bet is on a burned-out CCFL.
It's much easier to buy a replacement LCD, rather than replace the CCFL.
If you can find a complete working lid from a 14.1" 4:3 T61, that will also fit/work.

[GomJabbar]

I agree with RBS that your symptoms point to a failed CCFL. I tried replacing a CCFL in a T-42 display one time, and the work was just too intricate for me to have a successful outcome. The CCFL for that T-42 was about 10" long and about the diameter of the lead in a #2 pencil like I used in grade school! The hardest part was the wires had to be soldered to the CCFL without overheating the ends of the tube. The wires were very fine and I broke one working with them. Trying to find an insulated wire small enough to attach to the broken wire was a problem.

Like RBS said, replacing the display lid is easier. I have done that successfully in a T-42 a couple of times. I got my used replacement display lids on ebay some years ago. There used to be a company called moniserv that would replace the CCFL in a laptop for between $100 and $200, but I do not think they do that anymore.

[fefrie]

Lids seem to be not as available or cheap as I'd like them to be for a laptop this old. Especially for something with a SXGA panel.

I just can't do XGA.

I might have to ebay a ccfl. It seems like they have ccfls with the connector already soldered. I'll have to verify.

I did a t42 once and it wasn't the best refurb. I bought a ccfl without a connector and yes, it was no fun.

This time I can make a clean room with a tent and a hepa filter.

It might be time to upgrade to a t500. I can get one 'cheap' locally here for 130 with 8gb ram. Hopefully they get back to me.

If I read the specs right the 0,1,2 and 3 series all share the same 1667 ram speed, so they might all be the same perceptable speed for day to day use. And 8gb ram is plenty for me.

Although I may repair the t60 for nostalgia sake, or relegate it as a 'server'

[fefrie]

A new update.

After the screen was off for awhile, I accessed it again, and during the '60 second countdown', there was a long squelch in decreasing frequency that when stopped, the screen went of pretty quickly as well.

Is that an inverter issue?

[fefrie]

And on further inspection, it will run no problem with the brightness turned completely down.

Not ideal but useable.

At this point. asides from a little investment. Wouldn't hurt to try to put in a new ccfl.