X40 screen blanking problem

[nebpehtira]

The last few days the screen on my X40 goes blank or flickers when moving it forward or back to improve the viewing angle. Sometimes shocks (such as the train crossing a set of points, when using it whilst travelling) cause the same issue. I'm guessing it's some problem with a loose connection on the ribbon cable for the screen? Is this something that can be fixed fairly affordably? Is it possible to do it myself? I really don't want to replace the whole system over such a trivial fault.

[mediasponge]

If you want to check and re-seat the LCD cable, download the Hardware Maintenance Manual for this type. Follow the instructions for removing the "upper case" as they call it. You have to take out the battery, the keyboard, and the upper case, in that order. All you should need is a small Phillips screwdriver. Pulling the upper case toward you in order to get it to release from the lower case is a little tricky. Don't get impatient and force it. If the LCD cable isn't the problem, the inverter inside the LCD module may be failing, which is a slightly more delicate operation than the upper case. The procedures are all in the HMM, if you're up to it.

[nebpehtira]

Thanks for the info. The screen "died" completely a few days ago, have the emergency netbook back up at the moment (MSI keyboards... an abomination of human creation). Looking closely I've realised it is the backlight that seems to be dead, not the LCD itself. Looking VERY closely you can just about see the image is still there throughout, but almost completely black.

Does this mean a new display is in order?

[rkawakami]

Several things can take the backlight out:

- failure of the backlight (aka, CCFL) itself
- failure of the inverter board; converts DC voltage into a large AC voltage required to light the lamp
- stuck lid switch; this assumes that the OS has been set to "do nothing" when the lid is closed
- bad interconnect between the motherboard and the backlight; in other words, the LCD ribbon cable could be damaged and/or loose, the plug that's inserted into the inverter board from the backlight could be loose or it could be bad solder joints right on the backlight
- motherboard issue; bad power to the inverter, blown fuse, etc.

Seeing how vibration affected the display, I'd vote for a loose/broken connection somewhere (the fourth point above). Use the HMM that mediasponge referred to and you should be able to get at each one of those places, with the exception of the soldered wire on the terminals of the backlight (it's buried inside the LCD panel). Re-seat each connector; LCD ribbon cable on the motherboard, the inverter board to the ribbon cable, the plug to the backlight. Closely inspect the entire length of the ribbon cable for tears or cracks. All of this will take time and no money. Better to get the cheap stuff out of the way before throwing $$$$ at the problem .

[netbucks]

This all sounds familiar....my X40 screen backlight just started going out after about a half hour use--the actual display is working, but very dim. When I close the lid for a few minutes and restart windows (I'm using Win7 with a Kingspec SSD) the backlight goes back on and then proceeds to go out again after a few minutes. All of this is with the X40 on a solid surface without movement.

Question for experts--is this an inverter issue? Or?

Thanks for any support--this is my favorite computer of all time and I want to keep it running as long as possible.

Bruce