Black Macbook Screen Occasionally Going Black

[Inquisitor217]

Hi,

I have a black macbook that I got in Dec 2007. While I am using it, the screen will randomly going completely black and I have to move towards being closed until the screen works again. I think it is a short in the screen but I am not sure.

I was hoping someone else has had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it. I was also thinking about taking it into Apple or an Apple reseller to get it looked at but I am not sure how expensive it would be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[dvince2]

I had something really similar to this on my white macbook. It's screen would flicker on and off.
At first they thought it was the screen inverter (actually, the first three times they did...).
It ended up being the screen itself. I brought it in to an authorized service provider (the nearest Apple store is 2 hours from me), and they were able to replace it under apple care.

 

[dvince2]

PS...
one thing they did test was to see if it was the screen and/or inverter, or the actual logic board, was by plugging it into an external monitor. If the external goes black too... then its something more serious (like the logic board).

one more thing...
If it doesnt have warrenty and needs a new screen, it can be quite expensive. HP wanted $400 to replace my girlfriends lcd when it cracked on her notebook. If you're already out of warrenty, and feel confident with opening your laptop, I would almost recomend ordering a new screen in and replacing it yourself. I did this with my gfs, and the screen only cost $120.

 

[J&JPolangin]

Hi,

I have a black macbook that I got in Dec 2007. While I am using it, the screen will randomly going completely black and I have to move towards being closed until the screen works again. I think it is a short in the screen but I am not sure.

I was hoping someone else has had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it. I was also thinking about taking it into Apple or an Apple reseller to get it looked at but I am not sure how expensive it would be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

...do you have applecare on it?

 

[Illicit]

Hi,

I have a black macbook that I got in Dec 2007. While I am using it, the screen will randomly going completely black and I have to move towards being closed until the screen works again. I think it is a short in the screen but I am not sure.

I was hoping someone else has had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it. I was also thinking about taking it into Apple or an Apple reseller to get it looked at but I am not sure how expensive it would be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

You sure it's just not the display turning itself off to conserve power?
System Preferences -> Energy Saving

 

[war eagle]

You haven't dropped it or anything have you?

 

[NeGRit0]

Hi,

I have a black macbook that I got in Dec 2007. While I am using it, the screen will randomly going completely black and I have to move towards being closed until the screen works again. I think it is a short in the screen but I am not sure.

I was hoping someone else has had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it. I was also thinking about taking it into Apple or an Apple reseller to get it looked at but I am not sure how expensive it would be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

I thought i was the only one, and I can not get it to happen when i am at or near an Store. Sometimes it just flickers, and sometimes it goes black (the backlight cuts off) then i have to turn the brightness all the way down, and then all the way back up.

Quick question: Does it hurt the Mac in anyway to have the brightness always turned all the way up?

 

[Inquisitor217]

Sorry for the slow reply:

Here are the answers to the questions.

Sadly I do not have Applecare on it. It has not been dropped and it appears to be just the screen because when attached to an external monitor only the macbook screen goes black. So I think it is a short in the screen somewhere.

 

[NeGRit0]

Sorry for the slow reply:

Here are the answers to the questions.

Sadly I do not have Applecare on it. It has not been dropped and it appears to be just the screen because when attached to an external monitor only the macbook screen goes black. So I think it is a short in the screen somewhere.

Mine is the same, but i have applecare.

 

[swingauto]

Hi,

I have a black macbook that I got in Dec 2007. While I am using it, the screen will randomly going completely black and I have to move towards being closed until the screen works again. I think it is a short in the screen but I am not sure.

I was hoping someone else has had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it. I was also thinking about taking it into Apple or an Apple reseller to get it looked at but I am not sure how expensive it would be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

I'm in the same situation. Also got mine (white macbook) in Dec 2007.
My screen goes black/blank unless it is at a 90 degree angle.

the problem might be the inverter cable, as per:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Wiki/MacBook_Troubleshooting#Section_Backlight

I'm thinking of replacing the inverter cable myself, but wanted to see if anyone here have the same problem and have done so here.

 

[l.a.rossmann]

It is more likely the logic board itself than the inverter cable, as the logic board supplies power to the inverter board.

I would guess it is a loose component on the inverter board. There is some sort of wirewound inductor/resistor(I can't recall) that sticks out on the inverter board of the macbook model, and it is poorly soldered to the board in many cases. Resoldering this joint often fixes the intermittent connection.

For the average person, I'd suggest buying a new inverter board for $5 rather than a good soldering iron & micro tip for $90 when it'll take months of practice to work on small stuff properly anyway.

If the LCD has been replaced before, it is possibly a botch job where the inverter cable going to the LCD has been stuck by a piece of plastic and is hanging by a strand. I have seen this before. People are happy when a bit of splicing and heatshrink saves them the cost of a new part. This is the most common issue when the LCD backlight goes on and off, next to the inverter board having an intermittently connected component on it.

 

[lieb39]

Howdy All-

basically the exact same issue here, except my screen backlight was turning off when i angled my screen more than 90 degrees - and a few days ago, it stopped working completely.

So if I'm reading this right, it's most likely the inverter cable? If that's the case, how can I get a new one? Or do I just need to pop open my macbook and fix it up?

Out of warranty - quite happy to open up this laptop.

Cheers

 

[lieb39]

Just a update..

I ended up getting a Inverter and a Inverter cable from a place in America - got it in the mail and swapped both over.. even though I ran into a few problems when opening up and closing the laptop, It works! So I guess it was just either the inverter or the inverter cable..

Woo!

Cheers