Broken Internal Display Connector 27" iMac

[Johnf1285]

Just to follow up (since it annoys me when people never follow up)... I ended up going through galaxyhp for the repair since I wussed out. It so happens they don't do the repair themselves, they send it to a repair shop in Fremont, CA. I happen to live about 25 min from there, so I drove it in (seriously, what are the chances). Dropped it off on a Saturday, it was ready on Monday. Works 100% now. I still went through galaxyhp so they would get their commission since I didn't know about the shop, but if you want to go straight to the source:

https://www.dttservice.com/imac.html

Pretty happy with the service. They hooked the LCD back up and even cleaned under the glass, just like new.

Thanks for all the help from everyone in the thread (and especially to Johnf1285 for answering all my annoying questions, and madkeys for finding a shop that can actually do the repair). Writing this post on my fixed iMac

Edit - On a side note, galaxyhp seems to have upped their price from $198 to $238 now, strange. Anyways, DTT seems to offer it directly for $195.

That's awesome news that you're back in business! Also great news that there are still actual shops that can solder and repair computer components!

Glad everything worked out for you.

 

[bajkonyr]

Hi everyone. Would appreciate if someone could tell me if my problem fixable looking at the attached pics?

Are those round lead circles, right beneath rectangular connectors, can be used to restore the lost contacts? I tried to ring the ones that are still in tact with a tester, and in fact, they are connected.


And the other one, why does the tester ring when I put one tip on, let's say 2nd rectangular contact, and the other one on 7th. Should not they be different traces?

Thank you.

 

[bajkonyr]

Anyone?

 

[macthefork]

It's highly variable whether that would/could be repaired. There's quite a few pads that apparently are completely pulled off. Whether or not you can obtain a reliable connection, or even any connection at all is a major determining factor. What other damage has been done to the board, such as what kind of tester did you use for your determination of continuity? The wrong tester used in the wrong way can damage small delicate components.

Then, how is your skill at soldering? a sloppy job there will simply damage the board further. Are you able to obtain the connector that would need to be connected?

Depending on what you're using for a "tester" for testing between pads, the difference in resistance could be minimal, even if there is a resistor or diode that makes the pads NOT the same, yet it could show as having continuity...

 

[Wordman]

Same problem - broken iMac 27 display connector

Hi.

Same issue here. Based on the photos, does this look as though it could be repaired? I have some limited experience of soldering, although I'd need to get a smaller iron, such as the Weller 2020 or similar.

 

[macthefork]

I doubt you'll get anyone here that will say unequivocally that the board can be repaired. Yours looks more likely able to be repaired because the damage looks like it's less from your photos.

It all comes down to not really having anything to lose by attempting a repair, or sending the board to a facility that is known to repair this situation. (mentioned in earlier posts)

If you don't try to repair it, you will need a new board. If you do try to repair it and fail, you'll need a new board. So, any repair like this is a toss up. But, you have nothing to lose by trying--except maybe the small cost of the new connector if you can find one, and possibly a soldering iron and solder.

 

[Fishrrman]

Quite frankly, this looks like "new logic board" time...

 

[bajkonyr]

It's highly variable whether that would/could be repaired. There's quite a few pads that apparently are completely pulled off. Whether or not you can obtain a reliable connection, or even any connection at all is a major determining factor. What other damage has been done to the board, such as what kind of tester did you use for your determination of continuity? The wrong tester used in the wrong way can damage small delicate components.

Then, how is your skill at soldiering? a sloppy job there will simply damage the board further. Are you able to obtain the connector that would need to be connected?

Depending on what you're using for a "tester" for testing between pads, the difference in resistance could be minimal, even if there is a resistor or diode that makes the pads NOT the same, yet it could show as having continuity...

macthefork,

Thank you for your reply. I'm good at soldering. Could you tell me if I can use those small circles under the pads to restore the wiped out pads? Namely, make a bridge to the one that has no contact left.
Like in the following picture:

 

[bajkonyr]

Anyone?

 

[senseless]

Anyone?

As a side note, I'm still using my iMac with an external monitor, 3 years later.

Bypassing the bad pad by going right to the connector pin may work.

Check out this video on surface mount soldering with a conventional iron; pretty cool!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Solder-SMD-ICs-the-easy-way/

 

[visusest]

macthefork,

Thank you for your reply. I'm good at soldering. Could you tell me if I can use those small circles under the pads to restore the wiped out pads? Namely, make a bridge to the one that has no contact left.
Like in the following picture:

The pads that look brown instead of silver are lifted and the new connector pin will need to be jumpered to the corresponding signal via (silver circles with tiny hole in the middle) on the PCB with some 30 AWG or smaller wire. If you look closely at the board in the right light you can see where the traces are under the solder mask. Apple makes this tough with their thick black mask .. bastards. The leftmost pin is a ground and doesn't have a via close by, but you can carefully scrape the black solder mask off with an xacto knife to expose the copper underneath (right next to where the pad used to be) and solder to the exposed copper. I've repaired one that was in worse shape than yours, but wasn't easy.

Hi.

Same issue here. Based on the photos, does this look as though it could be repaired? I have some limited experience of soldering, although I'd need to get a smaller iron, such as the Weller 2020 or similar.

This is the easier repair, but you'll want to buy a new connector. Use tweezers to lift the pins that are still attached to the board after heating the pad with your iron. After all of the pins are removed, use solder wick to remove all of the remaining solder from the pads. I like to clean all of the burnt flux off of the the pads/board at this point with 91% isopropyl, but it's not necessary. Now you're ready to solder the new connector. I nice thin conical tip and lots of paste flux are a big help, as is the thinnest leaded solder you can find (don't use lead-free, it will just make everything more difficult).

I wouldn't recommended a non-temperature controlled iron for surface mount work. At home, I use a Weller WES51 with an ETU tip.

As for connectors, I used to buy this one for fixing 27" iMacs. It always worked great, but they don't stock it any more. Digikey still has a stocked compatible part, it's just more expensive. Newark/Farnell also stocks the part. It's actually cheapest at Newark, but they only have 56 left and it doesn't look like they'll be restocking. Could last months or be gone tomorrow.

Just a little background - I'm an electrical engineer and work on surface mount electronics almost everyday. It's been a while since I perused macrumors, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on this thread in case anybody else needs help.

 

[Wordman]

Really appreciate you going to the trouble of such a detailed response, visusest. Thanks so much.






This is the easier repair, but you'll want to buy a new connector. Use tweezers to lift the pins that are still attached to the board after heating the pad with your iron. After all of the pins are removed, use solder wick to remove all of the remaining solder from the pads. I like to clean all of the burnt flux off of the the pads/board at this point with 91% isopropyl, but it's not necessary. Now you're ready to solder the new connector. I nice thin conical tip and lots of paste flux are a big help, as is the thinnest leaded solder you can find (don't use lead-free, it will just make everything more difficult).

I wouldn't recommended a non-temperature controlled iron for surface mount work. At home, I use a Weller WES51 with an ETU tip.

As for connectors, I used to buy this one for fixing 27" iMacs. It always worked great, but they don't stock it any more. Digikey still has a stocked compatible part, it's just more expensive. Newark/Farnell also stocks the part. It's actually cheapest at Newark, but they only have 56 left and it doesn't look like they'll be restocking. Could last months or be gone tomorrow.

Just a little background - I'm an electrical engineer and work on surface mount electronics almost everyday. It's been a while since I perused macrumors, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on this thread in case anybody else needs help.[/QUOTE]

 

[visusest]

Really appreciate you going to the trouble of such a detailed response, visusest. Thanks so much.

No worries - it's a really common problem since most disassembly guides don't highlight how careful you have to be when lifting out the display. Back in 2011/2012, there were a lot of 27's w/ripped off display connectors on eBay, so I often picked them up, repaired them, and resold them for a pretty healthy profit, but since then the supply has kind of dried up.

That being said, I'd be happy to replace anyone's broken connectors for the cost of shipping, the part, and $25 or so for labor (good beer would also be acceptable payment - especially things I can't get in Pennsylvania).

bajkonyr,
If you use some solder wick to remove all of the excess solder, clean the area with isopropyl, and take another picture, I can give you a few more precise tips on how to repair your board.

 

[373DESIGN]

HI visusest:

Does your offer still stand? My 12 year old was "helping" me replace the HD this evening, and we suffered the same fate as many others, when he let the monitor drop a tad too much

Chris

 

[lukekjones]

Hi,

I just had the same issue after taking apart my 2010 iMac for the 5th time. I purchased the connector from eBay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271480486264?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 for £12.

A new temperature controlled soldering iron from Amazon and it was fixed within about 30 minutes of the parts arriving.

I have very limited soldering experience, 20 years ago at school.

It is definitely worth a try if you have accidentally broken your connector off of the mother board.

 

[Johnf1285]

Love to see that this thread I had started originally under my previous handle of "Wingzero1285" its still going strong.

I am happy to know that many iMac users who have experienced dealing with this fragile piece are able to get it soldered back on and working!

 

[digital4]

iMac 27" 2010... black lcd...

After so many times of opening and closing my mac it happened...

Lcd tilted while I was closing everything and the worst part it happened while the unit was powered on... I was testing new ssd...

LCD connector snapped of the board and also all of the other ones got disconnected however I succeeded in catching lcd before it dropped from the desk on the floor...

So here is the status...

When powered on there is a chime and it boots up...

However LCD is black and I am not able to see the picture using flashlight...

When external display is connected I have picture and everything works ok...
So motherboard and video car are OK...

Only service LED's 1, 2 and 3 are on... 4th led does not turn on...
So as far as I understood that means there is no connection to the LCD itself...

I tried to remove connector so I cleaned everything up and found couple of same connector used in LCD laptops...

I have couple of broken ones I kept and they are using same 30 pin connectors... so I removed them from the old LCD's I had and soldered them onto the board... I tested all of the pins and they are properly connected...

However still no picture and there are only 3 LED's on...

And in the manual for this model I found this:

LED #1 + LED #2 + LED #3 + LED #4 = Power available, system is powered on, video card found, and internal LCD found.
If fourth LED is not visible after power on:
• Verify cable connections between LCD panel and logic board
• Inspect LCD display cables for cable damage
• Verify external video functionality, and according to result check the following items:
-If external display works then verify/replace the LED backlight board
-If external display works then verify/replace the LCD panel
-If external display does not work verify/replace the logic board


I measured voltages on this 30 pin connector and I have some measurements however I do not have pinout description to compare it with...
Anyone has this available somewhere? Only pinouts I can find are the ones for macbook pros and older g5's...

Also pinout for the 12 pin backlight board that goes to lcd itself... I see description on the board and it is as far as I understood power for 6 led strips ( so pwr+ and pwr -)... Does anyone know what is the voltage suppose to be here?

ALso how can I activate backlight if the lcd is not connected... It is usually only some signal for enable backlight if the lcd is present...
there are 12 service points on the board underneath lcd connector and here is the description from the manual:

Logic Board Test Point
Function
Pin 1
Ground
Pin 3
5V power for Hard Drive(s). Note: If present, the 12V power will come directly from the Power Supply to the Hard Drive thru the power harness cable.
Pin 4
Standby 12V power (permanent power coming from power supply and present as long as AC cable is connected, even if computer is off); corresponds to LED #1
Pin 6
Backlight Control pulse width modulated signal (from logic board to LED backlight board, to adjust the backlight level setting according to user setup)
Pin 11
12V Run-Mode power to logic board (coming from power supply, present as long as system is on or asleep); corresponds to LED #2
Pin12
Power On Request signal (from logic board to power supply when power button is pressed)
Pin 13
Backlight Enable (signal from logic board to Backlight Controller board, to enable backlight

So I have this pin 13 as backlight enable... Would I be able to somehow test backlight board measuring voltage on the backlight connector?

I will try to solder another video connector again and try it afterwards...

Also is there any way to test backlight on the lcd itself? What would be the voltage I could apply to test this LED backlight?

Thanks....

 

[senseless]

I bought a new logic board from these guys and it's been working perfectly. No soldering, but you do have to install your old video board and CPU. Mine is a 27" I7 late 2009 iMac. $160, so grab it fast.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Apple-i...513732091?pt=Motherboards&hash=item3ce36edffb

 

[digital4]

thanks for your suggestion... i will look for the board if I conclude it got damaged however main issue I have now is to verify which part got damaged...

backlight board, lcd or motherboard itself...

also late 2009 does not have an extra sata connector so I would not be able to use my ssd+hdd setup... only maybe in the case if i remove optical drive that I need from time to time and it comes handy.

thanks again...

 

[edQuigman]

Is it possible to re-solder the connector from the top w/o taking out the logic board? I have not taken the board out yet to look at the other side and would rather not take it out as to avoid any more unnecessary trauma.

thanks!

 

[nicolo2390]

solder the two wings to the square pads?

Thanks to this excellent thread, particularly Johnf1285 and visusest---I just wished I had found this before opening my 21.5" iMac 10,1 (2009) to replace the DVD drive. Any way, when I opened it up, I used too much force to remove the video cable clip and a bit of the plastic at the right clip was gone, but the metal clip is still intact. When the video cable is connected to the connector, the left-side (not the damaged side) did not "catch", the right side is fine and I tried pushing harder, but not that hard. The connector was at an angle, about 60 degrees with the board and can be flexed easily. The left side of the connector was a bit higher than the right, exposing a bit more of the pins. I pushed the connector down a bit to make it more aligned horizontally. The left wing of the connector is not connected to anything (it is close to the square pad on the left).

When I closed up the monitor, the display was total dark! But when I moved the monitor a bit away at the top, leaving about a 1 in gap, everything displayed fine. Touching the video cable turned the display on and off, and sometimes with color patches. Airport was not found (not sure if this is connected, since I used an ethernet cable normally). The computer took a few times and a long time before it booted normally again (I wasn't patient and turned it off a few times before it completed; but eventually, it booted normally). Right now it has been running stably with an open gap at the top for a few days (I supported the monitor from below, because it was too heavy for the stand, and closed the gap with custom-made paper wedge). The fan noise is loud. Otherwise, the computer is working "normally" (but no camera, of course).

Attached is a picture of the connector at the logic board. I have also attached a photo of the bare board from the bajkonyr, which is from a different model. I noticed that the left connector wing is totally away from the square pad, and I believed the right connector might be loose.

My question is: is my problem due to a loose ground?
Should the wings (pin 1 and 32) be soldered to the two square pads on the second picture? Is there damage on the signal pads too?

By the way, ebay has the connector for $13.95 plus tax (free shipping):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231024504410?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
If you are in NYC, you can pick this up at L2 Computer:
http://www.l2computerinc.com/

Many thanks. I hope this is easy to repair. I have average soldering experience, but not SMD. I want to be sure that the square pads are meant to be connected to the wings before I tried it.

Nicolo2390

 

[nicolo2390]

macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2014 solder the two wings to the square pads?

Don't know why the photos didn't show. Here they are again.

 

[nicolo2390]

Still waiting for help.

Don't know why the photos didn't show. Here they are again.

My iMac is still running well with the makeshift gap between the display and the motherboard back covered by paper. The fan is quiet by using a fan control app. However, I would like to fix the problem if it is only a matter of soldering the interface grounds to the motherboard. (See description for Sept 2 post above the photos.) Thanks for any help.

 

[rinish720]

I'm from PA and would take you up on that

No worries - it's a really common problem since most disassembly guides don't highlight how careful you have to be when lifting out the display. Back in 2011/2012, there were a lot of 27's w/ripped off display connectors on eBay, so I often picked them up, repaired them, and resold them for a pretty healthy profit, but since then the supply has kind of dried up.

That being said, I'd be happy to replace anyone's broken connectors for the cost of shipping, the part, and $25 or so for labor (good beer would also be acceptable payment - especially things I can't get in Pennsylvania).

bajkonyr,
If you use some solder wick to remove all of the excess solder, clean the area with isopropyl, and take another picture, I can give you a few more precise tips on how to repair your board.

Visusest,

I know this post is a tad old but I am from PA and would take you up on the offer above. My connector pins are a tad bent.

Rinish

 

[Antandmur]

Hi all from Down under

Would just like to get your opinion on the replacement connector, ripped mine off today while doing the SSD and HDD upgrade

I can buy this locally from ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-IPEX...12-2009-2010-/181960411358?fromMakeTrack=true

Or from the US I can buy

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/FI-X30SSLA-HF/670-2617-ND/3542944

Are they the same?

To get the connector to Au will cost me around $60, which is about $40 US

Let me know your thoughts, thanks in advance