Macbook display going dead after a few minutes

[Stevo B]

I've got a white macbook 2.16 I believe. The screen/display will turn on when booted up, but only stay on a few minutes. I got it off craigslist this way. When I first got it, it wouldn't come on at all. I replaced the inverter with one I got off ebay that was probably used. I have tried 4 different inverters in it (all used I think) they all respond the same way. Screen comes on for just a few minutes then the light goes black. If I disconnect the power to the inverter after it shuts off, then reconnect it, it will light up again for a couple seconds only. If I leave it alone, it will come back on after about 20 minutes.

Does this sound like I have a bunch of bad inverters, or a bad lcd screen? It also drives an external monitor flawlessly the whole time and keeps an image displayed on the screen even when the light dies.

 

[Kim Philby]

The inverter is what powers the tube in the display panel. If the inverter is bad, you should still be able to see the image on the screen but it will be very faint. If you can see the image, then you either have a bunch of bad inverters or you're pinching an inverter cable in the hinge area. If there is no image at all but the screen lights up, then it's probably the panel. If there is no image and the screen does not light up, it's probably the board.

 

[timsutcliffe]

We've got exactly the same problem with our MacBook, same model as yours. I took it to the Apple Store, and after saying it was the inverter initially, they then decided it was the logic board.

I'm taking it in again tomorrow, because having discovered the other day that it runs an external display flawlessly, I can't see that it's the logic board. I guess i'll find out.