Backlight woes...but only when its chilly out.

[ricerocket]

Here's an interesting one.

My backlight won't light up when running on batteries when it's cold (sub 60 degrees). If I move it into my bedroom where its around 65, it'll light up just fine once its warmed up. Or, if I plug it in, it seems to get enough voltage to arc the CCFL.

I do have the beginning signs of a dying backlight (its very very slightly pink on startup, but it's no worse than a lot of other Thinkpads I've owned), and it's fine once it's been running for 10 seconds.

So, what should I replace? Seems like the inverter isn't putting out enough voltage...but then again, it could be the dying CCFL that requires more voltage to arc?

[Harryc]

My guess is the CCFL because of the red/pink condition. It needs replacement anyway, so you've nothing to lose in replacing it. In fact I'd get an inverter too just because they are cheap. If you don't want to do it yourself, check out this service -

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=48458