Macbook Screen/backlight mystery

[tylerdrhs10]

Ok, so I have a 2008 White body model Macbook with 2 gigs of ram and 2.1 core duo processor. My problem is that the screen won't turn on...when I start up my computer it lights up for a second, but turns off before the apple sign shows up. If I look really close I can see everything. Oddly enough, if I press the brightness button so to decrease the brightness to the very last bar and then hit the f2 button to turn up the brightness by one, the light will turn on for a few seconds, if i continually go back and forth, I can sort of use it enough to do something with it (thank god because I had all my work for school on it). I have included a link with this thread so you can see what I mean.

Please let me know what the problem is and some solutions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0OptSX86lc

 

[eman]

Replace the inverter under the clutch cover. This is your cheapest option and you should try this first. The inverter is what bring the light to your lcd and it must be weak.

 

[tylerdrhs10]

How to make a definitive diagnosis

Thank you for the help! But it could be either the screen or the inverter or even possibly the interverter cable? so would there be anyway to narrow these choices down?

 

[l.a.rossmann]

I could parcel post you a cracked lcd that lights up so you can see if it's the light in your screen that's bad or the inverter board/inverter board wire. I have thousands of them(literally).

 

[kittymonster]

Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your macbook? I have the same exact problem, and I've replaced the inverter board twice. I'm not sure if it's a faulty inverter I bought (I can't trust eBay sometimes), or if it is the inverter cable, or something else!

 

[romainbo]

Got the exact same problem

Hi,
Does anyone ever found out what causes this backlight problem? It looks like a security action taken to shut off the backlight.

There are many backlight problems but this one is very specific and I haven't found the solution anywhere.

Any superhero around?

 

[pabzlito]

Yup, I have the same problem. Taking my 2009 MB into my local friendly genius bar for advice... no doubt they will say 'logic board'!

 

[Brian Y]

Yup, I have the same problem. Taking my 2009 MB into my local friendly genius bar for advice... no doubt they will say 'logic board'!

No - they'll tell you LCD. It could be the inverter - but this behaviour is nearly always the LCD panel itself.