Replacing Backlight in Thinkpad 701C

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hjanzen · #1 Post by **hjanzen** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:38 am

I have ordered a broken replacement screen with a working Backlight for my 701C.( see my earlier post on this matter on August 17th)

Has anyone ever exchanged the backlight in this particular type of laptop and is willing to share his experiences with me?

Is it f.i. necessary to indeed separate the LCD from the laptop, as it is suggested in the sequence of removals in the HMM ?
Thanks.

DarkMark · #2 Post by **DarkMark** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:23 pm

I haven't replaced a backlite on a 701C, but I have got one taken to pieces at home, so I could look what exactly has to go of to get at the screen, if you can wait till tomorrow.
As far as I can remember, you should be able to get the screen out without taking the the whole assembly of the base.

hjanzen · #3 Post by **hjanzen** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:21 pm

Thank you DarkMark for your reply.
Sure I can wait till tomorrow since it will take at least 10 days before I will receive the screen from Singapore, and secondly because this afternoon I found an interesting old (2004) post regarding the matter of my rolling screen here:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... light=701c

So first thing tomorrow I 'll open the laptop, remove the keyboard and check the display cable.
I hope to be as lucky as the 2004 poster.

DarkMark · #4 Post by **DarkMark** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:36 pm

No Problem.

Just out of interest, where did get a Torx T1 from?

I've been looking all over europe for a 'fair' priced one, but so far no result.

hjanzen · #5 Post by **hjanzen** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:42 am

I wish I had one, but I can help myself with a very small screwdriver from a watchmakers set.
I provisionally gave it a try and all the 4 screws on the front side came loose.
For the larger screws I have a set of torx drivers that I got very cheap in UK on Ebay.
I can give you the link if you wish.

DarkMark · #6 Post by **DarkMark** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:59 am

OK, i just looked at the 701's and realised that to get the screen of, you really do have to take the whole assembly of, because the inverter for the backlight sits in the case, which is where the cable from the screen goes to. You can get at this if you take of the back cover behind the keyboard, but since your probably going to take it appart to get at the video cable it doesn't matter anyway.

Thanks for the tip with the watchmakers screwdriver. I failed at making such small screwdriver myself as it did work with the T6 screws.

Robbyrobot · #7 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:15 am

Just out of interest, where did get a Torx T1 from?
I've been looking all over europe for a 'fair' priced one, but so far no result.

Torx T1

I'm only familiar with the "TX" designations and have a bit set with sizes down to TX5, which is very small indeed. If you're really talking about a TX1, where would such a tiny screw be used?

hjanzen · #8 Post by **hjanzen** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:16 am

To-day's excercise did not help at all.
The screen is still rolling.
Thanks for your info; it will help when the new screen arrives.

The Torx #1 is needed for the 4 front screws , size M 1.0 !! (one mm)

It is very difficult to find.
I know someone in US who sells a set, #1 and #6, both needed for the TP 701C, but price + shipment is a bit high..

Robbyrobot · #9 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:04 am

The Torx #1 is needed for the 4 front screws , size M 1.0 !! (one mm)

In that case, do I understand correctly that these are screws that hold the LCD panel together? I'm not familiar with the 701c, and was assuming you were talking about screws used to assemble the display.

hjanzen · #10 Post by **hjanzen** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:59 pm

The 4 tiny M1 screws secure the frontside of the keyboard to the bottom half of the laptop

DarkMark · #11 Post by **DarkMark** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:18 pm

hjanzen wrote: I know someone in US who sells a set, #1 and #6, both needed for the TP 701C, but price + shipment is a bit high..

Yes I've seen that allready, but its just to expensive imo.

hjanzen wrote:4 tiny M1 screws

Very tiny indeed, I actually drilled them out on my 701C (sounds brutal and was, but it had a very battered base anyway.) and might replace them with standard head srews I still have left from when I built a 1:87 scale RC-Truck.

hjanzen · #12 Post by **hjanzen** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:42 am

@DarkMark

You have PM mail

Robbyrobot · #13 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:18 am

The 4 tiny M1 screws secure the frontside of the keyboard to the bottom half of the laptop

Just got the HMM for the 701C and took a look at it to see what this is all about... and quite frankly, I am now wondering what makes the 701C good enough to bother with such a hassle? And who designed such a service-unfriendly computer? The list of exotic screws used to put the 701C together (Page 161 of the HMM) is enough to give anyone gray hair... all I can do is wish you luck!

hjanzen · #14 Post by **hjanzen** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:03 am

@RobbyRobot
Well, in a way you are right, but on the other hand it is a challence to keep this ingenious thing (almost a museum piece) going, be it slow as it may seem in the eyes of others, and apart from the 4 pcs T1 screws, the other screws are no problem s whatsoever.

DarkMark · #15 Post by **DarkMark** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:05 pm

Well, like hjanzen wrote, it is just such an ingenious piece of equipment. I really like the design and idea behind this thing. Imho a work of art, even featured in the New York museum of modern art.

hjanzen · #16 Post by **hjanzen** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:56 am

Thanks for your support BlackMark!
You are absolutely right.
PM is on its way

Replacing Backlight in Thinkpad 701C

Replacing Backlight in Thinkpad 701C

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