Display goes dark

[cfds]

Hello all,

I have been reading and learning a lot on this site for ages but now I have come across a problem where I could use some of your expertise...

I have several computers at home including an old IBM X40 and a X61s.
Its the old X40 which is the subject of my question.
Today I started it up and the display remainded dark. If I look carefully I can see something displayed on it...looks like the backlighting is inop on the display.
External display hooked up and that works fine...
My question, I dont wanna spend much money on it but I would hate it to see that this is the end of the X40. Its been exquiped with an SSD from Samsung and stil runs fine under XP.
Is there a quick way to find out what could be the problem here? Inverter board or backlight lamp of the display itself? Its not the display close switch, thats is working fine...

Thanks in advance

[Neil]

It's most likely the lamp that has given out.
Less than $10 in parts to replace, but very difficult to do right.
Easier to just replace the LCD panel, or even the entire lid. But since these are fairly old, you never know how long the replacement is going to last either.

[cfds]

Hmm, no easy way to test the "lamp"?

I have to be honnest that I am not impressed with the LCD brightness of the X61 so maybe it would be a good exersice trying to replace the tube on the old X40 before I have to do the same on the X61...

I have seen somewhere on you tube how a DIY...first I have to be sure its the tube and not something else...

[RealBlackStuff]

In the X6x forum near the top is a list of the X60 fuses, almost identical to an X61 board.
Check the F3 fuse.
If that's gone, you'll have no backlight.
Otherwise the diagnosis is a broken/faulty CCFL tube.

[cfds]

The dark display is on the X40 and not on the X61s...just that I am not impressed with the brightness on the X61 but its working.
Just orderen an CCFL tube for the X40 LCD...wil give some feedback on how the replacement goes...

[cfds]

CCFL replaced and display works fine again!
Its not that simple but I didn't break anything and I dont have any screws leftover after the operation...
Happy days...
I will for sure do the same thing on my X61s when needed...