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Backlight...or something issues on Inspiron 1520
So, for a few months now my system has, for the most part, been unable to read or properly detect my battery charger. It would run off my adapter, but not charge. If I borrowed my friends charger, it would recharge fine and then would have battery power for awhile. One night it ran out completely on me, the cable was disconnected accidently. When I turned on the computer, plugged in, couldn't see anything but a faint dim unbacklit screen. Given that I didn't have a friend around, I went out and purchased a Targus Charger and system recharged fine however the screen never loaded back up. When connected to an external screen source it would work just fine. The next day however, sometimes it would turn on and load up to the desktop but quickly shut down, other times it wouldn't make it that far and it would say that my computer could not start and would do a restore. Any ideas on whether it is a battery issue, an backlight issue or inverter issue, or what? Thanks.
I had originally posted this elsewhere, but since then I have recently gotten it to start up completely and works with the external monitor. I'm just not convinced that will last...so I've included the information in case. Thanks!
EdiF
1 Message
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January 2nd, 2009 07:00
I have EXACTLY the same issue so am also hoping for an awnser :(
jrod315
3 Posts
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January 2nd, 2009 13:00
I ordered a backlight inverter from www.pelltechnology.com. It was $45 dollars...should be here in the next day or so. I'll let you know if it solves things. If only the problem started happening a couple weeks before my warrenty went up, rather than a couple weeks after.
yuengling440
5 Posts
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February 28th, 2009 09:00
Did this solve your problem? I have just started to have the same issue and donnot see any post saying what has actually solved the issue.
Thanks
M.
caddymom45
5 Posts
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March 25th, 2009 17:00
Hi jrod315.
Did you ever get this part and did it work?
ejn63
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March 25th, 2009 17:00
The problem described in the original post is a mainboard failure - not a display problem.
jrod315
3 Posts
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March 25th, 2009 22:00
Sorry Guys...I've been ignoring my duty to report as to how things turned out. I ordered the part as I said and it was a decent pain to actually change the part, but it has solved the problem. Every now and then the screen will flash on and then flash back off and with a couple shutting and reopenings I eventually get it to click back on and stay. I don't know if the part is loose from the reinstall (sometimes shaking the computer works when its closed and I open it back up--I'm not recommending that for people who may actually still value their dell after this ridiculousness though) or if that wasn't the original problem at all. I'm guessing its just loose because I've read that if it's loose it may require a few openings/closings to light up, or at least that there is something else going on there. What's different about the rare but current problem is that the screen flashes up and then goes off rather than when before I replaced the part, the screen never lit up at all.
In light of everything I've just said, I can't fully say that I solved the problem in the best way, but I've solved it for the most part. After I first installed the new part I was having more trouble with the flash on-and then off problem, but I rarely have experienced it much since.
Sorry about the lack of a committed answer, but take it for what you will.
If you have any questions, I'll try to repost an answer a bit faster than I have in the last month or so.
Good luck--and Pell Technologies was the cheapest place I came across and had no problems with pricing or delivery, so I can assuredly recommend them.
Nidant
21 Posts
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March 25th, 2009 22:00
One way that you can tell if there is a problem with a dell laptop LCD is by running the bist test. You can do this by holding down the + Power. This should start the LCD bist test on most of the Laptops. If your screen start turning collors red, green, orange, ets. the lcd display is good. Now this dos not however mean that the LCD cable is still good. It amy also help to show you if the LCD Backlight is turned off some how or if it is out.
caddymom45
5 Posts
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March 26th, 2009 15:00
Thanks Nidant....I tried the + Power and my screen went totally black. I shut the top and when I opened it back up my screen was lit up again. I think, for now anyway that solved the problem. If the next time I get on my laptop and it happens again I will let you know.
Thanks again
Caddymom45
Nidant
21 Posts
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March 28th, 2009 22:00
Hay just noticed that i posted the PSA's boot not the Bist the bist is + . the other is the psa wich is the dell built in diags.
caddymom45
5 Posts
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March 29th, 2009 10:00
Nidant,
I had told you that the + power worked......well only for a few minutes. I did try the + and nothing happened. I talked to the IT guy at work and he is going to look at it for me. Thanks for you help though
Caddymom45
caddymom45
5 Posts
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April 1st, 2009 15:00
Hi ejn63,
you said my problem with my screen going dim on the left side is a mainboard failure. Can you give me some more info? I had the IT guy at work look at it for me, but we could not find a back light, usless its in the panel. Can the mainboard be replaced?
Thanks
caddymom45