Help! Lcd Replacement Problem

Hey guys, I have a Mx3558 (Pentium M 1.7ghz) and my sister dropped it a while ago so now the lcd screen is broken. The laptop is sitting there useless in my room and I saw a replacement screen for 180 CDN so I think maybe I should fix it. I am wondering how much does it cost to get someone to install it for me? A rough estimate is fine. Another questions is... is it possible for me to change it myself?

Do you guys think 180 for the LCD replacement is too much and I should just trash the thing and get another one?

 

its easy to replace lcds , ive done it many times , genrally you should see screws under plastic bumps on the screen or it may be a clicked tight screen so you need to get a thin tool through the gaps , google dissasembly guides , there isn really much you can damadge sept for the inverter... If you wanna get somone else to do it they may charge alot or very little it depends on alot of stuff , but its a easy job to do.

 

Have you tried the computer with an external screen to make sure the only problem is with the LCD?

 

Yes I did, it works fine with an external monitor

 

$180 is on the high side. I put a nasty scratch on the LCD of my HP DV1000 and paid US$119 for a brand new one about 2 months ago from ebay. Unfortunately the new screen has quite a few bits of dirt inside it. I would have send it back except that UPS charged me about $60 Cdn for customs and duties which I wouldn't get back. Beware of this if you buy from the US.

I suggest opening up the screen assembly and checking the model number of the LCD panel before buying a new one. You might be able to find a cheaper equivalent. For my HP, which also has a 14.1" glossy widescreen, there are equivalent models from AU Optronics, Samsung and probably others.

Here's how I removed the screen from my HP. Your Gateway probably comes apart in a similar manner.

Turn off the notebook and remove the plastic or rubber bumps around the screen bezel, remove the screws you'll find underneath the bumps and then carefully pry off the bezel with your fingernails from the inside edge.

Remove the screws holding the LCD panel to the lid and remove the lid (you may have to remove the screws holding the inverter to the lid as well). The LCD should still be held in position by the hinges. At this point you can see the labels on the back of the LCD panel to find out the manufacturer and model number. Notebook manufacturers use parts from different suppliers even for the same model notebook, so it is possible that your screen may be different from the screen on another MX3558. Try to get the same make and model or make sure that your video cable will work with a substitute model, otherwise you may end up having to buy a different video cable. I don't know if different cables are wired differently, but if you have the wrong cable the plug will not be where it needs to be to hook up to the panel.

Touch something grounded to get rid of any static electricity on yourself then unplug the inverter and the video cable (you may have to peel off some tape to release one or both), then remove the screws holding the LCD panel to the hinge brackets. It would be helpful at this point if you had a third hand to hold the panel while removing the screws because otherwise the panel will fall down once the screws are out.

Reverse this procedure to install your new screen.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

Come to think of it, if you're going to be taking the screen assembly apart, check to make sure that the cables are all plugged together tightly. If you're lucky you'll find that your only problem is a loose cable. You may have to check the other ends of the cables as well, the ends attached to the motherboard. This will probably require removal of the power button panel on the base part of your notebook.

Also, is the screen completely blank, or is there an image on the screen but very dark? If there is an image but dark, it could be the inverter or the backlight that are broken. These can be replaced for much less than the cost of the LCD.

 

Yes, when I turned it on and you can obviously see the lcd is cracked. There's still a bit of light coming out but the lcd has 3-4 cracks on it. Thanks a lot and I will try to find a cheaper replace screen.