The inverter is keyed to the screen - and yes, the screen must be one known to be supported by the 1525, or it won't work. Some of these have ambient light sensors and some don't - you cannot interchange the two screen types.
How do I determine what screen / inverter my laptop originally came with if they have already been swapped out? Is it possible that it wasn't ever swapped and the inverter is just going bad?
What you're describing does sound like a common failure mode for the inverter. Try that first - if it doesn't fix the problem, I'd bet on a faulty power board or mainboard (which supplies power to the inverter).
EJN63, are you saying that the inverter can be purchased separately from the LCD? Do I just need to get the exact model that corresponds to mine then? I'm not very familiar with the newer laptops that need matching LCD / Inverters to work. Been a while since I have had to replace one. Thanks!
Well, I have had a bit of insomnia tonight, so I decided to play with this some more. I went ahead and dismantled the LCD and found out that it is a AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2. I'm doubting that this is the factory LCD, simply because there aren't any Dell part number stickers anywhere on the LCD or inverter. As for the inverter, I have no idea what model it is. The info I could pull off of it is (I can post a picture if necessary):
I was unsuccessful in finding any of the numbers on it associated with any other inverters for sale.
So, on to the good stuff. I realized I had a few new Dell D610 LCD displays in my closet, so I pulled one out, hooked up my 1525 cable to it and fired it up. I was kind of surprised to see it boot up and work like it belonged there! Granted, it is only a 14" screen, so it was not an actual option for a replacement. While it was on, I tried adjusting the backlight. Nothing! It remained at full brightness the entire time.
Next I connected my 1525 inverter to the D610 LCD and it turned out and was only about 1/2 as bright, same as when the 1525 LCD is connected. The up and down brightness controls also did not work. But this at least clued me into the fact that the inverter is most likely my problem.
Next step, I put the D610 inverter on my 15.4" LCD to see what would happen. It booted at full brightness and again, no brightness controls were available.
Last thing to try was this. I had an older Toshiba 15.4" LCD lying around as well. I connected it up with both the D610 & 1525 inverter. Both worked just as they had before. The original 1/2 brightness, the D610, full brightness.
In the end I opted to leave in the Toshiba LCD because the 1525 one had some non-removable marks on it, and the inverter from the D610 LCD. I figured it is better to have it locked into full brightness than only 1/2.
Now onto my questions. At some point in the near future, I want to get this back to stock with a working backlight. Since I know my inverter is probably bad, how do I go about getting one that is matched up to my LCD display? Did this LCD even come in the 1525 models? Any further thoughts are appreciated!
The panel is good, but the inverter is bad. How do I determine which inverter I need to order to replace it? Obviously just any Dell inverter won't work as seen by using one from the D610 screen. Does any of the info from the inverter that I posted match up with a specific Dell model number? Thanks again for all the assistance!
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make sure that I get an inverter that is compatible with the AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2 LCD display? I don't want to keep throwing away money for no reason. Thanks!
I have a similar problem. I dropped my laptop a while ago. I got a new inverter and a new screen. The laptop starts up without any bios but windows comes up. I can't use the dim switch on the keyboard or on windows. I also have a split screen syndrome. I have a whole screen on the left and 1/3 rd of one on the right and bottem, like I tiled it as a picture but I can see and use everything perfectly. I tried foolin around with the resolution, I got the latest firmware for the graphics and it still has this problem. The inverter is not the same as the original, BUT the original does the same exact thing when I switched it back. I'm inclined to think it is the inverter... yet the original one does the same thing so I can't tell if that's correct since I don't know if the original didn't get damaged.
When inverters fail, they go completely -- the screen is black. It sounds like you've either an inverter/screen combo that's not compatible with your system - or, you have a bad mainboard. I'd guess the former since you're not seeing a correct image on the screen.
Ok, I figured I'd try to pick everyone's brains one last time on this issue.
I picked up a replacement inverter off of eBay. I finally found the part number on mine in tiny writing. The thing only ran me just over $5 shipped, so it was worth a shot at least. I popped the new inverter in, and wham! Same exact problem as with the original. :emotion-42: When it is set to option 1, it is the brightest that I can get it (Pretty dim). As I move the brightness up, it gets dimmer until I hit level 5. At that setting it gets a tad brighter and then starts getting dimmer as I progress up to the max setting.
So, needless to say I am lost! The exact combo that came in the laptop when I bought it are as follows:
LCD - AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2 Inverter - 6632L U40I007T04
What I am trying to find out is if this is a normal matching of parts that would by default come in the 1525. The original owner claimed that he did not touch it, but I highly doubt that. Mainly because I found the bottom of the LCD housing was not fully snapped together after I got it home.
As of right now I have an LCD pulled from a Toshiba Satellite laptop installed in it, along with a inverter from a Dell D600 LCD display. With this setup, I get max brightness no matter what setting I put it on. If this is the best I can do, I am mostly fine with it because I can see what I am doing all of the time at least. However, I would like to find a compatible LCD/Inverter combo that would be guaranteed to work in this.
So I guess what I need to know is if someone has the part numbers for the LCD/Inverter combo that work in a Dell 1525, or is it possibly not the LCD/Inverter, but something inside the laptop or BIOS that could be causing this issue?
Any last thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. I am just worried that using it at max brightness all of the time will wear out the backlight prematurely, and drain the battery far too fast. if I can't get it fixed, I am half tempted to just sell it and get a different laptop before having to keep messing with constantly fixing this one. Thanks for reading!
Whether those shipped in your 1525 are unknown - and probably cannot be known. There ARE LCDs with and without light sensors in the 1525 - but what you're describing sounds like a mainboard problem, not an inverter or screen problem.
I have a similar problem. I went to ebay and saw a listing for an inverter for the Inspiron 1525 from NYPCTECH. It said be sure you order the right one!!!! I figured I'd take a chance. WRONG!!! They sent me the wrong one - my fault I guess. I took the wrong inverter board & enclosed the defective one with it for reference. They sent me another wrong one and did not return my defective board. Now I don't know what the part number is!!! OK Right now I am mailing the second wrong board back. I had given them all the specs on my screen . . . This time I referenced a posting on the web which walks you through the replacement of the inverter board, and it is the same inverter board that I had. My board had one hole for a screw mounting. Both replacement boards they sent me had two and did not line up with anything.
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
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May 12th, 2010 07:00
The inverter is keyed to the screen - and yes, the screen must be one known to be supported by the 1525, or it won't work. Some of these have ambient light sensors and some don't - you cannot interchange the two screen types.
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
May 12th, 2010 17:00
So the problem I still have is this.
How do I determine what screen / inverter my laptop originally came with if they have already been swapped out? Is it possible that it wasn't ever swapped and the inverter is just going bad?
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
May 12th, 2010 18:00
What you're describing does sound like a common failure mode for the inverter. Try that first - if it doesn't fix the problem, I'd bet on a faulty power board or mainboard (which supplies power to the inverter).
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
May 12th, 2010 20:00
EJN63, are you saying that the inverter can be purchased separately from the LCD? Do I just need to get the exact model that corresponds to mine then? I'm not very familiar with the newer laptops that need matching LCD / Inverters to work. Been a while since I have had to replace one. Thanks!
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
May 12th, 2010 23:00
Well, I have had a bit of insomnia tonight, so I decided to play with this some more. I went ahead and dismantled the LCD and found out that it is a AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2. I'm doubting that this is the factory LCD, simply because there aren't any Dell part number stickers anywhere on the LCD or inverter. As for the inverter, I have no idea what model it is. The info I could pull off of it is (I can post a picture if necessary):
XS-60158 16011-87F-2003407-10564-01
M08-MPS
T731031.00 LF
E200003407-05
I was unsuccessful in finding any of the numbers on it associated with any other inverters for sale.
So, on to the good stuff. I realized I had a few new Dell D610 LCD displays in my closet, so I pulled one out, hooked up my 1525 cable to it and fired it up. I was kind of surprised to see it boot up and work like it belonged there! Granted, it is only a 14" screen, so it was not an actual option for a replacement. While it was on, I tried adjusting the backlight. Nothing! It remained at full brightness the entire time.
Next I connected my 1525 inverter to the D610 LCD and it turned out and was only about 1/2 as bright, same as when the 1525 LCD is connected. The up and down brightness controls also did not work. But this at least clued me into the fact that the inverter is most likely my problem.
Next step, I put the D610 inverter on my 15.4" LCD to see what would happen. It booted at full brightness and again, no brightness controls were available.
Last thing to try was this. I had an older Toshiba 15.4" LCD lying around as well. I connected it up with both the D610 & 1525 inverter. Both worked just as they had before. The original 1/2 brightness, the D610, full brightness.
In the end I opted to leave in the Toshiba LCD because the 1525 one had some non-removable marks on it, and the inverter from the D610 LCD. I figured it is better to have it locked into full brightness than only 1/2.
Now onto my questions. At some point in the near future, I want to get this back to stock with a working backlight. Since I know my inverter is probably bad, how do I go about getting one that is matched up to my LCD display? Did this LCD even come in the 1525 models? Any further thoughts are appreciated!
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
May 13th, 2010 04:00
Yes, AU (Acer) is a major panel supplier to Dell. And yes, that model is known to have shipped with the 1525.
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
May 13th, 2010 06:00
Ok, final question! Hehe...
The panel is good, but the inverter is bad. How do I determine which inverter I need to order to replace it? Obviously just any Dell inverter won't work as seen by using one from the D610 screen. Does any of the info from the inverter that I posted match up with a specific Dell model number? Thanks again for all the assistance!
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
May 15th, 2010 12:00
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make sure that I get an inverter that is compatible with the AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2 LCD display? I don't want to keep throwing away money for no reason. Thanks!
-Brian
nikolego
9 Posts
0
May 24th, 2010 22:00
I have a similar problem. I dropped my laptop a while ago. I got a new inverter and a new screen. The laptop starts up without any bios but windows comes up. I can't use the dim switch on the keyboard or on windows. I also have a split screen syndrome. I have a whole screen on the left and 1/3 rd of one on the right and bottem, like I tiled it as a picture but I can see and use everything perfectly. I tried foolin around with the resolution, I got the latest firmware for the graphics and it still has this problem. The inverter is not the same as the original, BUT the original does the same exact thing when I switched it back. I'm inclined to think it is the inverter... yet the original one does the same thing so I can't tell if that's correct since I don't know if the original didn't get damaged.
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
May 25th, 2010 05:00
The inverter would not cause a split screen. What does the image look like on an external display?
nikolego
9 Posts
0
May 25th, 2010 18:00
perfect on a monitor externally. Yet I still can't dim the light on the back of the lcd screen with the laptop on it's own, that's not the inverter?
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
May 26th, 2010 04:00
When inverters fail, they go completely -- the screen is black. It sounds like you've either an inverter/screen combo that's not compatible with your system - or, you have a bad mainboard. I'd guess the former since you're not seeing a correct image on the screen.
bpopilek
14 Posts
0
June 2nd, 2010 09:00
Ok, I figured I'd try to pick everyone's brains one last time on this issue.
I picked up a replacement inverter off of eBay. I finally found the part number on mine in tiny writing. The thing only ran me just over $5 shipped, so it was worth a shot at least. I popped the new inverter in, and wham! Same exact problem as with the original. :emotion-42: When it is set to option 1, it is the brightest that I can get it (Pretty dim). As I move the brightness up, it gets dimmer until I hit level 5. At that setting it gets a tad brighter and then starts getting dimmer as I progress up to the max setting.
So, needless to say I am lost! The exact combo that came in the laptop when I bought it are as follows:
LCD - AU Optronics B154EW04 V.2
Inverter - 6632L U40I007T04
What I am trying to find out is if this is a normal matching of parts that would by default come in the 1525. The original owner claimed that he did not touch it, but I highly doubt that. Mainly because I found the bottom of the LCD housing was not fully snapped together after I got it home.
As of right now I have an LCD pulled from a Toshiba Satellite laptop installed in it, along with a inverter from a Dell D600 LCD display. With this setup, I get max brightness no matter what setting I put it on. If this is the best I can do, I am mostly fine with it because I can see what I am doing all of the time at least. However, I would like to find a compatible LCD/Inverter combo that would be guaranteed to work in this.
So I guess what I need to know is if someone has the part numbers for the LCD/Inverter combo that work in a Dell 1525, or is it possibly not the LCD/Inverter, but something inside the laptop or BIOS that could be causing this issue?
Any last thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. I am just worried that using it at max brightness all of the time will wear out the backlight prematurely, and drain the battery far too fast. if I can't get it fixed, I am half tempted to just sell it and get a different laptop before having to keep messing with constantly fixing this one. Thanks for reading!
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
June 2nd, 2010 11:00
The inverter and screen are known to have shipped with the 1525:
http://www.keyboard4laptop.com/dell-inverter-6632l-0366c66382032l-0365ck08i028203802-p-4982.html?currency=USD&language=en
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOOK-Dell-Inspiron-1525-AU-Optronics-B154EW04-V-2-LCD-/290440893101
Whether those shipped in your 1525 are unknown - and probably cannot be known. There ARE LCDs with and without light sensors in the 1525 - but what you're describing sounds like a mainboard problem, not an inverter or screen problem.
Sansaucee
2 Posts
0
December 28th, 2012 20:00
Hi,
I have a similar problem. I went to ebay and saw a listing for an inverter for the Inspiron 1525 from NYPCTECH. It said be sure you order the right one!!!! I figured I'd take a chance. WRONG!!! They sent me the wrong one - my fault I guess. I took the wrong inverter board & enclosed the defective one with it for reference. They sent me another wrong one and did not return my defective board. Now I don't know what the part number is!!! OK Right now I am mailing the second wrong board back. I had given them all the specs on my screen . . . This time I referenced a posting on the web which walks you through the replacement of the inverter board, and it is the same inverter board that I had. My board had one hole for a screw mounting. Both replacement boards they sent me had two and did not line up with anything.
Good luck
Luke