T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

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daal · #1 Post by **daal** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:18 am

Greetings,

Starting about two weeks ago, the screen on my 7 year old t41 has begun intermittently to go black. After searching the internet and this forum I came to the conclusion that the easiest, cheapest and most likely fix would be to replace the inverter. I bought one on ebay, and installed it this morning. Unfortunately, the problem persists, and now I would like to ask the forum members for some advice.

First of all, the symptoms:
When the screen goes black, I can still see a faint image.
Pressing Fn + F7 a few times will bring the turn the display back on.
I can connect the computer to an external monitor, and it works fine.
Although I hadn't noticed a reddish tint, when I compare it to the external monitor, it indeed appears a bit reddish.
As the days go by, the screen is failing more frequently.

So I'm wondering what to try next. I have seen entire lid assemblies for sale on ebay, and I've read that replacing the entire lid assembly is easier than replacing just the LCD or the backlight. My technical skills are limited, but I have managed to replace the keyboard as well as the said inverter. I guess I'd like to know what my chances are that this would definitely fix my problem, and also if it's worth the time and money.

As I said, the laptop is seven years old and aside from the keyboard, I've also had to replace the HD and of course the battery. If I go ahead and fix the screen, what are my expectations that some other part will need replacing in a few weeks or months? Of course this is all speculation, but do you think that a t41 has a much longer life expectancy than 7 years?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

#2 Post by **Harryc** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:54 am

The backlight is bad. Replace the lid assembly. Unknown about the laptop's longevity or parts needed.

#3 Post by **richk** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:06 am

If there isn't a GPU issue, and the machine still works for you, there is no reason that it won't continue to work. Are screens available locally? Any decent repair place is likely to have a screen around, because of the number of machines that had motherboards die. I have a few, but you would be better off finding one closer.

rookworm · #4 Post by **rookworm** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:17 pm

Usually, the simplest way to go is to replace the whole lid in one go. This has the advantage of allowing simultaneous resolution upgrades. an SXGA lid is $40-$50, maybe less.

daal · #5 Post by **daal** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:27 am

Thanks for your input.

If I buy a used lid on ebay (they go for between 20 and 40 Euros here) it seems it would make sense to get the newest lid possible, no? I mean, screens, backlights and inverters dying are a symptom of age, are they not? My question is: can I use a t43 screen/lid assembly, which was presumably built later, to replace the one on my t41? Are they 100% compatible? What if for example a t43 lid has a bluetooth antenna and my computer has no bluetooth card? Also, (and pardon my ignorance) if I get a screen with a different resolution such as rookworm suggested, will everything on the screen be smaller?

Thanks again.

#6 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:42 am

The t43 lid is compatible, and yes text and images would be smaller on a higher resolution LCD. Text can be adjusted to a larger size.

T400plus · #7 Post by **T400plus** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:06 am

can a sxga lcd be used with a vanilla T41 2374-7fu?.

I thought one requires a different graphics chip?
does it reuire a new display cable?
-------
t41-2374+7fu (32MB xga- ati ) 14 inch

#8 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:10 am

XGA and SXGA+ use different cable, but same inverter.
Any ATI T4x/R5x supports SXGA+

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:00 am

T400plus wrote:can a sxga lcd be used with a vanilla T41 2374-7fu?.

I thought one requires a different graphics chip?
does it reuire a new display cable?
-------
t41-2374+7fu (32MB xga- ati ) 14 inch

You're confusing the issue in this thread. So far we've been talking about replacing an entire LCD lid assembly, the implication being that it would come with the appropriate matching LCD cables and inverters. If we start talking about replacing just an LCD, then the game changes totally as RBS mentioned above.

pianowizard · #10 Post by **pianowizard** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:19 am

Neil is selling a 14.1" T4* XGA LCD assembly: http://67.214.227.38/~thinkpad/forum/vi ... 11&t=91021

Considering how light the lid is, the postage may not be that bad.

Neil · #11 Post by **Neil** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:43 am

Domestic postage is not bad at all for a lid assembly, but to Germany the postage would be two thirds, or more, of the total cost.

daal · #12 Post by **daal** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:03 am

Well, it took me a while to muster up the courage to try this, but yesterday a new screen assembly arrived (for 19 Euros on ebay) and today I installed it. I followed the instructions in the ibm Hardware Maintenance Manual pdf which can be found here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 46464.html

(starting on page 124) step for step and ... it went without a hitch.

The whole procedure took me about an hour and a half.

Thanks folks!

P.S. I will miss the 24 inch screen - but my wife is glad to have the TV back.

T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

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Re: T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

Re: T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

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Re: T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

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Re: T41 screen dying - replace screen or computer?

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