Laptop backlight problem

chem_j

Hi,
I am having problems with (Ithink!) the backlight on my laptop. When I start it up, it comes on ok, but then the display starts to flicker and then goes dark (you can still see what is on the screen if you tilt it the right way in the light). Sometimes by closing and opening the lid, you can it back again.
Is it possible to fix it, or indeed is it worth doing? The laptop is a 2 year old Toshiba Satellite U300, so it's out of warranty. How would I go about fixing it myself, or am I better off taking it to someone to fix?
Thanks!

bazster

It might be the backlight, or it might be the inverter. Either way, paying someone to repair it is unlikely to be economic.

However, you can do it yourself if you are very determined. Start with the inverter, because it's a lot easier to replace than the backlight. You will first need to dismantle the lid (you can probably find instructions for your model somewhere on the web, if it's not obvious). The inverter is the small printed circuit board located behind the screen. You will need to get a replacement - when I did this, I got a second-hand one on eBay.

If a replacement inverter fixes it, great. If not, you will need to replace the backlight tube, which is much, much fiddlier. There is a guy who sells replacement tubes (quite cheaply) on eBay in all the common screen sizes.

When it arrives, you will discover that it is very, very fragile, so be careful! You will now need to further dismantle the lid to find the backlight tube at the bottom of the screen. You will find that it cannot be unplugged, the wire at each end will need to be cut, and the new tube very, very carefully soldered in place.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE HUGE VOLTAGES RUNNING AROUND INSIDE AN LCD PANEL, SO WHILST THE LID IS IN PIECES, CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN THAT THE MACHINE IS NOT PLUGGED IN AND THAT THE BATTERIES ARE REMOVED!

Good luck!

fwor

chem_j wrote: »

The laptop is a 2 year old Toshiba Satellite U300, so it's out of warranty.

If you fancy a fight, you could go back to the company that you bought it from and insist that they repair it for you as part of your rights under the Sale of Goods Act. I would certainly try that myself, as a backlight or inverter should not fail in 2 years of normal use.

bazster

fwor wrote: »

If you fancy a fight, you could go back to the company that you bought it from and insist that they repair it for you as part of your rights under the Sale of Goods Act. I would certainly try that myself, as a backlight or inverter should not fail in 2 years of normal use.

True. You'll have no chance if you've ripped the lid apart first!

chem_j

Thanks for that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fwor
If you fancy a fight, you could go back to the company that you bought it from and insist that they repair it for you as part of your rights under the Sale of Goods Act. I would certainly try that myself, as a backlight or inverter should not fail in 2 years of normal use.

Funnily enough, that's what my brother said. I'll hoke out the receipt tonight and give it a go. It was from PC World, so I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing.:)

bazster

chem_j wrote: »

It was from PC World, so I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing.:)

That is invariably a baaaaad thing!

fwor

bazster wrote: »

That is invariably a baaaaad thing!

Indeed, a very baaaaaad thing.

It may be worth familiarising yourself with the details of the SOGA in advance. There's a good guide here:

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

If they have their act together at PC Whirled (they almost certainly won't) then they may refer to the "reverse burden of proof" that means that you have to demonstrate non-conformity. You may have to get an expert opinion on that - an independent shop that deals with computer repairs would probably be good enough.