9260 LCD static/flicker fix (loose cable) help!

OK... SO a CRAPLOAD of people are having this problem of bands of pixelated colors. For me its getting WORSE, and i have to tap, or play with the bottom left of my screen (where the cable are) until it stops. SO, I am very comfortable opening this thing up. Ive replaced the LCD screen... taken out the keyboard, opened up the back, basic stuff really. NOW i want to get where the LCD ribbon connects to the mobo, to see if it needs to be reseated or if the cable itself has been through too much pinching!

IF ANYBODY can provide me WHERE to start to get this part open... cuz i have no idea, I WILL PROVIDE IMAGES ON HOW TO DO THIS IN THE FUTURE, A FULL GUIDE, i dont care, cuz i NEED to do this myself, as i have NO time to send this in for fixing since im at school and use this thing heavily. So, if any1 can tell me where to start, ILL tell every1 else how to finish. PLZ HELP.. its getting WORSE. now my whole screen will randomly flicker with huge bands... its scaring me, im just waiting for it to shut off! in which case id prolly start throwin up from nerves. HELP ME PLEASE!

 

Hi,

Yeah I noticed as well that there seems to be some recurrent problems with the Clevo D900c display. I've posted myself here a while back after getting
some foggy white bands across the display after about 1 month of receiving the thing (I live in the UK) and didn't want to have to send it back (have to pay shipping both ways even under warranty). Search for "foggy white bands" in the forum to see what I mean.

I managed to fix it as the boys at Sager sent me a new LCD video cable and that seemed to sort the problem out. Very recently my Sager 9260 started beeping at me during BIOS load up, I again spoke to the good techs at Sager and disconnecting and reconnecting the keyboard seemed to help (still waiting to see if that is permanent or will it start up again). Now I've notice another display glitch and this one is like the one you are talking about "pixelation bands". At the moment it is very random and may not appear for two days or so, and if it does it doesn't stay. I'm waiting to see how this pans out before mailing Sager again.

Is this the same problem as foggy bands or is it something entirely new??

Spent a lot of money on it and getting it shipped it to the UK. I've only had this thing for 6 months and it already caused me a few problems (including win XP instability-conflict, I know it's this machine/drivers because I used the same XP Pro disc that I had installed on my old laptop, which had no problems at all; I've had to do numerous xp repairs for no good reason). The only redeeming feature were that the guys at Sager tech support have been brilliant and patient in my experience, but the Sager machines (this gen) are as dodgy as hell and my warranty won't last for ever. Also on top of that my user up-gradeable machine was pretty much made obsolete after a Quad MoB replacement + then subsequent MoB replacement for the 8800GTX, and God knows what else 3-4 months after buying it. I don't think I'll buy another Clevo laptop next time around.

Now I've got that rant out of the way, are you still under warranty? If so, do as I did and contact your tech support dept. and they might send you a cable+instructions (if that is the problem) and you can fit it yourself. Or if for some reason you can't do this I should be able to dig up the pictures Sager support sent me to show me how to replace the video cable for this system and send them to you or post them here or something. It's as fiddly as hell but manageable for someone who can hold a screwdriver and has some patience.

 

i cant find the foggy bands thread... but it sounds like it, cuz when these lines go across the screen, sometimes its only one pixel thick, and other times it thick bands which show up sort of like a negative of a picture, as in the image is still there but its flickering into different colors. I've heard many people talk about a pinched cable. So i already removed the LCD portion and pushed around the cable/ try to give it some slick before it gets crimped and bent inside the bottom left hinge, helped a little. Not a fix tho. I wanna see if the cable itself is pinched or i just need to reseat it at the mobo. If you do happen to have those pics from sager, either post them here, or PM me and ill give u my e-mail to send them to me. Believe me, I've held a screwdriver enough to this machine. Btw, the keyboard issue, it means you have a stuck key. Happened to my keyboard as well, PCMW just sent me a new one under warranty. I'm currently still under it, i dont have time to have it away from me for a week tho.

and as far as not going clevo, I dunno if id say that, cuz this is the only real big issue i had so far, growing technology is something you have to expect. Personally, I had some upgrade plan and im gonna swap the mobo and plop in a quad core and two 8800s or 9800s if i rele wanna wait till next year. I'm rele basically waiting till my one 7950 gets obselete, then im gonna make the leap and stop there. so please can i get those instructions? From what i found on the service guide, there may be a way to do it without taking much apart if i can get to by removing the keyboard and that strip above it where the buttons are, cuz i kno thats where the LCD connection is, i just cant get to it!

 

are you using the Service Manual?

you can get it at *cough* Eurocom *cough*

 

yes dexgo, i actually found it thanks to your thread a while back. But its rele not helpful cuz it doesnt say which order or how to actually get everything off... i just need to get to that damn ribbon. I wanna see if its possible to do so without opening up the ENTIRE top of the computer. Cuz then that would require me to unscrew the 4 screws under the LCD hinge which would require me to take off the whole LCD portion which blacks access to them sine they're inside the fold... uggg... so if he has pictures from sager at an easier way, im all for it. I luv doing stuff like this on my own too, such a techie... and PCMW has been more than helpful with everything, if i find out how to do this, i can have them just send me a new ribbon in the mail and do it myself, since im under warranty.

 

Sure Doodles,

I'll dig those pics up for you and try and figure out how to post them on here so that others can use it as well, and it looks as though it will be quite a few people as well (if not sent back for service).

I won't provide too many instructions as Sager didn't give me any with the pictures and I did this last year. I remember removing a lot of screws that I didn't need to in trial and error. I took all the LCD screws out and the screen almost fell out, before realizing that I didn't need to remove those ones at all.

As for Clevo machines, don't get me wrong I'm not about to trade it in, it still has a ton of power (2x7950GTXs). It just when you spend over £2000 pounds on a laptop most people are expecting to get a product that has been rigorously tested and does not need fixing after two weeks of receiving it. I also took (what I considered to be) a good risk in buying abroad and having it shipped to me because at the time I didn't see too many people with complaints about this machine. Also this thing has a processor speed that is about almost twice that of my old Packard Bell single core laptop, but it only performs marginally better in terms of OS (XP pro) and game time loading etc. This machine has the size of something that should be a beast in a lot of respects but is found wanting in a lot of areas. Next time I think I'll buy Dell or something else (also won't have to pay shipping both ways under warranty).

About the keyboard. I've seen a few posts of people talking about stuck keys, but all my keys are just as springy as when I first got it. Disconnecting it and reconnecting seemed to do something positive, for now, but it doesn't make sense why this problem happened spontaneously with no obvious prelude.

What you said above about the hinge cover, from what I remember (which is not too much) is I don't think you need to remove the LCD to get to get under the hinge cover, there is something you can remove that makes it accessible. I do remember that you have to take the video cable out through the left hinge and then thread the new one back through there. It will look too narrow to take it out and put the new one in but it was easier than I expected because there is more space behind the hinge than you expect.

There should be some old posts with "foggy band" syndrome or LCD display problem around unless they have been removed. I actually wrote a few myself. The foggy band thing essentially happened on dark or black backgrounds (BIOS load-up, dark games and black background web pages). The problem starts out mild but progressively gets worst over about 2 weeks, then clears up and comes back with a vengeance and stays. You don't usually see it on light backgrounds. Tapping the sides of the LCD case at the bottom sometimes temporarily solved the problem.

 

technoWhore, the Ghost band problem is the SAME problem as the one with pixelated lines! i just realized

when i start up, the black screen gets the lines in the same fashion as it normally does, except since its a black background the only color it can be is white. A good trick, is open an ALL black window on ur desktop and move it around, you'll notice the pixelated lines occur to the left and right side of the black box. Dark colors anger my computer! lol

so yea, Ghost bands and pixelated color bands = SAME problem. And the reason tapping the bottom, usually at the bottom left is because its either a loosely seated LCD cable, which im trying to get to, or a severely crimped/pinched cable, which has bent far more than it was supposed to going through the hinge. cant wait for those pics, i too thought you'd have to take off the whole LCD hinge to get to the 4 screws by the back of the computer part, the ones IN the LCD groove. cant wait to see.

 

Okay it's probably the same thing then. I hope that doesn't mean the problem is coming back on mine, I really don't fancy having to replace the cable again. It was a good learning experience the first time but I have no wish to do it again.

I'll get those pictures and post them in a few days. By the way how do people post images in their post, not done that before?

 

Sager had me send my 9262 (just 2 weeks old) in for them to look at for this problem and they said they had to replace the inverter. I haven't gotten it back yet, but it should be waiting for me when I get home from work today.

 

Sorry buddy... i hate to say this but its gonna PROBABLY, i cant say for sure, come back broken. At first I thought it was the inverter since its happened to others of mine. So i had PCMW sent me a new one under warranty. I replaced it myself... Didnt even cuz a change in the problem. I suppose theres a chance. But if its not back to you yet, it means when they turned it on after replacing the inverter, they still noticed the problem. I could just imagine the techie going "WTFFF!" If it does persist, call them back and tell them to replace the LCD cable, and worst comes to worst, the MOTHERBOARD! Think about it, it could always be the mobo connecting side of the LCD ribbon. THen you get a free mobo upgrade

 

It did work, for me. I got it back yesterday and after putting my RAM and hard drives back in I started it up and checked for the problem and it was gone.

 

well.. that means one of two things... it actually was ur inverter.. wow awesome for you lol.. or maybe your RAM or HD wasnt seated correctly... i didnt kno you took it out. But even that could have fixed it. I'd wait a few days... i also go days without lines wen i dont use it. Wait a week, let it warm up, play some crysis or COD4 maybe.. if it still doesnt happen... congratulations, im legitimately happy for you ... i wish it was my inverter...

 

Have you checked to see whether or not your LCD cable is binding in the hinge mechanism, or somehow getting squeezed/pinched when the lid is moved?

 

Well see theres the problem, im able to open up the LCD section and take that apart to bits! but thats all i can see!... once it goes inside that lil' old hinge on the bottom left, it could be going down the frikkin YELLOW BRICK ROAD for all i know!! which brings me to this thread and hopefully technowhore droppin me some pics as to how to get to the mobo connecting part of the LCD ribbon so i can see the whole ribbon and connector in all its glory and work out some trial and error out on it.

 

Thanks m8., I'll keep an eye in it. And keep my fingers crossed that you find a solution to your problem soon.

 

Do you have the service manual, it's pretty detailed and has disassembly instructions as well as photos and exploded parts diagrams. The manual can be d/l'ed from the Eurocom website - this is the direct link.

The LCD cable connects to the motherboard at the top near the left side as you look at the motherboard in the computer from the normal usage position (i.e., with the LCD away from you). Here's a snippet of the photo of the motherboard showing the LCD connection point - its the big connector in the set of three white plastic connectors with the blue label "2" on top of it.

 

shyster.... i already knew this... the problem is, if you take the keyboard off... and the metal thing under it.. u cant get there... and, other than exploding my computer like the diagram... wat do i do? thank you for your help shys, but im kinda a computer nerd anyway, i tried alotta this. In fact.. my screen is flickering RITE NOW... damn it.... i need those dang pix already of how to get to to it!!!

 

Just thought I'd update this thread with some more information in case anyone else is interested in my evaluation of the problem.

I had the same problem on my Eurocom D900C. The problem clearly traced to the LCD cable somewhere near the hinge of connector to the main board. If I moved the cable a bit to one direction, the problem faded out. Push it back and it faded in.

That was interesting because if it's a cable issue it's usually more of a clear transition rather than a gradual fade. When I pulled the keyboard and shield off and started playing around I noticed that the end of the cable near the connector was not wrapped and there was about 1.5" of loose wires. I started carefully playing with the wires and soon realized that this may be a problem with some of the cable strands getting too close to something on the main board.

The solution for me was to use some similar cloth tape and wrap the cable up to the connector. Once done and assembled I was unable to get the problem to return.

Chuck

 

The procedure that n8dnx describes appears to have worked for me. I also had what I would describe as a fast ghost flicker at times, particularly when the screen was dark (rarely had it when, say an explorer window was open full screen).

To recap, the process is:

Remove battery
Remove keyboard
Remove keyboard heat shield
Remove the plastic at the top of the where the keyboard was - the one that runs the length of the keyboard and has the holes in in for the hotkeys and power button. This piece slides off - no further hardware disassembly is needed.
The connector is now visible. One can gently unplug it (this makes it much easier to wrap).
Wrap the wires (as a bundle) from where the existing wrap ends to the connector. I used electrical tape. Care should be taken, as the wires are fine and can likely be easily broken/nicked/pulled from the connector.
Plug connector back in.
Reassemble. I found getting the keyboard connector back in place the most difficult part of the whole operation.