Is this an inverter problem?

[davidg4781]

Back story, I dropped my 2006 CD MacBook open, face down, about 3 months ago.

About a week ago, my screen backlight started going off and flickering. Usually this happens when it's first turned on or if I move the screen back and forth.

I've done a bit of research and it seems like this is the inverter or inverter cable. I looked around on ifixit.com and can only find a used inverter, not a new one (which I would prefer) or a cable.

Is this a very probable cause of my problem? Also, where can I find a new one or the cable?

By the way, if I hook this up to a monitor using the mini-dvi port, will this help me in testing if it's the inverter that's the issue? I have access to one tonight and tomorrow, so if this will help, I'll give it a try.

 

[movieboy23]

While hooking your MB up to an external display wont tell you whether the problem is in the inverter cable or if the backlight on the LCD is toast and needs to be replaced, at least hooking your MB up to an external display will allow you to continue using it.

But as for the problem itself, it's really hard to say where the problem is coming from, especially with a dropped machine. Try taking the machine into an Apple Store or an Authorized Service Provider to see what they say.

Do you plan on doing the repairs yourself or are you going to have someone else do them? If you plan on doing it yourself, you can get the part code from iFixIt and find it on eBay. Otherwise if you're thinking of paying someone else for repairs on this machine, depending on which part is faulty, it may make more sense to use that money toward the purchase of a new machine.

 

[davidg4781]

Thanks. I'll be doing it myself. I've built desktops before and have done some minor upgrades and stuff to laptops, so I'm pretty sure I'll be ok..... hopefully I won't be having to upgrade soon.

Speaking of, I'm supposed to be getting a bonus soon, so, I may just end up upgrading. I'd like to fix this though. If it's a $50 fix, that'll be worth it to be able to sell this thing, or maybe give it to my mom or something.