t400 backlight broken, need advice

t400 is a month out of warranty unfortunately and the backlight just went out. when the machine starts up the thinkpad logo flashes and then the backlight goes out.

i have done some laptop repairs in the past. i am wondering about how much i should pay for a shop for the repair and about how much it would cost me to purchase the parts for the repair and do it myself if that is even reasonable. i have no soldering experience.

thanks alot for the advice.

 

Replacing the screen shouldn't require any soldering. Look in the HMM for the screen part number, then eBay for pricing. Make sure you get a genuine screen as there's lots of compatibles out there.

 

since i can vaguely see the screen(just not lit up) am I correct in assuming that i only need a new backlight.

I found this in the hmm

LCD panel, 14.1-in. WXGA+, LED-backlight

the FRU number was 42T050

I am assuming that is the part number. that search on ebay came back with nothing.

also found this idk if this is what I need

14.1"W LCD CCFL Backlight Lamp With Wire Harness IBM LENOVO ThinkPad SL500 T400 | eBay

 

I think you mean 42T0504, which is probably why nothing came up on eBay. You can see what screens were offered in the T400 on ThinkWiki. You can also do the parts look up on your particular notebook to see what screen you've got. There's a link in the sticky.

I am not as familiar with LED LCD repair, but I would say any time you've got to take apart the screen, it's a pain in the rear. Plus you've got to be very careful not get any dust or contamination in the screen, which is hard to do. That's why it's in some ways more desirable to just replace the screen than the backlight, though it is more expensive to do the screen. If you've got a limited budget and have the inclination, then perhaps it's worth considering.

 

thanks for the info. 185 i guess isnt that bad if i can do it myself. i am on a limited budget so not looking to drop a ton into this but then again the machine has a ssd, maxed out ram, is a thinkpad so still has quite a bit of life left in it.

if replacing just the screen does that make the job alot easier, as in if i follow the hmm i should be good with id say an intermediate amount of laptop repair knowledge?

 

You DO NOT want to try to just replace the lamp. Your T400 most likely has a LED backlit screen, so it may not even be an option... But I have replaced about 10 laptop screens with no problems, and have attempted CCFL replacements three times, and it has never worked out. Especially do not consider if you aren't good at soldering. Now, having said that: It is a pain to swap the panel, but its possible. I've done my own T61 and it wasn't too bad. I've done a T400 before as well, and it was essentially the same, but a bit simpler because it was LED backlit. You should be able to find a panel under $100. I'd consider the $185 one you found, but look around a bit more and be sure you can't get it cheaper.

One thing to watch out for, make sure you get the right resolution. If you have the 1440x900 screen now, don't mess up and get a 1280x800. It MIGHT work, but you will loose that precious real estate.

 

ok i guess ill pass on the lamp then. when you say pain do you mean just time consuming and making sure you remember where all the screws go or pain as in i might screw it up.

 

if your LCD is LED backlight, then the problem could be an issue with the motherboard's fuse.

 

$185 seems a little high. Where are you getting this figure?

 

42T0504 on ebay came up with one for 185.

what is the problem if it isnt a genuine lenovo one just as long as it is the same type of screen?

is there a difference between 2 different 1400x900 led screens?

 

hmmmm now the screen is working, does this new information mean anything?

 

how did you get the LCD to work? This could mean either a cable connection issue or a problem with the LCD itself or it could a motherboard problem too. But the first two reasons are more likely the cause of the problem.

 

Yep just a pain for all the screws and all the little snap connectors for the bezel.

 

switched back to my old battery instead of the new one i bought. the new battery worked fine until the screen went out.

maybe the new one(non authentic) is too blame if that is even possible. the old battery only has about half capacity left thats why I bought a new one.

 

not sure, but it is possible that the generic battery caused the problem.

So maybe stop using the generic battery and stick to the old battery?

 

gonna try that for a bit and see if problem comes back. if so ill post here and put a message in the main forum about the culprit battery so people can use caution when purchasing it. it was a 9 cell one on ebay for 40. obviously if the problem goes away with using the genuine battery ill request a replacement and then refund if the replacement causes the same problem.

 

still no problems. ill give it till the weekend before i turn this into a solved case.