IBM T20 LCD problem

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11-15-2005, 04:04 PM
rowanberry

IBM T20 LCD problem

Hi

I have an IBM T20 laptop but the lcd has suddenly gone dark. If I hold the screen at an angle I can see that there is an image there, it just isnt lit up. I've tried connecting the laptop to an external monitor and it works fine. I've been trawling the net for solutions and so far have come up with either the inverter or the backlight have gone. Does anyone have any other thoughts on what might be wrong?

I can source an inverter on Ebay that doesnt cost much so wondered if this was worth a go in the first instance. I cant see backlights for sale anywhere so does that mean I'd need to replace the whole lcd display? I know this would be really expensive to get done for me so do people think it would be worth my while to try and source a second hand screen on Ebay or elsewhere and do it myself or would this be really complicated?

Thanks
11-17-2005, 09:58 PM
SkyDog

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowanberry

I have an IBM T20 laptop but the lcd has suddenly gone dark... I've been trawling the net for solutions and so far have come up with either the inverter or the backlight have gone. Does anyone have any other thoughts on what might be wrong?

It's almost certainly the inverter or backlight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowanberry

I can source an inverter on Ebay that doesnt cost much so wondered if this was worth a go in the first instance...

It's worth a shot if you can get one on the cheap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowanberry

I cant see backlights for sale anywhere so does that mean I'd need to replace the whole lcd display? I know this would be really expensive to get done for me so do people think it would be worth my while to try and source a second hand screen on Ebay or elsewhere and do it myself or would this be really complicated?

The backlight is part of the LCD assembly. If you somehow managed to find a replacement backlight, it's nearly impossible to replace just the backlight without mangling the rest of the LCD assembly.

It's definitely worth it to try and find a replacement screen on eBay. You can often find 'em there for hundreds less than a new one would cost and it's not terribly difficult to replace a ThinkPad LCD since IBM posts their Hardware Maintenance Manuals on the web. (The HMM for your ThinkPad T20 can be found HERE.) Just remember not to pry anything too hard and make note of which screws go where!
12-01-2005, 01:13 PM
DanLeb

I have a T20 for sale if you want

I have t20 for sale for 250+delivery cost, min has a connector to hard drive defect but LCD is in perfect condition.

for more information you can contact me here! :D
[email protected]
12-01-2005, 01:18 PM
Ashpool

Call this a stupid question, but did you try turning up the brightness (fn+home)?
12-06-2005, 10:50 AM
rowanberry

Tried that

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashpool

Call this a stupid question, but did you try turning up the brightness (fn+home)?

Yes, tried that and every other key combination I could think of in case it was just a accident that it had been dimmed or turned off in some way. It wasnt. I've got hold of an inverter and tried replacing that but it still doesnt work so it looks as though it is the backlight and I'll have to get a replacement screen. Thanks for everyone's help.
01-07-2006, 02:39 AM
Krusher_Krusher

did you ever get your screen backlight issue resolved?

Was wondering if you ever had any luck with your issue and did you get it fixed?

I am working on a t20 as well..
inverters showed up in the mail today and still nothing.
I tested the voltage output and was under 1 volt..
not sure why but I am not getting any high voltage
from the inverter..

any input is aprecated!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowanberry

Hi

I have an IBM T20 laptop but the lcd has suddenly gone dark. If I hold the screen at an angle I can see that there is an image there, it just isnt lit up. I've tried connecting the laptop to an external monitor and it works fine. I've been trawling the net for solutions and so far have come up with either the inverter or the backlight have gone. Does anyone have any other thoughts on what might be wrong?

I can source an inverter on Ebay that doesnt cost much so wondered if this was worth a go in the first instance. I cant see backlights for sale anywhere so does that mean I'd need to replace the whole lcd display? I know this would be really expensive to get done for me so do people think it would be worth my while to try and source a second hand screen on Ebay or elsewhere and do it myself or would this be really complicated?

Thanks
04-05-2006, 05:26 AM
consumerpi

I have the exact same problem.

Can see a dark image. Tried swapping out part # invc571b with a known good part (I'm assuming that this is the inverter). I also swapped LCD screens with a working unit and still nothing. Both "bad" parts work on the good unit. So, I'm assuming that there is something else that controls the LCD in the bad unit. Is there another power supply to the LCD?

Any ideas?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krusher_Krusher

Was wondering if you ever had any luck with your issue and did you get it fixed?

I am working on a t20 as well..
inverters showed up in the mail today and still nothing.
I tested the voltage output and was under 1 volt..
not sure why but I am not getting any high voltage
from the inverter..

any input is aprecated!!
05-12-2006, 02:06 PM
pmisch

Hi,
I had exactly the same problem with my TP 770x.
Changed the inverter: no permanent result - it worked some time,
then again blinking, and blackout.
-> Output to external monitor is ok.

Here my thoughts:
It must be a problem with the voltage - overheating?
So I disconnected everything: battery, AC adapter
and let them COOL down for 2 hours.
Dimmed the backlit.
Boot again - and voila: it works.

I booted into DOS and started the ThinkPad utility PS2.exe.
Here I set everything to DEFAULT - and LCD to "no timeout" =
ps2 LCD 00 ac.

This worked (for now), my TP 770 is up again.

So this seems to be a complex thermal problem
which envolves several parts of the Thinkpad :
AC adapter (external),
DCDC board (interal),
DCDC inverter (LCD).

Hope this helps for you too.
Yours Peter
(from Germany).
05-25-2006, 09:06 AM
tomismyname

T20 Thinkpad screen dim toggle fn + f7 brightens little

My t20 thinkpad started experiencing the same problem. Screen very dim. Would fade to total dark. I removed 3 screw covers and three phillips screws at bottom front of display. I then gently pryed the black plastic frame cover off. Now I turned on the display. It still showed dim. It also showed a spark arching from a pink wire at the bottom right side of the display to the metal frame that surrounds the display. This was to the right of a green rectangular board.

I simply cut a small piece of black electrical tape about one quarter inch long. I put the tape around the wire shielding it from the metal chassis. Closed it up and its good to go.
Hope your problem is the same. It took about an hour. I looked in the manual from ibm.com and they said to take everything out of the bottom of the laptop under the keyboard for starters, what a nightmare that would have been.
Thanks
From Tom