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iBook G3 display only works at certain angles

Mr_Brightside_@

Mr_Brightside_@

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 23, 2005
3,896
2,428
Toronto
Hello, recently the display of my older iBook (600MHz) has stopped working beyond certain angles, usually a bit beyond 90 degrees. Anything else, and the display goes black. Windows are still visible, but appear as though the brightness has been turned on the way down (the button does nothing either). However, in the past few days, the display is only viewable at about 5 degrees, so now as you can imagine the problem is very inconvenient. Basically I want to know if anyone may know what a fix for this could be, as I'm lost. Cheers
 
Sounds like either the inverter went bad, or the cable that supplies power to the screen. Either way, it's really expensive and probably quite difficult to fix.
 
Not that I know of, other than taking it to the Apple Store. They'd also be able to quote you the repairs too.
 
robert.j.strain said:
No authorized repair centers nearby?
Click to expand...
... Right, right. In related news ifixit says:
If your backlight isn't working, the inverter may be bad. Other parts that may be bad are the display or the logic board. If your backlight fails intermittently while moving the display, the problem is with the inverter cables.

Which leads me to believe it's the inverter cables.
 
I would say to do the repairs yourself as well. I have the same issue with mine and the authorized repair center near me quoted me $200 to fix it and that was just with them vaguely torquing the display to see the issue. I got the iBook for free so I wasn't about to spend $200 to fix that so I hooked it up to an external monitor and only use it at a desk for now. Some day I may take it apart, see which component is bad and replace it.
 
You're probably right, the cable is probably worn out. iFixit has one for $70, I think. Hopefully it doesn't require any soldering.:D If you decide to go about it yourself, good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
robert.j.strain said:
You're probably right, the cable is probably worn out. iFixit has one for $70, I think. Hopefully it doesn't require any soldering.:D If you decide to go about it yourself, good luck and let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...
It's only $50. But if there's soldering involved I am out. ;)
 
Wait, are you looking at the inverter and airport cable or the display cable? I'm thinking that it is the display cable, since that is the one that actually runs between the logic board and the screen.
 
But really thinking about it, it could be either one, I have no way of knowing for sure.

About the response time, I have been home sick for a few days, and have nothing better to do than lie in bed and help people on the forums. If I'm not doing that I'm probably looking to spend some money. So this is better.
 
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