apple display backlight fun

[switchedanhappy]

Uhhhhhhhh... ok.
Today i was just using my powermac with my year and three month old studio lcd display, (17in), and it started flickering. I wasn't sure what this meant so i stopped and waited for a second. after about ten seconds, the display got very dim, and the power light started flashing. I went to apple support, and figured out that it was flashing in a sort of code. short short long. this means that " the display detects a problem with the displays backlight." I believe the next word out of my mouth was F___. Anyone know what this means more specifically? the display seems brighter at the top than the bottom. I would rather not have to send it in to the apple store for fixing. oh btw this all happened after a restart it's never done this before, and i suspect it may just not be getting enough power, because it flickered in the same way other lcd screens do when they're underpowered, and i have my washing machine AND my dish washer going AND it's raining out. ( thought that might matter.) any ideas?

 

[matticus008]

With a vague code such as that, there could be lots of things wrong. Worst case scenario is a failing backlight which, while repairable, is not a fun or cheap task. It's possible that the display's inverter has failed and could be replaced if you have the know-how and a replacement inverter (which shouldn't set you back more than $15-50 depending on what part it uses).

Unfortunately, knowing which is the problem is probably tricky. If you adjust brightness and contrast settings, do the brighter areas remain uniform? If the bright and dim spots stay the same throughout multiple on/off and adjustment cycles, then it may not be the inverter. If the spots move around, it could be loose connections inside the monitor or a faulty inverter. When you say it was raining, do you mean a thunderstorm? Is your monitor connected to a functioning surge protector (not a $15 one from target, but a real one)?

The sad truth is that diagnosing and attempting to repair the LCD might be both expensive and ineffective. Unless you can get a good deal on a backlight assembly (maybe from someone with a broken LCD panel) somehow, that might be the end of the display. They're not really meant to be user serviceable.

 

[matticus008]

Oh and LCD displays shouldn't really dim when underpowered; they should just shut off. They're not light bulbs and are supposed to have protective circuits. If you suspect it's a power problem, try different outlets or a friend's house. If the problem remains (I suspect that it will), you should probably just start shopping for a replacement.