R51 LCD Backlight problems

[rixthemix.com]

All,
Here is the story, I am on my couch one day and my backlight just dies. Its never had a problem before, it just went dead.
After doing some research, I found that it is most likely the inverter board. So I get on ebay and find one and get it installed. I have the new board installed, and have the exact same result. If you shine a flashlight on the screen you can see the LCD works, just no backlight.

What can I test where to tell me for sure if its the inverter, power to the inverter, the tube, or other factors I haven't considered yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Richard

[IBM Thinkpad]

All,
Here is the story, I am on my couch one day and my backlight just dies. Its never had a problem before, it just went dead.
After doing some research, I found that it is most likely the inverter board. So I get on ebay and find one and get it installed. I have the new board installed, and have the exact same result. If you shine a flashlight on the screen you can see the LCD works, just no backlight.

What can I test where to tell me for sure if its the inverter, power to the inverter, the tube, or other factors I haven't considered yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Richard

I suggest you phone to IBM and ask them regarding your problem and if they ask you to bring down your thinkpad, hang up the call and start to get to 1 of your nearest computer stores and ask them about this. Someone will tell you and don't bring your thinkpad to them because they will charge you $$$.

[rixthemix.com]

What kind of voltage should I get when I test the leads coming out of the inverter board to tell me if its the board or the bulb?

Richard

[IBM Thinkpad]

What kind of voltage should I get when I test the leads coming out of the inverter board to tell me if its the board or the bulb?

Richard

Use a testpen. Those type of screwdriver with a bulb at the handle. If lights, then okay, if did not light, then phone the respective vendor.

[rixthemix.com]

OK, I took and got a 12 volt test pen, and get nothing

I take my voltage meter and test for AC and DC accross the leads headed to the LCD, still no good.

I have tried this with both the old and the new inverter board.

What would the proffessionals do next? I really wish I had another R51 to swap parts with and nail down exactly what does not work, I hate this "guessing"

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Richard

[Orevin]

I take my voltage meter and test for AC and DC accross the leads headed to the LCD, still no good.

Had the same results once. Changed inverter, then the cable, but no voltage. However, I bought a new backlight, installed it and there we go, as good as new.

[rixthemix.com]

So, I have spent at least $300 to get my display back up, here is what I have done.

Replaced the inverter board twice, I now have 3 inverter boards
Shipped the display off to someone to replace the bulb, I promptly got an e-mail that the bulb is just fine, and it was shipped back to me
Replaced the LCD cable with a new one.

Still, no backlight.
I get absolutely nothing out of the inverter board reading it with a voltage tester. I have tried all three of my inverter boards and get the same result, with either LCD cable.

Sanity check - What haven't I checked yet?

Richard

[Chris001]

Sanity check - What haven't I checked yet?

System board. We work on tons of R51s (2887s) and when they come in for a dim screen it's usually the system board that's bad.

Good Luck,
Chris

[kanepy]

So, I have spent at least $300 to get my display back up, here is what I have done.

Replaced the inverter board twice, I now have 3 inverter boards
Shipped the display off to someone to replace the bulb, I promptly got an e-mail that the bulb is just fine, and it was shipped back to me
Replaced the LCD cable with a new one.

Still, no backlight.
I get absolutely nothing out of the inverter board reading it with a voltage tester. I have tried all three of my inverter boards and get the same result, with either LCD cable.

Sanity check - What haven't I checked yet?

Richard

I am having the same problem. When I started my T22 last week, the screen did not light up. I can still see an image if the lighting condition is right. The backlight is not working. After reading your traffic, I am afraid that it may not be worth fixing. Do you have any advice?
Did you ever make any progress? How can I test my inverter independently? From your experiences I am not sure that another inverter or backlight would benifit me at all.

Any information you could provide would be benifitial.

[rixthemix.com]

Kanepy,
I ended up buying another laptop off of ebay, same model but cheaper, and then hauled most of the better parts over to the new one.
I also got an LCD cable and replaced it, and still got no success. Leaving the only item that I didn't replace, the motherboard.

The new laptop is running much better, no problems yet. I guess I just got a lemon.

Its funny, I got an old Thinkpad 600E that I used before I got the R51. I used it while the R51 was out of service. Older laptop, many more hours, and yet its still clunking away with no problems.

Hope this helps!