How are you? Screen flickering is usually due to low contact between LCD and motherboard, although it may be something even worse. (for example: pimples that are basically acne, versus piples that happen to be genital herpes - kind of simple and scary analogy) I hope you tried this, but make sure that the place where LCD is connected to the board is clean and fully inserted. Also, try checking the LCD using the external screen, and if this bad stuff doesn't happen, dang it - LCDs are so not good these days. It would cost a whole lot to go thru all this stuff. Firstly check with the external screen and if it is working good, then you won't have to *gasp* as this is not the Mainboard/Video Card problem. Just a little tip - as much as I know. :)
Eugene
________________________________
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Dell Inspiron E1705: Centrino Duo Computer
Intel Core Duo T2350 @ 1.866 GHz D-0 (Yonah)
17" WXGA+ Screen by AU Optronics
2 GB RAM at DDR2-533 by Hyundai Electronics
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 256 MB Graphics Card with Hypermemory
120 GB 5400 RPM Hard Disk Drive by Samsung
Dell Bluetooth 355 + EDR Technology
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 a/b/g 54 Mbps
Sigmatel High Definition Audio
Sony DVD+-RW with DL Support
Just for future persons who have similar symptoms, it was the backlite. I replaced it with a part on e-bay and the system works again like a charm. Before you send it off, you might buy a backlite bulb for $8 compared to the $500 dell wanted to fix it!
Dear folks, I have had this 8200 laptop for some time now and the issues are beginning to appear. I first had the flickering problem and being somewhat mechanically inclined, procured the shop manual and learned how to go inside. I discovered the connector for the screen and unplugged and unplugged it and thereby re-seated the connector and fixed that problem more than once. Next I noticed that the screen will be rather pink upon startup but soon gets to the usual expected colors. Lately, after a few minutes of normal use, it goes almost black. I can see the desktop in the background, but it is not lit from behind. After messing around with it, I discover that I can get it back after rebooting, restarting from hibernation, etc. And if I am quick, lower the brightness, and it will run indefinitely at that level of brightness. I have been searching a new screen on Ebay, and found the inverter and screen used for about a hundred and fifty bucks, HOWEVER, if all I need is an 8 dollar bulb??? Question is I don't see anywhere in the book how to install or replace that bulb. Any tips before I risk assaulting my beloved laptop with a deadly screwdriver? I would love to try the 8 dollar fix before committing to the hundred and a half used part thing. I so dislike used parts that have no means for determining how much they have been used, especially since these are now basically archaic laptops in modern hardware terms.....
I think it's a hard call what to try first. I decided to try the inverter first because it's a relatively easy installation. I can do most modular laptop repairs without too much trouble, but really I'm a beginner when it comes to difficult hardware repairs on laptops--and replacing the backlite was pretty ugly. You have to take apart the LCD module itself, and the thing is REALLY not made to be easily dissassembled. There area few guides to doing this on the net, but I couldn't find one specifically designed for my LCD so I just mostly played it by ear.
If you're going to try replacing the backlite, I'll try to give a little advice. You should be careful to make sure you have a clean work area and all the appropriate tools for tiny screws and for prying open the module. Then take out every screw you can find, take out the LCD module itself. On my module, there was a layer of tape at the top; I left this on and used it like a hinge. You should carefully remove any other tape holding the module together and put it aside; if you can reuse it, otherwise you should find some other replacement to put back in the same spot you found it before you are finished putting it back together. Take off the inverter so that you can get it out of the way. Then you should follow the wires from the inverter to the bottom of the LCD; this will lead you to the backlite (it was along the very bottom on mine). You should try to gently pry open the catches on the metal encasing; be careful not to bend the plastic or metal case, or it will be really hard to put back together (it was very difficult for me to get everything to fit back together). I then swung the metal frame up using the tape on the top as a hinge. You should then be able to pull apart the layers of the backlite. You'll be facing a plastic case at the bottom, and probably won't be able to see the backlite yet. Mine was in a removable reflective casing at the bottom of the screen, which I could slide out by carefully peeling apart the layers and sliding the reflective casing out. Then you have to figure out how to put in the new backlite; the one I bought off ebay came with wires and casing attached, so it was easy for me to slide this in to the place the old reflective casing was; then it's just a matter of doing the whole process in reverse and closing things together so that they fit nicely. If your replacement backlite doesn't come with wires/reflective casing, then you'll have to slide the backlite out of the old casing, solder the wires onto the new bulb, and slide it back in the casing.
That's about all I can tell you; good luck! I got an inverter off ebay for about 40, and since that's an easy modular repair I tried that first.
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
July 8th, 2007 16:00
The symptoms you describe sound more like a failing bulb than inverter.
eugene89us
133 Posts
0
July 9th, 2007 03:00
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Dell Inspiron E1705: Centrino Duo Computer
Intel Core Duo T2350 @ 1.866 GHz D-0 (Yonah)
17" WXGA+ Screen by AU Optronics
2 GB RAM at DDR2-533 by Hyundai Electronics
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 256 MB Graphics Card with Hypermemory
120 GB 5400 RPM Hard Disk Drive by Samsung
Dell Bluetooth 355 + EDR Technology
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 a/b/g 54 Mbps
Sigmatel High Definition Audio
Sony DVD+-RW with DL Support
cbuckner
11 Posts
0
July 10th, 2007 12:00
Rioting
2 Posts
0
July 30th, 2007 03:00
cbuckner
11 Posts
0
August 1st, 2007 02:00
I think it's a hard call what to try first. I decided to try the inverter first because it's a relatively easy installation. I can do most modular laptop repairs without too much trouble, but really I'm a beginner when it comes to difficult hardware repairs on laptops--and replacing the backlite was pretty ugly. You have to take apart the LCD module itself, and the thing is REALLY not made to be easily dissassembled. There area few guides to doing this on the net, but I couldn't find one specifically designed for my LCD so I just mostly played it by ear.
If you're going to try replacing the backlite, I'll try to give a little advice. You should be careful to make sure you have a clean work area and all the appropriate tools for tiny screws and for prying open the module. Then take out every screw you can find, take out the LCD module itself. On my module, there was a layer of tape at the top; I left this on and used it like a hinge. You should carefully remove any other tape holding the module together and put it aside; if you can reuse it, otherwise you should find some other replacement to put back in the same spot you found it before you are finished putting it back together. Take off the inverter so that you can get it out of the way. Then you should follow the wires from the inverter to the bottom of the LCD; this will lead you to the backlite (it was along the very bottom on mine). You should try to gently pry open the catches on the metal encasing; be careful not to bend the plastic or metal case, or it will be really hard to put back together (it was very difficult for me to get everything to fit back together). I then swung the metal frame up using the tape on the top as a hinge. You should then be able to pull apart the layers of the backlite. You'll be facing a plastic case at the bottom, and probably won't be able to see the backlite yet. Mine was in a removable reflective casing at the bottom of the screen, which I could slide out by carefully peeling apart the layers and sliding the reflective casing out. Then you have to figure out how to put in the new backlite; the one I bought off ebay came with wires and casing attached, so it was easy for me to slide this in to the place the old reflective casing was; then it's just a matter of doing the whole process in reverse and closing things together so that they fit nicely. If your replacement backlite doesn't come with wires/reflective casing, then you'll have to slide the backlite out of the old casing, solder the wires onto the new bulb, and slide it back in the casing.
That's about all I can tell you; good luck! I got an inverter off ebay for about 40, and since that's an easy modular repair I tried that first.