IBM Thinkpad 600E Backlight problem

[szabados]

HI Guys, (gals)

I have a 600E and it seems that the backlight has a bad connection.
I can cycle through the display options from the keyboard and as it
changes modes the lighting flashes on but quickly fades to black. It
looks like a loose connection but I have no idea what to do or where
to look for the answer.

IS this a common problem whith these machines? is it fixable? or Do
I have to replace it?

Any help would be apperciated.

[Rudders]

Hi,

This sounds more like a backlight invertor board problem. The invertor boards begin to fail showing these symptoms, then after a while, they fail completely. The LCD will still work ok, but it cannot be seen.
I am not too familiar with the 600E, but on other laptops, the boards are situated in a long thin strip of PCB within the screen housing, usually to one side.
Best and cheapest idea would be, to find a cracked screen to cannibalise to swap out the invertor, and if necessary, the Flourescent tube as well.

I hope that this helps.

Rudders

[Damned Angel]

another solution that I have recently found that works well sometimes is to clean the contact of the inverter. I came across a tech bulliten for a company that will remain nameless suggesting this action as the contacts will sometimes oxidize over time and cause a bad connection. Usually you can tell if this will help your problem by pressing the button on the notebook that shuts the screen off when you close the lid. If you can get it to go bright even for a second or two, cleaning will usually solve this problem. Just go to your local electronics store and pick up a bottle of contact cleaner. it shouldn't be more than about $10