A31 LCD swap question

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Deb Suran · #1 Post by **Deb Suran** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:57 am

Hi Folks, I have a question for y'all. I have a working A31 2652-P5U with a failing backlight (pink screen when you turn it on), and I have a couple of dead 2652-PBUs in my closet with good LCDs that I've been cannibalizing for parts. The P5U has built-in wireless, the PBUs do not. I don't think I want to go for the big job of a backlight transplant, I'd rather swap LCD panels (that *is* more simple, right?). Can I do so and still fit the wireless antenna in the P5U lid, or are the LCD panels different in some way to account for the antenna? I've swapped entire ThinkPad lids and also replaced a bad LCD inverter, but haven't done an LCD swap before. Thanks in advance for your help!

ajkula66 · #2 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:18 am

The people who have tried swapping LCDs from non-wireless to wireless have run into trouble, since I have been contacted by a couple of them with such issues, and to the best of my knowledge, none of them has gotten these resolved. So my guess would be that it's a no-go. To make one thing perfectly clear, you'll be able to transplant the LCD just fine, it's the antenna part where folks have run into ditches and haven't been able to pull out.

My question being, why not replace the whole lid? How important is wireless to you?

My suggestion, if you have $100 to spare: send the machine to jamiphar and I guarantee that you'll be amazed just like I was when one of my A31p "babies" returned with a new backlight. These were the best spent $100 on a ThinkPad ever-coming out of my pocket. The difference is downright amazing.

Hope this helps. If not, I'll gladly be back to try and answer any additional questions that you might have.

Good luck.

Deb Suran · #3 Post by **Deb Suran** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:54 am

Thanks, George, that'll help me decide what to do as I have a number of working, questionable, and dead A31s on hand. Since I hope to upgrade to the T-series in the not-too-distant future I don't want to spend any money fixing the A31.

ajkula66 · #4 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:01 pm

Well, if you plan on selling that particular A31 along your "upgrade to T-series" route you may want to keep it wireless, headache or not...

If you're saving it as a backup, or for any other reasons, that feature might not be as important.

Just my $0.02 obviously.

fasterbybike · #5 Post by **fasterbybike** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:55 pm

ajkula66 wrote:The people who have tried swapping LCDs from non-wireless to wireless have run into trouble, since I have been contacted by a couple of them with such issues, and to the best of my knowledge, none of them has gotten these resolved. So my guess would be that it's a no-go. To make one thing perfectly clear, you'll be able to transplant the LCD just fine, it's the antenna part where folks have run into ditches and haven't been able to pull out.

I successfully added a wireless antenna to my non wireless A31p. The donor had a bad screen and scratched plastic so I only used the antennae and leads. It is a little fiddly but take your time and you should do it in less than an hour. YMMV.

It's nice to have the wireless built in if you move the machine often. (I take this machine to meetings about once a week and did not want a PC card sticking out the side where it is liable to be damaged).

Make sure you download the hardware maintenance manual before you start.

Deb Suran · #6 Post by **Deb Suran** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:19 pm

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try in the next week or two and see what happens. I'll report back.

Deb Suran · #7 Post by **Deb Suran** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:21 pm

Well I didn't get back to this until yesterday but wanted to report on my success. Transferring an LCD panel from a machine WITHOUT an antenna to a machine WITH THE ANTENNA ALREADY INSTALLED was a snap - there were no issues at all. The antenna wires are behind a metal part and completely out of the way. I can see that there might be issues going the other way, trying to install the antenna and get everything in its proper place, but all the other parts appeared to be identical, with room for the antenna wires on both units. Wireless works, the new screen works, the friend who has claimed this old unit will be happy with it.

sjthinkpader · #8 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:04 pm

Yes, it is an easy swap.

When you install the antennae into a cover without the antennae, remove the two metal shims at the top between the vertical hinge/metal bar and plastic cover. Insert the antenna in its place. There are plastic features in the cover to hold the antennae leads.

The UXGA panels are a little bigger than XGA/SXGA+ panels so you will have to work to get it in.

The leads go behind the CPU fan under the LCD cable just above the MB connector, down the middle and then turn right between the right side Ultrabay cage and the battery box. This is how they are routed from the factory.

A31 LCD swap question

A31 LCD swap question

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