Dell C800 inverter

[plp]

I was hoping that someone could help me to find a lcd inverter for my Dell C800 laptop. I can't access the actual Dell part number, as the inverter has a soldered metal casing on it. The sticker on the back has the following 3 codes:
67301900
J121005.00
0105067-3a
There is a sticker on the back of the lcd:
Hitachi TX38D99VC1CAA
Sxga+ JP-0007KN Rev. A))
The screen flickers then goes dim, so I am assuming that it is indeed the inverter that is faulty.
Would greatly appreciate help with this as my laptop is not portable anymore with an external monitor attached. I have jpegs of inverter and assembly.
Thanks in advance

[Platypus]

These people may help:

http://www.247laptoplcd.com/laptopinverterrepair.htm

[plp]

These people may help:

http://www.247laptoplcd.com/laptopinverterrepair.htm

Thanks for that. Had already contacted them...a bit pricey.
Would really like to find the Dell part #.

[jza734]

The part number for your lcd is 007kn. Unfortunetly the majority of lcd and laptop parts dist. usually just stock the parts as one assembly. Part number identification for dells is a real b**ch as you've probably noticed. I got a few of these lcd's in my parts closet at work, i'll take a look and see if they actually put the part # on the inverter.

L8r

[plp]

Thanks for checking...lcd is Sxga+ TX38D99VC1CAA

[jza734]

Thanks for checking...lcd is Sxga+ TX38D99VC1CAA
isn't that the hitachi #?

[plp]

Yes, that is the Hitachi # on the back of the lcd....have listed the inverter #'s in my previous thread...this inverter is going to be a devil to locate

[jza734]

Yes, that is the Hitachi # on the back of the lcd....have listed the inverter #'s in my previous thread...this inverter is going to be a devil to locate
The problem is dell doesn't put part #'s for inverters, methinks.
I've taken those numbers, run them through every database, web search, dell part # tools i have, no joy. Look over at bay-wolf.com for some part list rundowns. The closest one they have to your machine is the inferion 8100. Which does share some lcd's with the other c8xx and i 8xxx models..

Ain't giving up yet..

[cmsppl]

Yes, that is the Hitachi # on the back of the lcd....have listed the inverter #'s in my previous thread...this inverter is going to be a devil to locate


I have the exact same computer as you, and exact same hitachi monitor, and have the exact same problem. It turns on for a bit, then turns off. and LCD is fine.

I am thinking it is either backlight or the inverter.

The inverter is indeed put together with the metal plate, but the part number is visible if you remove the power cable on the right.
It is PH-BLC91

You can type that in google, and it'll return one site that sells that part.

I want to purchase one for cheap. Some people around the forum said that that place was expensive.

Please let me know if you have a luck with the problem.

my e-mail is cmsppl@hotmail.com

[Damned Angel]

try depressing the lcd sensor switch. if when you release it the lcd backlight comes on, even for a second, it may just be dirty contacts on the inverter. Get some contact cleaner and hose the ends down with it. let it dry and put it back together. A manufacturer that I repair notebooks for which will remain nameless has a tech bulliten on this problem.

[plp]

try depressing the lcd sensor switch. if when you release it the lcd backlight comes on, even for a second, it may just be dirty contacts on the inverter. Get some contact cleaner and hose the ends down with it. let it dry and put it back together. A manufacturer that I repair notebooks for which will remain nameless has a tech bulliten on this problem.

Thanks everyone for your help. Bliss computers wants $60 for an inverter. I have tried cleaning the contacts to no avail. By lcd sensor switch, do you mean the power button? Also, I have noticed a blurry "patch" on either bottom corner if/when the lcd comes on. Not really wanting to spend $60 plus S & H etc on a chance if you get my drift.

[Damned Angel]

the lcd sensor switch is what turns the display off when you close the lcd.

check the voltage on the lcd side of the inverter. If it dosn't register a couple hundred volts its bad.

[cmsppl]

Thanks everyone for your help. Bliss computers wants $60 for an inverter. I have tried cleaning the contacts to no avail. By lcd sensor switch, do you mean the power button? Also, I have noticed a blurry "patch" on either bottom corner if/when the lcd comes on. Not really wanting to spend $60 plus S & H etc on a chance if you get my drift.

found a solution for ya...
it's the graphics card... even though external one works...
video's abilitity deliver correct amount of power to lcd is diminished, or damanged due to horrible design from dell.
change the graphics card, and it'll work

[l33tf00]

Hey plp - have the same lcd display, and almost same inverter (last of 3 numbers you posted is different on mine). Screen also flickers then goes dim.

I looked under the metal casing as best I could and found "CK66 94V-0", and searching for that brings up an inverter manufactured by *****. Mine looks like "L-shaped" top one on this page:

http://www.*****micro.com/micro/NotebookBacklightInverter.htm

Their a Taiwanese OEM so they aren't gonna sell to us, and I couldn't find anything better than your $60. It looks like they're your best bet, if the inverter is the problem, which leads me to:

What symptom accompanies failure of the:

1. backlight
2. inverter
3. graphics card power supply (re: cmsppl)

What I could gather from reading tons of threads is:

1. backlight - becomes dimmer, yellowish, and finally does not light
2. inverter - flicker, red light and lamp cuts out after short period
3. graphics card - ?

Somebody with more info correct me.

Thanks

[plp]

Hey plp - have the same lcd display, and almost same inverter (last of 3 numbers you posted is different on mine). Screen also flickers then goes dim.

I looked under the metal casing as best I could and found "CK66 94V-0", and searching for that brings up an inverter manufactured by *****. Mine looks like "L-shaped" top one on this page:

http://www.*****micro.com/micro/NotebookBacklightInverter.htm

Their a Taiwanese OEM so they aren't gonna sell to us, and I couldn't find anything better than your $60. It looks like they're your best bet, if the inverter is the problem, which leads me to:

What symptom accompanies failure of the:

1. backlight
2. inverter
3. graphics card power supply (re: cmsppl)

What I could gather from reading tons of threads is:

1. backlight - becomes dimmer, yellowish, and finally does not light
2. inverter - flicker, red light and lamp cuts out after short period
3. graphics card - ?

Somebody with more info correct me.

Thanks

now you guys are really confusing me....now I should forget the inverter and upgrade my graphic card?...too what?...perhaps that would help...

[l33tf00]

Yeah, agreed... how do we figure out what really is our problem? I don't know much about lcd displays, except what I get from reading forums.

cmsppl: where'd you find out that it was the graphics card that would cause this failure?

[cmsppl]

now you guys are really confusing me....now I should forget the inverter and upgrade my graphic card?...too what?...perhaps that would help...

Symtoms of graphics card failure...
is that sometimes lcd will show random black and white random lines, and blocks. Also, it will work in the beginning, but the backlight will eventually shut off, but the data on lcd is still readable if you shine light on it.

I had geforce2 and it had symptoms, and i bought a geforce 4 which is hell better off ebay and it works beautifully.

[jza734]

where in canada do u live plp?

I work for a dell-oriented dell laptop sales/service shop, amongst other things.
I fix dell's all day long, and own two c8xx series laptops.

The point is that your situation isn't easily defined, it sounds like. I don't claim to be able to pinpoint these problems 100% of the time, but i do have spare parts out the a@@. W/o "known good" spares, fixing laptops is not fun (if u ask me).

Anyways, we're pretty close to windsor ontario. It sounds like 1 hour of labor @ $60 + a part. I also offer mail in service.

lastly, i would be willing to send u a good ati mobility card, the plain one that comes with the c800 free of charge. Video cards i got, spare inverters no...

[plp]

jza734....Thanks for the offer, that is most kind of you. If you send me an e-mail, I will give you the mailing address. I am in Hamilton, Ontario.
kandppink@mountaincable.net

[tommo666]

Is your bios the latest release??

When "They" use newer LCDs or later revisions in a Laptop as replacement ie fixed undr warranty. They will include a bios upgrade cd. Because the newer screens require different voltages etc and these are wriiten into bios. Plus they correct any earlier errors found.

It might make a difference..

[plp]

Thanks Tommo666...I have recently upgraded the bios in hopes that it would help...I didn't...same problem as I have been having for the last year...will have to resolve myself to the fact that I have a laptop/destop combo...aka...gloried paperweight...

[247laptoplcd]

You can read more about possible reasons for
Dim, Dark, Black , LCD Screen.
http://www.247laptoplcd.com/Laptop-lcd-repair-laptop-screen-repair.htm


Dim screen could be because of Bad Inverter, Bad CCFL, Bad Toggle Switch, Bad Inverter Cable, Bad Motherboard, Of heat related problem. Buying New Screen or Inverter wont solve problem. If you dont have proper dignossis of problem.

[puckogre]

We have over 60 of the inspiron 8100 and latitude c840's that my lan division maintains. The LCD problem is rampant in those lines - main symptoms is a rose washout of the lcd until it finally is dark enough to not display video. The root cause of this is the lack of an LCD door button. These put the laptop in power save when the lid is partially closed. Since these laptops don't have the switch, some users will partially close theirs and the heat off the keyboard (videocard is centered under the keyboard and the processor is offset slightly to the right) eventually "bakes" the LCD. Luckily all of ours are still under warranty so far, but we've got about a 15-18% failure rate on these screens (when you have over 60, thats a lot of tech calls to Dell) - seems we always have 2 or 3 waiting on a service call for screen replacement. Just about every time (1 exception - the video card was actually the fault, but symptoms were diff) replacing the LCD fixed the prob. I am uncertain if the inverter is connected on the back of the LCD or not. Sorry :P

Just as a side note, we've had about a 10% failure rate in the IBM travesltar drives on these as well. some DOA.

[motika]

We have over 60 of the inspiron 8100 and latitude c840's that my lan division maintains. The LCD problem is rampant in those lines - main symptoms is a rose washout of the lcd until it finally is dark enough to not display video. The root cause of this is the lack of an LCD door button. These put the laptop in power save when the lid is partially closed. Since these laptops don't have the switch, some users will partially close theirs and the heat off the keyboard (videocard is centered under the keyboard and the processor is offset slightly to the right) eventually "bakes" the LCD. Luckily all of ours are still under warranty so far, but we've got about a 15-18% failure rate on these screens (when you have over 60, thats a lot of tech calls to Dell) - seems we always have 2 or 3 waiting on a service call for screen replacement. Just about every time (1 exception - the video card was actually the fault, but symptoms were diff) replacing the LCD fixed the prob. I am uncertain if the inverter is connected on the back of the LCD or not. Sorry :P

Just as a side note, we've had about a 10% failure rate in the IBM travesltar drives on these as well. some DOA.

I have a Dell Inspiron 8100 15" SGXA+ with this same problem, with the Hitachi TX38D99VC1CAA I believe. First red on startup, now dark. I can see the pixels under a bright light, and even use it with a big font and decent overhead light, but it's annoying.

I replaced the inverter from Ebay with a samsung one. It did not fix it, though it flickers on more than it used to. I suspect the backlight CCFL. I recommend looking on ebay if you need an inverter. Mine was $40. Since I have not replaced the light to find out what was wrong, I may end up with an extra, working inverter I could sell someone for about that. The inverter is behind the screen.

A link for the related 15" IBM SGXA+ screen is:
http://www.cmo.com.tw/files/20030305151029ITSX95.pdf

Here's a parts diagram:
http://www.laptopsolutions.plc.uk/dell%E2%84%A2_inspiron%E2%84%A2_8100_parts_diagram me.htm

Related link on backlights:
http://laptops.home.att.net/lcd-repair.htm

Anyone know the CCFL size and replacement method? The guys above look good. I'll ask them.

Egad. 10% Failure on the drives? I'll back up my data pronto.

Thanks,
Tim
http://www.peermetrics.org/main/user/motika.html

[plp]

http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif
Thanks for your help. Am in the UK at the moment, have my laptop here. got frustrated and bought a new one. (Not a Dell). Think I will flog the Dell on ebay for parts.

[bohumir]

I have Dell Inspiron 8100
LCD Hitachi TX38D99VC1CAA (Dell part number JP-0007KN)
inverter: PH-BLC91
(http://www.msstate.edu/~bj48/inverter/top.jpg
(http://www2.msstate.edu/~bj48/inverter/top_detail.jpg)
(inverter is on the back of LCD, you can see its part number if you remove power cable from inverter desk)

I had exactly the same problem as puckgore mentioned:
first rose washout of the LCD,
then flickering for a short time,
followed by a black screen
- letters are still there, visible in the strong light
- external monitor works fine

Note: Be careful when dissassembling LCD panel (when trying to get the backlight out), there is a tiny wiring on the side, I tore it!

I bought a new LCD panel from ebay, with backlight (hopefully good). But I used my old inverter. New panel with backlight did not solve my problem! Screen sometime flashes shortly when turned on, but than it is black again, with barely visible letters. So it may be inverter.

Thus I am trying to get a new inverter. http://www.247laptoplcd.com/ website has it, but it's expansive, so I am trying to get it from e-bay.

BTW: IBM Travelstar hard drive in my laptop failed too!

[Varjeal]

I'm a bit confused by the possibilities.

A few months ago the screen on my laptop went on the fritz. It's a 15" screen.

What happens is that on start up the screen would come on for the Bios, then to flash for a few seconds on the opening XP screen, then suddenly go really dark and stay that way.

The odd day, such as now for example, the screen seems to work perfectly fine (and the external monitor seems to work always). Most days recently though, it has shown no signs of recovery, so I'm sort of hopeful after finding this site.

It has a 32mb Video card, ATI, and from the comments I've read so far it seems to be the inverter. I'm afraid I'm not a whole lot of a techy...I don't mind ripping a PC apart but I'm a little unnerved since I've never seen the insides of a laptop. I also hope this post is in the right place but it seems to go along with the topic.

What steps to go I through to determine the problem? Do I need to remove the trim around the screen? I have ventured as far as that to check the little cable in the bottom right corner, and it seems secure. I've also gone as far as vaccuming and sucking out as much of the cat hair (the comp was given to me by my bro who loves cats, I personally hate them) as possible. I would like the advice of someone with some experience before I attempt to delve further, especially since this is my work computer, but is almost useless since I cannot take it with me on my job.

Another question pops into my mind...are there different types of inverters for the same model?...and how do I determine that?

I'll have a more in-depth read through this thread again, but the poor or damaged inverter definitely sounds plausible.

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[NooNoo]

Welcome to Windrivers Varjeal. The problem is that more than one component can be causing this problem...swapping out bits on a laptop is time consuming and expensive on parts so it really does come down to how much money and time you are willing to spend on it.

[Varjeal]

Time isn't a problem, but if it becomes more costly than replacing it, I'll just sell it for parts, at this point my main focus on soley on deciphering what the problem is. Once I've found the source then I'll decide whether or not repair or replacement will be necessary. But yeah, I fully understand what you mean.

[NooNoo]

in this thread there is a link to a useful faq, I hesitate to recommend it, because they are in business to sell parts, but as faqs go its very informative.

[bohumir]

> Thus I am trying to get a new inverter. http://www.247laptoplcd.com/ website > has it, but it's expansive, so I am trying to get it from e-bay.
>
I got PH-BLC103 ($75) from www.247laptoplcd.com, but I wanted PH-BLC91. I did not agreee on getting PH-BLC103, they just sent it. PH-BLC103 from them did not solve my problem. I am going to return it, I will see whether I will get some refund...

PH-BLC103 from www.247laptoplcd.com came in a box that was too big for such a small part. There was some padding material in the box, but it did not fill the box fully. Part did not look good (definitely not like a new one), it seemed like someone was brushing metal shield with a send paper. Also, metal shield on the part was strongly bended. Some demage might have been done by USPS, may be... I payed by "paypal", now I regret it. Their website (www.247laptoplcd.com) had an option to download the MS Office credit card payment form and mail it to them, but I was in a hurry...

If I get some refund, I may send them display for repair, but if not, I will try other company (I saw something in Florida and something in England). The company from England seems to accept also display separately, so I don't have to send the wole laptop.

NOTE: 247 website had some little note somewhere that if the part is demaged on delivery, I have to reply by e-mail within 3 days, otherwise they can not do anything because USPS can not deal with the complain later. I am late, much more than 3 days passed already:(

[bohumir]

It was backlight, $20.00 fix!!!
I followed the detailed instructions (with images) from Jason:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,11099028

(you can get there by typying "ph-blc91" in google and clicking on dslreports.com website).
-Bohumir