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iMac G4 backlight gone - how much for repair?

S

sigamy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 7, 2003
1,401
187
NJ USA
Looks like my iMac G4's LCD backlight has gone. It was having problems a while back after going to sleep. I just rebooted it today and now the LCD will not light up. From what I've read it could be the backlight.

Any idea on how much to fix this?
 
well, first, I'd take a flashlight and shine it through the back of the screen and see if you see anything; just to make sure it's just the backlight and not the whole screen.

as for how much it'll cost, I wish I could say, but I doubt it will be cheap. :cool:
 
I can't tell you what it would be for an iMac, but I have a 17" cinema display (from four years ago) that had the upper backlight bulb burn out three years ago (we're talking two months after my warranty was up) and the Genius Bar said it would be about $600 to get it fixed due to it being out of warranty. At that time (and even now) it was about the same to buy a new display, so I have just been using the slightly dim display instead.

I don't know much about the iMac G4s, does that have a DVI port or anything on it? If the screen is completely dead and the computer is out of warranty, I'd say buying a new display would be your cheapest (although obviously not prettiest) option.
 
pbelmore said:
I don't know much about the iMac G4s, does that have a DVI port or anything on it? If the screen is completely dead and the computer is out of warranty, I'd say buying a new display would be your cheapest (although obviously not prettiest) option.
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The iMac has a VGA port, I have seen people take the screen off, it makes for a cool looking computer. The screen is pretty spendy. What did the screen look like when it woke up from sleep? mine scrambles when it wakes up or changes res.
 
It's a 17" iMac G4. The screen is now almost completely black. I put a lamp behind it and was able to navigate around to Prefs to play with brightness and resolutions in the hope that some how that would kick the backlight back on but no luck.

Also, when I put it to sleep the light is yellow. I haven't put it to sleep in months because that is how I first noticed this issue, but I'm pretty sure the sleep light was white before.

$600 is CRAZY. In mint condition this iMac is maybe worth $600 total.
 
Dim sleep light and no backlight? Almost makes it sound like there's a problem with enough power reaching the top of the "neck."

How is the mic? I think the mic is in the screen, and I think it's amplified and would thus rely on power too.
 
sigamy said:
Also, when I put it to sleep the light is yellow. I haven't put it to sleep in months because that is how I first noticed this issue, but I'm pretty sure the sleep light was white before.
Click to expand...

I can't find anything about a yellow power light (according to this article, it's never supposed to be yellow), so I agree with nagromme; I don't think it's just the display.

Do you have an Apple Store nearby? They won't be able to fix it without charging you, but they'll try their best to tell you what's wrong with it and give you an estimate on fixing it.
 
sigamy said:
Looks like my iMac G4's LCD backlight has gone. It was having problems a while back after going to sleep. I just rebooted it today and now the LCD will not light up. From what I've read it could be the backlight.

Any idea on how much to fix this?
Click to expand...

you'd be better off just buying another monitor. I believe the iMac has a mini-VGA port, right? One of these and you can prolly hook up just about any monitor you want.
 
I assume by yellow, you mean a pale yellow? I've seen this before with another 17" iMac which spent its entire life sitting next to a window. The case plastics fade slightly and cause the light to appear pale yellow. Nothing to worry about, purely cosmetic.

The backlight is a different issue however...:(
 
Backlights on LCD screens are just little skinny flurecent bulbs.. most screens have two.. one for the top, one for the bottom.

The most popular cause of failure of a backlight is a dead or dying high voltage board that powers those bulbs.. altho occasionally, the bulb itself will die.. but not often.

If you're a happy hacker modder type, it can be fixed pretty easy and inexpensively.. just buy a iMac with a cracked screen and a good backlight and swap HV boards, then resell broke iMac on eBay, and you'll likely have made the repair for FREE, or possibly MAKE money on the deal.
 
imac display lights out on top

Hi wondering if any one has repaired this fault and wondering what the cost is ? really bad they should fix it for free!!
 
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