Laptop inverter or backlight please ?

[T i m]

Hi All,

I have just been given a Dell Inspiron laptop that has a faulty
display.

When turned on you see the Dell BIOS at half brightness and mainly on
but flashing off and then you see the XP splash screen that then
flashes off more often about till the desktop loads (when the screen
randomly goes bright / dark (as sometimes actually looks ok for a few
secs).

After a couple of mins the screen goes completely dark but images can
still be made out with a bright light.

On the odd moments when screen goes 'normal' it looks like it is lit
from both sides but where one side is brighter than the other (if that
makes sense)?

So, from the above could anyone guess if it's *likely* to be the
inverter or the backlight(s) (the video is ok to an external monitor)
or anything else please (and / or is this a common fault on this
model).

All the best .. and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (UK)

 

[Jumpster Jiver]

Hi All,

I have just been given a Dell Inspiron laptop that has a faulty
display.

When turned on you see the Dell BIOS at half brightness and mainly on
but flashing off and then you see the XP splash screen that then
flashes off more often about till the desktop loads (when the screen
randomly goes bright / dark (as sometimes actually looks ok for a few
secs).

After a couple of mins the screen goes completely dark but images can
still be made out with a bright light.

On the odd moments when screen goes 'normal' it looks like it is lit
from both sides but where one side is brighter than the other (if that
makes sense)?

So, from the above could anyone guess if it's *likely* to be the
inverter or the backlight(s) (the video is ok to an external monitor)
or anything else please (and / or is this a common fault on this
model).

All the best .. and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (UK)

There are several Inspiron models... But....

It sounds like there may be one inverter circuit and two backlight
bulbs. The side that is not as bright when it works probably is the
defective bulb, but it would be best to replace both, since they are
likely to be the same age with the same amount of usage.

If that doesn't solve the problem, the inverter might also be defective.
Replace it and you're all set.

 

[James Sweet]

Hi All,

I have just been given a Dell Inspiron laptop that has a faulty
display.

When turned on you see the Dell BIOS at half brightness and mainly on
but flashing off and then you see the XP splash screen that then
flashes off more often about till the desktop loads (when the screen
randomly goes bright / dark (as sometimes actually looks ok for a few
secs).

After a couple of mins the screen goes completely dark but images can
still be made out with a bright light.

On the odd moments when screen goes 'normal' it looks like it is lit
from both sides but where one side is brighter than the other (if that
makes sense)?

So, from the above could anyone guess if it's *likely* to be the
inverter or the backlight(s) (the video is ok to an external monitor)
or anything else please (and / or is this a common fault on this
model).

All the best .. and thanks for your time in any case ..

T i m (UK)

It's probably one of the lamps, but it may also be the inverter. Get
some new lamps, and wire them up to the inverter and see if it works, if
it does then take the trouble to install them in the display.

 

[T i m]

There are several Inspiron models... But....

Ah, sorry Jumpster .. 8100 ..

It sounds like there may be one inverter circuit and two backlight
bulbs. The side that is not as bright when it works probably is the
defective bulb, but it would be best to replace both, since they are
likely to be the same age with the same amount of usage.

Ok, makes sense ... and would you say it was worth a go on something
of this spec / age (assuming everything else is ok)?

If that doesn't solve the problem, the inverter might also be defective.
Replace it and you're all set.

Sounds easy .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

 

[T i m]

It's probably one of the lamps, but it may also be the inverter. Get
some new lamps, and wire them up to the inverter and see if it works, if
it does then take the trouble to install them in the display.

Ok, thanks for that.

Is there a generally accepted 'good place' to get such in the UK would
you know please?

All the best ..

T i m

 

[James Sweet]

Ok, thanks for that.

Is there a generally accepted 'good place' to get such in the UK would
you know please?

All the best ..

T i m

I have no idea about UK, but just about anyplace that sells them should
be willing to ship them there, they aren't heavy at all.

 

[T i m]

I have no idea about UK, but just about anyplace that sells them should
be willing to ship them there, they aren't heavy at all.

Ah, ok, thanks.

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I generally find *even* with the shipping / duty costs we (in the
UK) can often get stuff much cheaper elsewhere. I saved 15 gbp by
buying a USB ethernet dongle from Australia!

 

[Dave D]

Ah, ok, thanks.

All the best ..

T i m

There was one UK company I found who specialised in laptop repair, and
offered to either install the backlights for you or send them out for a DIY
job.

Great, or so I thought, then I discovered they wanted about 100 quid for the
lamps alone! Complete ripoff merchants IMO. These lamps cost pennies to
make.

Dave

 

[James Sweet]

There was one UK company I found who specialised in laptop repair, and
offered to either install the backlights for you or send them out for a DIY
job.

Great, or so I thought, then I discovered they wanted about 100 quid for the
lamps alone! Complete ripoff merchants IMO. These lamps cost pennies to
make.

Dave

Well not pennies, but not very much either. Most of the lamps run
$10-$20 each, GBP100 is ridiculous.

 

[Arfa Daily]

Well not pennies, but not very much either. Most of the lamps run $10-$20
each, GBP100 is ridiculous.

Have you tried anywhere that does laptop repairs ? Friend of mine does, and
quite a few get scrapped for insurance claims - liquid spillage in them
etc - so he usually has some lying around.

Where possible, he rescues the displays complete, to use to repair ones that
come in with their displays broken, but he still has ones laying about where
the display is damaged, but the lamps are ok. Got to be worth a look in
yellow pages, and a few phone calls ...

Arfa