Dell Inspiron 1545 dark or dim screen / no backlight - yes that again!

hi I have the exact same problem with my LED screen, ive taken the laptop apart and found the fuse. can you tell me how i should remove the fuse and put the new one in???

im 100% sure its the correct fuse, jjust no idea how to change it.

thanks for any help

> You have to test the fuse first before you replace it by using an ohmmeter

> the technical data of the fuse is given somewhere else in this thread

> as the fuse is an SMD-device good soldering skills are necessary - you can easily damage copper tracks if you heat

   them up for too long

> "just no idea how to change it" implies to me that you might not be familiar with a soldering iron - if in doubt

    ask an electrician to do it for you.

> A broken fuse normally indicates a problem with other electronic parts (inverter for instance) as user "Jeromiep"

   rightly pointed out.In rare cases a fuse might break even though there is no short circuit (whatever) because it is

   under a lot of "stress" - nevertheless: NEVER bridge a fuse as it was shown in of the pictures in this thread !

Hi,

i have the exact same problem...i have found the f1 fuse. what do i do to fix it? wealding or replace the fuse or both? if someone can provide me with some steps or help i would be so greatful on how to actually fix this. how does the fuse come out?

heres a picture, any advice on how i should fix this please, thanks so much:

I totally agree with MicroTest, but an electrician may not be the exact profession necessary to complete the repair.  My father's an electrician and this isn't something he would mess with.  I would suggest an electronics repair technician or a profession more into electronics.

I too don't recommend just anyone do the repair unless you have some tools at your disposal and you're willing to accept the possibility of not being able to successfully repair the motherboard.

I highly recommend you test the fuse before you try to remove it.  This can be a lot of trouble and the test beforehand is so simple with a continuity tester.

Tools I used:

Soldering gun (used to install new fuse)

INT 850A++ hot air rework station (used to remove fuse)

60/40 solder w/ flux core (I basically trim a tiny piece to melt onto the soldering gun to "solder" the fuse in place)

Microscope w/ a light (MOST IMPORTANT!) 

Here's the fuse I bought:

http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=TR/0603FA3-Rvirtualkey50400000virtualkey504-TR/0603FA3-R

I bought 3 fuses, lost the first one, made several attempts before successfully soldering the second one, then taped the last one under the keyboard just in case it's needed in the future.

Good luck!

Thanks for replies, can anyone also tell me what the c69 fuse is next to the f1 fuse because it looks burnt out and black do may need to replace that

Thanks

Ususally a "C" stands for capacitor,"R" for resistor,D for diode,T for transistor etc.......

SMD capacitors,fuses and resistors often look very similar - so don't get confused.

What looks burnt out might be just some left over flux.

I still recommend you to have the 2-minute-job done by a professional....

if you want to see an experienced professional removing an SMD device watch this...

and if you need advice how to solder:

The fuse pictured seems to be ok but it will cost you £8.60 plus postal charges for ten of them......

If you know a local computer repair shop ask if they have such stuff in stock.

Before you order it :

Are you definitely sure that the fuse is broken? otherwise it's a waste of time and money.....

Thanks so much for help I'm going to get professional solderer to do it, is this deffo the correct fuse:

uk.farnell.com/.../9922180

I suppose I should try the small computer repair shop first as I only need one fuse not 10 of them plus p+p

How would I test the fuse? I have a voltage tester that looks like a screw driver , is that ok? Does the laptop need to be turned on? Thanks

Hi im going to buy a new motherboard for my laptop, its LED,do you think this one will be ok? Im not sure if LED and CCFL LCD motherbaords are diffreent. thanks alot

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DELL-INSPIRON-1545-MOTHERBOARD-G849F-48-4AQ01-011-FULLY-TESTED-/321018399874?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item4abe300c82

According to the thread below it should be possible - obviously display cable needs to be replaced and inverter removed.

I am not a laptop parts expert so somebody else might be more qualified to answer your question.

Note: even if you get the right parts a lot can go wrong.....see thread

http://www.notebookforums.com/t/235754/inspiron-1545-broken-ccfl-screen-replacable-with-led/20

excerpt from above thread....

Hi I have replaced the motherboard and turned it on but the screen is still black but now the computer keeps making two beeps then a few seconds and another two beeps. Any idea if I should replace th screen and what the beeping is? Thanks.

2 beeps usually indicate a problem with the memory modules.Try re-seating modules and check the wiring.

If it doesn't fix the problem something's wrong with the new mainboard or something else has gone bad during the replacement.

CarlBowles:

Before you spend any more money on your laptop I urge you to consult a professional.!

I've just wasted nearly a week's worth of time and nearly $200 in the past month: replaced the display cables, the display, bridged the fuse and now decided to buy another notebook instead of throwing more at this notebook. I am, however, not done with this. This issue is clearly so prevalent that it is not a "reasonable wear and tear" issue. It is a design flaw. We, as consumer's have recourse here, and it's called a class-action law suit. I think it would behoove Dell to step up, find a solution and get it to us, or learn a lesson from Toyota and buy back these hunks of faulty technology they sold us so we can get a notebook that functions as it should have to begin with.

I'll keep you posted on how this proceeds.

Compared to other laptops there are not so many people who complain about the inspiron 1545 .It is one of the most reliable electronic devices I've ever had.This machine has been serving me for the last 3 years - running 12 hours a day without the slightest problem !

Honestly after 3 years I actually expect it to fail any moment because of its constant use.There are parts like capacitors that dry up and could lead to - well - a faulty mainboard or whatsoever.

Many users who attempt repairing a laptop are not aware of the fact that in some cases a faulty mainboard could also result in a faulty display or vice versa.If more than one part in a laptop is broken lack of technical knowledge (I am not talking about you) will end up in a vicious circle.

Imagine the following scenario:

> no display,external monitor fine - user replaces display

> new display same problem - user replaces display cable

> new display cable same problem,user is desperate,googles finds "fuse" solution

> user "bridges" fuse and if he is lucky everything is fine - but let's assume he is not lucky: BOOM!

  display shot again and he doesn't even know it ! Why ? Well,it takes usually time for a fuse to blow up - maybe

  some milliseconds.This could cause another device (voltage regulator)on the mainboard to fail which then results

 in too high a voltage at one side of the fuse.As soon as somebody bridges the fuse this voltage destroys the new display

> since the display is new and the user is not aware that it is already broken again he buys a new mainboard

  New mainboard,new display,new display cable - that should do the trick ...what a disappointment when

  still nothing appears on the screen.

> I too remind people of the fuse on a 1545 mainboard but I also expect some basic technical knowledge to avoid

  unnecessary trouble.