x220 -- Bad Panel or Loose Connection?

I tried to attach a picture of the problem. Hopefully it worked:




This happened suddenly (on a 1366x768 LED panel). The distorted vertical band comes and goes, but mostly just comes and stays..though it changes in severity (not location). I initially assumed it was a bad panel, but if I press the screen or apply pressure from above, the band will sometimes disappear briefly...only to reappear even from the act of typing. That made me wonder if it was a loose connection.



I watched a youtube video on replacing the panel, which seemed straightforward enough DIY Laptop Screen Replacement : Replacing the LCD panel on a Lenovo X220 Thinkpad - YouTube.

In the video I also noticed that detaching the "main" ribbon cable seemed pretty simple, but reading other posts on screen problems suggested there's a second cable attached to the motherboard or video card?? Would I need to try to disconnect and reconnect both of these cables to determine if it's a connection problem vs a bad panel. If so, can someone provide a link to a video (or similar) for how to disconnect cable to motherboard?

Any insight about the source of the problem or steps to take to properly diagnose? I'm willing to replace the panel (probably with an IPS this time), but I obviously don't want to buy a new panel if a cable or other connection is the culprit.

Thanks!

 

A bad cable usually equals no output to the LCD, or an all-white-screen. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are fairly rare.

You've got nothing to lose by re-seating the connections on both ends. With that said, I'd bet a reasonable amount that it's the panel itself that has gone haywire and will need to be replaced.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the input above!

I was about to buy a new IPS panel to replace my failing non-IPS panel because I understood these were interchangeable, but then I read this on the ebay listings:

"Lenovo Thinkpad X220 came with IPS and NON IPS both types of panels. We are referencing part numbers in product title. Make sure you match up LCD part number , You can not mix and match IPS screen with Non IPS LCD."

Full listing: lenovo thinkpad x220 ips screen | eBay

Is that accurate? I've read of many people swapping the screens, so am I missing something? Does swapping non-IPS for IPS require additional parts or labor vs swapping for the same screen I have?

Finally is that price ($84) decent for an IPS panel? There's an option on Amazon for about $74 (including shipping). Any input on where to buy a replacement screen based on first-hand experience? Sorry for all the questions, but I have no experience buying or swapping screens.

 

No. It's a line of...BS.

IPS vs. TN swap is plug & play on these machines.

No comment on the price, sounds OK to me if it's a genuine article.

 

Great news, thanks again!

 

I have an x220t which has similar problems. I reseated the cable and it didn't help. Going to buy a new one when I have time...

 

Yeah, my band is typically a 2" wide solid black line now...getting very hard to work around. I just ordered a new panel from Amazon and will report back on my experience.

 

It is a panel problem, specifically the adhesive material at the bottom of the panel becoming loose with age--forcibly pressing the adhesive against the bottom of the panel fixes the problem, though I was not able to find a solution that worked on an ongoing basis. I ended up replacing the panel.

 

Try displaying on an external monitor. If its showing the distortion on the external as well it could be a motherboard problem.

 

I ended up replacing the panel with a new IPS panel I found on Amazon ($73 total), and I haven't noticed any dead pixels yet. It solved my problem, and the process was quick and easy. You can do it yourself even if you have no experience, like me. Type this into youtube "DIY Laptop Screen Replacement : Replacing the LCD panel on a Lenovo X220 Thinkpad."

The only issue with the panel I got from Amazon is that it has no tabs on the sides to secure it to the frame with screws. A packing slip claimed the newest IPS panels don't use tabs but that Lenovo has confirmed that securing the panel with tape works fine. So, I used gorilla tape, and it does seem to be working fine. As for whether the "newest" panels really aren't supposed to have tabs or whether this was a knockoff panel, I don't know, but what I do know is I switched a non IPS for this IPS and it's working perfectly...so far.

Good luck if you have the same problem, and thanks to everyone for their advice (especially ajkula66).

 

I'm having similar problem with X240. I've thought is the LCD cable connector and since it costs only a few dollars I'm trying this first. Hopes it doesn't get to the screen. I planning to buy from http://www.laptopscreen.com/ which have been fast and reliable in previous times.