Seemingly dead CF-54 MK2 - any ideas?

Hi all,

Recently bought another CF-54 (love the Toughbooks!) and with it came with another one for parts both are MK2.

I'm trying to get the parts one running but not having much luck. When I press the power button, the "on" light and the "wifi" light turn on but that's it. No screen etc. can't get to BIOS.

So far have tried turning off concealed mode, tried turning it on with a battery only then with a genuine charger, with and without RAM installed. Have tried pulling the battery & charger out and holding the power button down for one min, still nothing.

Any ideas before I send it off to see if it can be repaired? Maybe CMOS battery?

Thanks!

 

Swap memory. If doesn't fix.
Bad processor or cmos

 

Thanks, memory being the ram?

Might try and change the cmos battery before I send it off to be repaired

 

Yes ram.
Computers will run without a cmos battery

 

Thanks Steve, tried without the ram unfortunately same result.

A more sinister problem perhaps?

 

You have to have a least 1 memory stick (ram) for the machine to run.
You do not need a cmos battery when testing.

 

Got it thanks, might swap around some ram modules and see what happens. Should I see at least the Panasonic logo on startup? As I'm not even getting that?

 

Yes you will see the logo if the laptop works.

 

Thanks, sorry I should have clarified without any ram installed or even incorrect speed of should I still see the Panasonic logo on startup?

The ram I installed was from a MK1 unit. Haven't tried ram from the other MK2.

 

Okay so some progress, installed a different ram module and got it to display the Panasonic logo and got into the bios... However the screen is really dark, too dark to see anything so I think I need to replace it.

Any ideas on how I can tell if I need the 1920 x 1080 or 1366 x 768 version?

Guess I could stick a hard drive in it and put it in my dock to see.

 

You should try hooking up an external monitor first before replacing the screen

 

Is lid switch enabled in BIOS?

 

So connected an external screen - was a pain because I had to install the dock drivers, anyway! Did that and screen worked so that's good.

However - took off the screen and tried it on another CF-54 I have and it worked fine! Cable works so the bad news is this is on the laptop end...

I'm not sure? I can't seem to get into BIOS can you see the BIOS menu with an external screen attached? I was thinking it couldn't be done.

So could it be a graphics card issue? Definitely not a Windows issue as I have been swapping the caddy between the two CF-54s and the screen works on the other. Unless it's some sort of privacy mode but have tried enabling/disabling that and nothing. Hopefully it's not the mainboard?

 

Try hitting the FN F2 numerous times and see if makes a difference.

Sent from my SM-G996U1 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks everyone, okay got into the bios menu and I'm able to shine a torch on the screen to see things.

Went through the bios eveything seems fine, lid switch is enabled.

Seems like the back light function doesn't work but the screen is getting a signal. Checked the connector at the laptop end seemed a bit dirty, gave it a clean with some isopropyl reconnected and still the same issue. Might be the main board or is there a separate graphics card? Although think it would be built into the main board? Anyone think of anything else before I send it to Panasonic to see if they can revive it?

Was hoping it was the screen but have ruled that out...

 

LED cable [doubt it], screen is good and the gpu is good if it drives an external screen, otherwise it is a blown component running the backlight. Probably a relatively easy fix for someone who does motherboard repairs, not cheap, just easy. I have seen it done from a guy I follow on youtube,.

 

By process of elimination it seems to be something on the main board as the screen & cable are fine and it runs an external monitor. Although I have a feeling if I take it to Panasonic they will want to just replace the main board rather than repair it and replace the individual component that doesn't work.

 

What happens when you hit Fn-F8?

 

I am sure they will replace the mainboard. They will not do component level repairs

 

I hate to see that bill, anyway you look at it a repair is going to be expensive, I'm afraid. Try to find a bottom half from a smashed unit, I bought a CF-19 that way. Airbag hit in a dock I think,almost sent the top half into orbit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254983675259?hash=item3b5e361d7b:g:GZsAAOSwRjZgo9o4

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265161189913?hash=item3dbcd6aa19:g:YKYAAOSw63pgn-g-

 

If you are handy... You could check the little white boxes soldered on the Mobo with a multimeter. (They are fuses.) It's rare, but they can burn out. I just don't know if there is one there to cover the screen or not. If you know the screen and inverter are good because you checked them on another laptop... It's something on your mobo... If bad... I have replaced these with buss fuses of the same same rating.

 

@dan_189 The way I see it is if it works fine with the external monitor then the bottom half is working fine. If there was a problem with the bottom half then you should see the same problem on the external monitor also. This is why I said to try the external monitor. My guess it's a broken cable/ line or backlight.

You can order LCD cable/lines from Heartlands but backlight you need to send the laptop in to have it replaced. They stopped selling them because of high rate of return...many people don't know how to handle them and were blowing them as I was told by the one I was dealing with at Heartlands.

 

Took off the whole top display and swapped it onto your other CF-54? That does strongly imply a mainboard fault.

If CF-54 is like other Toughbooks, it will show the boot screen to an external monitor, press F2 during boot

One other thought. The BIOS may default to displaying on an external monitor plugged directly into the laptop. That is a Toughbook recovery feature. There could be a BIOS setting for that, or possibly a shorted pin in the external monitor port telling the BIOS an external cable is plugged in. Should be easy enough to check.