Screen repair challenge

[deadjoe2002]

The screen on my aluminium Macbook (sans pro, thought I'd post it here due to it being classed as a Pro model now) is broken, see attached pictures and video.

It's a late 2008 aluminium macbook, has been replaced through my insurance company and has been used as a docked desktop replacement type thing, works 100% perfect aside from the screen which is unusable.

The question I put to your collective knowledge is this, can anyone suggest a causes for this problem? (by causes I mean what part of the screen assembly may be damaged rather than 'because you dropped it')

And is there anyway/suggestions you guys can think up for fixing the screen with out replacing the entire part.

The way I see it is the screen doesn't work at the moment and so I'm not against trying to fix it myself. Ideally I dont want to spend much if any money on this fix.

Few more things to take into consideration, its outside of its warranty so thats not an option, screen will work (show clean desktop) when I gently bend it suggesting there may be hope yet. And finally a note on the last picture (file name P2180002.JPG), this is from a few months back when the problem first appeared, its progressed somewhat since then as the other pictures show. Also the sorry the video is short, I needed it to fit within the upload limits of macrumors.

 

[Thunder82]

Honestly looks like a GPU memory problem to me, but since your able to hook up an external monitor, maybe it's just a connection issue. Have you taken it apart to reseat all of the connectors between the screen/motherboard?

 

[deadjoe2002]

Honestly looks like a GPU memory problem to me, but since your able to hook up an external monitor, maybe it's just a connection issue. Have you taken it apart to reseat all of the connectors between the screen/motherboard?

Ye external monitor works perfectly fine, thats what has dissuaded me from and sort of logic board/GPU problem. That and the screen bending 'fix'.

I've got the feeling (and it really is no more than that) that it might be that the aluminium lid, on the back of the screen assembly, is ever so slightly bend inwards (concave) and so is putting pressure on the back of the display.

Before the problem arose I used to carry it around in my Timbuk2 messenger bag (also wrapped in a memory foam sleeve) and this might have, over time as it rested on my hips, bent the screen aluminium backing? Any thoughts on that? or is that not a feasible explanation?

 

[Thunder82]

Any chance that putting pressure on the base of the screen makes the biggest difference? Looks like the main connection point (according to ifixit) is at the bottom of the screen.

Also, looks like these screens arent too overly expensive. Ebay

 

[deadjoe2002]

Any chance that putting pressure on the base of the screen makes the biggest difference? Looks like the main connection point (according to ifixit) is at the bottom of the screen.

Also, looks like these screens arent too overly expensive. Ebay

Ok placing pressure just in from the magsafe connector, where the display cable connects to the logic board doesn't yield any results (done it with the bottom case on and with it off so I was applying pressure directly to the connection point). Applying pressure to the point where the cable meets the display (about a third of the way along the screen from the left hand side) doesn't seem to solve anything either. I'm gonna look around for a suction cup to see if pulling the assembly away from its self does anything.

 

[l.a.rossmann]

It's just a broken screen from physical damage.

Use a surface mount rework station to heat glass, use super strong suction cup to pull off, borrow friends' air filters so you don't get dust inbetween glass and screen, remove old screen, clean off old adhesive, put on new adhesive, put new screen in, put glass back on if you didn't crack it in removing it(good luck not cracking it while removing it), and you're done.

The air filters part is important.

 

[saimonx]

Hi!!

I have a similar problem, but without the vertical lines.

Only Horizontal, but when i move a little bit the screen it disappears.

How did you solved? Did you find the problem?

Thanks!!!