Backlight gone A1466 Help please

[macT2016]

Hello, Im looking for some help. Im having backlight issues on my mac air 2013 A1466 13' I noticed that the screen had a pink tint and started flickering for about 3 days before total failure. Could be a coincidence but I spent 1 month in the carribean where the humidity was very high and I did not have air conditioning. As soon as I came back to Canada this is when the pink light started as well as delayed light such as when opening lid.

I thought it was the backlight itself as it had the symptoms from what I read finally bought a new screen attached very carefully and was anticipating the screen to light up except nothing happened ... same thing looking through it with a flash light and using ext. monitor to get my work done.

From what I have read this now looks like a fuse issue can someone please help me figure out whats going on would really LOVE to get my macbook air back again. Any questions you may have... shoot ill reply asap, thank you in advance

HD photos of primary suspected area

 

[macT2016]

I also posted in https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/291660/no+backlight+,+two+screens+and+no+light more photos there of the board etc. and more participation at this time, thanks

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Have you done something as simple as run Apple Diagnostics? https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731
Have you considered a broken wire or corroded connector contacts could be at fault?

You went through all the time, trouble, and expense of replacing the display because you guessed at what was wrong. Computers are incredibly complex systems, and very different causes can generate remarkably similar symptoms.

For what it's worth, I don't know what you think we're going to see in those photos. That's the corner of the main logic board that has the display connector. I see the big Thunderbolt controller chip, capacitors, resistors, other chips, the Thunderbolt, USB and SD card connectors... no fuses. What fuses exist are likely on the underside of the I/O board, way the other side of the machine where the MagSafe connector is, or on the far side of the main logic board, adjacent to the I/O board (I can't tell from the photos at iFixIt).

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203161 is a pretty good overview of the troubleshooting process, but this passage in particular is pertinent:

Is it a software or hardware issue?
Pay attention to important clues.

• If the issue seems specific to a certain application or Mac OS X feature, troubleshoot software before hardware.
• If the issue occurs as the computer starts up--unless the computer does not turn on at all-- troubleshoot software before hardware.

I'm not saying this is software (backlights do have a way of failing), but it's a whole lot easier to rule-out software issues (through logical troubleshooting, not guesswork) than it is to replace hardware and learn you still have a software issue. We're not talking about changing lightbulbs here.

Anyway, I didn't see a schematic for a 2013 MBA, but I did look at a 2013 MBP schematic... the thing does have one fuse associated with the display backlight, but I still wouldn't suspect the fuse as either a primary or secondary cause - popped fuses are a symptom of other problems.

Fuses are normally go/no-go. There would have been no hint of degraded performance before the fuse went, it'd just pop. If there was some fault in the system that did pop the fuse, it was probably already failing prior to pushing the fuse over the edge - replacing the fuse might be as fruitless a pursuit as replacing the display (although there is a chance that a failure in the backlight did pop the fuse). But since the fuses in this case are almost undoubtedly soldered... do you know how to test the fuse before desoldering, and do you have enough soldering experience that you won't damage the circuit board traces?

Normally, a repair shop would not replace soldered fuses - they'd send the boards back to the factory for rework, and swap-in a replacement board. If that's what the pros do... get a hint.

 

[DesignerOnMac]

Hello, Im looking for some help. Im having backlight issues on my mac air 2013 A1466 13' I noticed that the screen had a pink tint and started flickering for about 3 days before total failure. Could be a coincidence but I spent 1 month in the carribean where the humidity was very high and I did not have air conditioning. As soon as I came back to Canada this is when the pink light started as well as delayed light such as when opening lid.

I thought it was the backlight itself as it had the symptoms from what I read finally bought a new screen attached very carefully and was anticipating the screen to light up except nothing happened ... same thing looking through it with a flash light and using ext. monitor to get my work done.

From what I have read this now looks like a fuse issue can someone please help me figure out whats going on would really LOVE to get my macbook air back again. Any questions you may have... shoot ill reply asap, thank you in advance

HD photos of primary suspected area

Not sure what the issue is or how to fix, I own the same MBA. I've lived in Ecuador, near the cost, for many years hot and humid everyday. It is the rainy season here now. My MBA gets warm and fans kick in from time to time. The MBA works great.

Hope you fix your problem.

 

[macT2016]

Not sure what the issue is or how to fix, I own the same MBA. I've lived in Ecuador, near the cost. Hot and humid everyday. It is the rainy season here now. My MBA gets warm and fans kick in from time to time. The MBA works great.

Hope you fix your problem.

Hey, thank you. Yeah its odd it just started after visiting the carribean i am looking now inside at the board and its apparent there is rust on it which wasn't there 6 months ago when I opened it (n) thanks for sharing
[doublepost=1456292423][/doublepost]

Have you done something as simple as run Apple Diagnostics? https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731
Have you considered a broken wire or corroded connector contacts could be at fault?

You went through all the time, trouble, and expense of replacing the display because you guessed at what was wrong. Computers are incredibly complex systems, and very different causes can generate remarkably similar symptoms.

For what it's worth, I don't know what you think we're going to see in those photos. That's the corner of the main logic board that has the display connector. I see the big Thunderbolt controller chip, capacitors, resistors, other chips, the Thunderbolt, USB and SD card connectors... no fuses. What fuses exist are likely on the underside of the I/O board, way the other side of the machine where the MagSafe connector is, or on the far side of the main logic board, adjacent to the I/O board (I can't tell from the photos at iFixIt).

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203161 is a pretty good overview of the troubleshooting process, but this passage in particular is pertinent:

I'm not saying this is software (backlights do have a way of failing), but it's a whole lot easier to rule-out software issues (through logical troubleshooting, not guesswork) than it is to replace hardware and learn you still have a software issue. We're not talking about changing lightbulbs here.

Anyway, I didn't see a schematic for a 2013 MBA, but I did look at a 2013 MBP schematic... the thing does have one fuse associated with the display backlight, but I still wouldn't suspect the fuse as either a primary or secondary cause - popped fuses are a symptom of other problems.

Fuses are normally go/no-go. There would have been no hint of degraded performance before the fuse went, it'd just pop. If there was some fault in the system that did pop the fuse, it was probably already failing prior to pushing the fuse over the edge - replacing the fuse might be as fruitless a pursuit as replacing the display (although there is a chance that a failure in the backlight did pop the fuse). But since the fuses in this case are almost undoubtedly soldered... do you know how to test the fuse before desoldering, and do you have enough soldering experience that you won't damage the circuit board traces?

Normally, a repair shop would not replace soldered fuses - they'd send the boards back to the factory for rework, and swap-in a replacement board. If that's what the pros do... get a hint.

Hey thanks for the reply yes, all software if ruled out I work daily with software so I have ran some simple diagnostics as well as using Apple's D @ startup... all i get is a battery warning " you should replace battery when possible etc. but you can still continue to use per normal" I belevie this is completely separate from the issue as a battery would not sink the ship. Photos posted were just to show if there was corrosion on the sockets there self along with something for others to point to if they see something etc. I checked the fuse for continuity which it passes,so the fuse is doing his fuse duty fine... my first suspect was the screen itself because it was a backlight itself and i know they can go after 25,000 hours which seems like a lot but who counts? so swapped the screen which is no big deal it can be sold for near the same price if need to be.... aaa yes the soldering so not fun, they all want 400$ to repair which I will not pay cause I can buy a used MBA for 700 and have a desktop computer too not even bothering taking it to the genius bar as i know the answer will be a sorry no, buy a new mac or buy a new motherboard which I can buy on Ebay for 300$ vs. 800 which exceeds the value of the mac as well as a used mac I could pick up. I have my suspicions if its simply not the fuse it is possible that a soldering ball thats on the backside holding the WLED driver i believe i have read that in cases like this between the sockets rusting or damaged that this is the other common suspect. I will get it looked at a professional board tech and get his take regardless I will take a look at it first with the scope to see if there is something obvious