R40 from ebay received...but PROBLEM!!!

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dsigma6 · #1 Post by **dsigma6** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:28 pm

This baby looked sweet for $400.

Then I turn it on and no screen. I look closer and on the black screen with all its glory, I can see the XP startup screen...So that means its the CCFL backlight? I know there is a tutorial on how to fix that, but I mean...I'm no computer whiz. Any help would be great- And if you're local to Philly and would like to help...

THANKS!!

edit: I've done some more searching and it says this symptom is related to the inverter??

I talked to the seller and he said it happened to him- and that he hit FN and a button along the top...I know FN F7 turns it on/off, but he said try other buttons- What the hell other button would I push lol?? I don't see why there would be multiple buttons for the same function.

#2 Post by **schen** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:22 pm

The only thing I can think of that he might mean are the 2 buttons marked "home" and "end" that ramp the backlight up and down. I have a T23 so they may be others on your KB. It's like a little sun symbol with an up or down pointer. The Fn + F7 should only be for toggling between LCD, external video, and both; or various display resolutions and output combinations if you have Presentation Director loaded.

If you're machine doesn't have the back light cranked WAY down for some reason, there should be no reason you can't read the screen except for a bad backlight or possible bad inverter.

dsigma6 · #3 Post by **dsigma6** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:34 pm

thanks schen. im going to use your info, plus the 400 million pages i found on this forum about screen issues.

wish me luck!

#4 Post by **underclocker** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:37 pm

I wouldn't even screw around with it, just send it back. The seller didn't accurately describe it from the beginning. And, ask for a refund on the return shipping, too

dsigma6 · #5 Post by **dsigma6** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:14 pm

yea i was on the wall about whether to keep it or not. i dont like to have issues on ebay, but hey, i didnt do it!

this machine is flawless...besides the screen.

you think this could turn into a bigger problem? i mean, $400 for a p4m 2ghz, dvd/cdrw...i would be willing to fix an inverter or backlight (eek).

dsigma6 · #6 Post by **dsigma6** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:15 pm

HOLY [censored] THE SCREEN JUST POPPED ON

indessen · #7 Post by **indessen** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:33 pm

dsigma6 wrote:HOLY [censored] THE SCREEN JUST POPPED ON

good for you.

Does sound like issues with the inverter, which is cheap, should cost 20 Dollars from IBM. I had a screen issue on an R31 once, I could only get the screen going after bootup by decreasing the brightness to the lowest level ... then the screen went on... and then I could increase it to high level. booting on anything above level 2 (of 7) would leave the backlight off.

dsigma6 · #8 Post by **dsigma6** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:37 pm

i almost didnt know what to make of it...like, the screens on?? no it isnt.

God likes me for at least 10 minutes so far today.

inverter doesnt make me nervous. having no screen did. as of now i guess ill keep it, with a close eye.

the keyboard feels cheap compared to the 600, but this machine is laughing at the 600 for being slow.

thanks for your help!

#9 Post by **underclocker** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:40 am

If the machine is good overall, except for the inverter, ask the seller to send you an inverter or a credit for a replacement. If the screen goes dark again, take a picture to send the seller.

R40's are nice, so enjoy. (We're assuming the warranty has expired...)

dsigma6 · #10 Post by **dsigma6** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:59 am

i checked and the three year warranty expired 2 months ago.

do you really think i can ask for money or a part? considering i gave him an offer $25 less than his buy it now, and he took it.

it just seems like he would say bug off, or return the thing and leave me alone.

the machine looks almost flawless- I do however notice the lack of quality/sturdiness, but ill treat it like a newborn.

djpharoah · #11 Post by **djpharoah** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:30 am

dsigma6 wrote:i checked and the three year warranty expired 2 months ago.

do you really think i can ask for money or a part? considering i gave him an offer $25 less than his buy it now, and he took it.

it just seems like he would say bug off, or return the thing and leave me alone.

the machine looks almost flawless- I do however notice the lack of quality/sturdiness, but ill treat it like a newborn.

Well even though you offered him $25 less than his Buy It Now price, you were still bidding on a laptop which you thought was working perfectly.

Ask him for the money for the part. Get the part from ebay. Tons of people selling those inverters.

#12 Post by **underclocker** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:14 am

It certainly won't hurt to ask, as the defect was not advertised.

Also, you can tighten the visible screws, but NOT TOO MUCH or you will crack the plastics. I've noticed that sometimes the screws are barely tightened on machines with a couple of years on them. But be CAREFUL, I've cracked more than one ThinkPad case by overtightening!

dsigma6 · #13 Post by **dsigma6** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:17 am

i talked to the guy but im not going to request any money back. guess im too nice.

i did tighten a few screws last night when looking at the mini pci slot, but did take note not to use too much force. do you think its necessary to remove the stickers off of the hidden screws to check their tightness?

#14 Post by **underclocker** » Tue May 16, 2006 4:19 pm

I've done that in the past and the screws were so loose they almost dropped out. However, those are the ones that I overtightened. I cracked the keyboard bezel and had to replace it. Be careful.

Tight is tight and too tight is broken!

vkim · #15 Post by **vkim** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:25 pm

Hello,
Interesting enough, I recently (about a month ago) got my A31p from ebay with exaclty the same problem. Sure enough, the auction description did not metion the issue.
Since I was not going to send it back anyway (it is always a problem to get something more or less expensive shipped to Canada due to custom issues), I decided to deal with it on myown. It turned out to be that the inverter card was not firmly connected. So, it was an easy fix for me and did not cost anything. The laptop is working great now.

That's my 2 cents.
Val
P.S. Still dealing with the seller. will see how it goes.

dsigma6 · #16 Post by **dsigma6** » Wed May 17, 2006 7:16 am

ever since it came back on, the screen has not acted abnormal. hopefully it was just a tease.

R40 from ebay received...but PROBLEM!!!

R40 from ebay received...but PROBLEM!!!

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