There is Hope for iMac 27" Display - Black Spots/Smudges/Dust in the display fixed!

[iammike1]

Mine wasn't dust. Was kinda difficult to wipe off. Almost reminded me of water stains which I guess could be possible if condensation got in between the panels.

Seeing as the mass bulk of my problem was right over the heat sink it does make me wonder....

 

[CHSeifert]

I've dumped the idea of an iMac totally because of this design flaw

No more 'cute' designed computers for me !!!
I will use my MBP 15 with an ACD 27 and then build my own monster PC with state of the art parts and Win 7 Ultimate (no more wait for Sandy Bridge and total control of GPU and SSD drives)
i7 2600k 3.4 Ghz SandyBridge CPU
Asus Maximus DeLuxe motherboard
16 GB DDR3 1600 MHz Corsair Dominator RAM
OCZ Revodrive X2 100 GB PCI Express SSD (750-850 true mb/sec read and write speed) for WIN 7
OCZ Vertex 3 240 GB SSD for programs
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB SSD for docs, spreadsheet and database files
WD Green Caviar 3 TB SATA 3 HDD for music and movies
Sapphire Radeon 6970 2 GB GPU
Apple Cinema Display 27"
Logitech DiNovo keyboard
Logitech MX Performance mouse
Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III
Lian Li PC X1000 LOW NOISE Alu chassis silver
Noctua NH 14 CPU cooler
Arctic Silver 5
Corsair 1000 watt gold plated PSU

This system will be faster than even a $6,000 Mac Pro system !!
I love a lot about Mac OSx and Apple design and the imac might look nice, but it has a serious design flaw - a 1" chassis thickness and a 2" fan outtake covered by the stand

 

[YuriVoorhak]

video? step by step?

Did anyone ever do a more detailed breakdown of this? I'm debating on whether or not to try it, but actually seeing the process would be nice. Either way, good job. I'd resigned myself to living with this and never buying another iMac. Now I only have to do one of those things. =)

 

[DrChack]

Thanks for this thread. This one and all the other ones with yellow tint etc. made me think again and I decided to cancel my order on my new 27" iMac. It just seems to be alot more people having problems then the usual 1-2% which is unacceptable for a product in this price range. Even if i think that I am perfectly capable to open and clean the LCD display every 3 months I am not willing to do that, especially since I can't do it myself in the first 3 years without voiding my warranty. And running with a 27" iMac to the Apple Store once per year is not really cool either.

 

[Ken-X]

Thanks Oggy! It wasn't exactly a breeze first time, but in future should take no more than an hour. I say in future because it was pretty well sealed from new, got grimy anyway and I'm sure I couldn't seal it better..... Rubbish design though, nothing fits neatly, no great surprise that it leaks! It was like nicotine staining, a residue that washes off easily ( I used a damp handkerchief with a little washing up liquid) but we don't smoke, have a clean, dry house, it's just a design flaw and should address it. The only other thing it could be is when the display gets hot, the solvents in the various tapes evaporates and leaves deposits on the screen? On my 21,5" it was worst in the top-left corner, gets hottest here and also the exhaust is here so may blow dust etc into the display if not sealed 100%. So all you smudged-screen guys, get it apart and clean!

 

[NutsNGum]

This is one of those threads that probably should be stickied.

 

[bpeeps]

I've dumped the idea of an iMac totally because of this design flaw

No more 'cute' designed computers for me !!!
I will use my MBP 15 with an ACD 27 and then build my own monster PC with state of the art parts and Win 7 Ultimate (no more wait for Sandy Bridge and total control of GPU and SSD drives)
i7 2600k 3.4 Ghz SandyBridge CPU
Asus Maximus DeLuxe motherboard
16 GB DDR3 1600 MHz Corsair Dominator RAM
OCZ Revodrive X2 100 GB PCI Express SSD (750-850 true mb/sec read and write speed) for WIN 7
OCZ Vertex 3 240 GB SSD for programs
OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB SSD for docs, spreadsheet and database files
WD Green Caviar 3 TB SATA 3 HDD for music and movies
Sapphire Radeon 6970 2 GB GPU
Apple Cinema Display 27"
Logitech DiNovo keyboard
Logitech MX Performance mouse
Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III
Lian Li PC X1000 LOW NOISE Alu chassis silver
Noctua NH 14 CPU cooler
Arctic Silver 5
Corsair 1000 watt gold plated PSU

This system will be faster than even a $6,000 Mac Pro system !!
I love a lot about Mac OSx and Apple design and the imac might look nice, but it has a serious design flaw - a 1" chassis thickness and a 2" fan outtake covered by the stand

----
Vh/Regards
Claus - TapaTalk on my Ip4

I see from your signature that you went with the iMac anyway. All talk, no action kind of dude.

 

[harcosparky]

This guide is for the dust inside the panel, not behind the glass. And actually you don't need suction cups. You can open the glass with just you fingernail. Pry it between the aluminium and the glass and pull gently. That's it!

Only works for the current generation. On previous generations, like my 4 year old unit the glass panel sits 'inside' the aluminum housing as it is surround by aluminum.

One the newer ones, the glass extend to the edge and is too easy to get off.

It's not all that well sealed, I think the older ones do a little better job of keep dust out from behind the glass.


Of course, all 27" units are of the 'newer' variety .... mine is an ancient 24" unit.

 

[Ken-X]

i see from your signature that you went with the imac anyway. All talk, no action kind of dude.

lol

 

[Oggy]

Photo guide 1

Here is a a photo guide! I have a feeling that there will be more problems with 27" displays.

Opening the iMac!

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287647&d=1306955245

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287648&d=1306955245

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287649&d=1306955245

Remove the tape from the top.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287650&d=1306955245

Unscrew all the screws on the frame. Don't forget the ones under the cushions.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287651&d=1306955245

 

[Oggy]

Photo guide 2

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287657&d=1306956104

Peel off the alu tape from all sides. Cut it in the places where you can't peel it.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287658&d=1306956104

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287659&d=1306956104

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287661&d=1306956104

 

[Oggy]

Photo guide 3

Pry open the frame. There are 5 pry opening points on each side. Look for dents in the black plastic frame.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287662&d=1306956389

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287663&d=1306956389

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287664&d=1306956389

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287665&d=1306956389

 

[Oggy]

Photo guide 4

Be careful when while opening the frame. Try not to turn the display around too much. Even better try to open the frame while it's in one vertical position. I had one accident with one iMac (dead pixels) - but they came back eventually.

Be carefull when you lift the LED.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287667&d=1306956612

There'S the dust!

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287668&d=1306956612

Clean it very carefuly!

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287669&d=1306956612


And at the end put everything back. Be gentle! LED can easily breake!

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287670&d=1306956612

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287671&d=1306956612


Good luck!



Oggy

 

[dmidesign]

Hi my advise/opinion and current experience with apple and the new imac 27" is dont buy one and if you have one don't turn it on because it will get contaminated if you use it, make sure you have apple care because you will need that to cover the 8 or 9 new screens you will probably need over the 3 year course, or sell it as quick as possible and cut your loses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVok1MBNJqE&feature=related

It seems that dust inside the LCD and on the backlights is a widespread problem. From the thousands of posts on Apple Support and the numerous forums YouTube videos, this is a design defect!

There seems to be no solution as apple where unwilling to help and blamed the grey smudge marks on environmental issues and my fault because i use my mac in my house, When i asked if i paid for a new screen would it be fixed or will it happen again, Apples response was we can't guarantee it won't. The only solution i am now left with, is to follow this link below and pry open the LCD and directly clean the insides and backlights. https://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...1#post11976152

I will be opening my LCD and wiping away the dust that has leaked inside the sealed LCD display
I will video document my repair and see apple in the small claims court

Will keep you posted

 

[Jiten]

Makes me wonder if this is also an issue with the new Sandy Bridge iMacs.

 

[ivejgaard]

You realy show som facts, imac 27 is a failure

Here is a a photo guide! I have a feeling that there will be more problems with 27" displays.

Opening the iMac!

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287647&d=1306955245

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287648&d=1306955245

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287649&d=1306955245

Remove the tape from the top.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287650&d=1306955245

Unscrew all the screws on the frame. Don't forget the ones under the cushions.

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=287651&d=1306955245

I have same problem, second time ! so now i waiting for applecare answer, what the will do now.New monitor wont help i can tell.

You done great job, THANKS

 

[Cripps]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere; my inexperienced search could not find it.

These posts all refer to 27 inch models. Does the problem not affect the smaller screens?

Thanks.

 

[iammike1]

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere; my inexperienced search could not find it.

These posts all refer to 27 inch models. Does the problem not affect the smaller screens?

Thanks.

Yes, I had the same problem with the same solution on the 21.5" I had.

 

[st1ngo]

Ive got the problem of smudge marks on my 21.5 imac

I took a pic of it and asked what to do in Apple store as I am out of warranty
The genius quoted me £325 to repair
He also said I should call apple care you never know you may get lucky !

I called when I got home and to my amazement they are repairing it this friday free of charge !

Thanks Apple !

 

[richmason]

Apple fixed it once under warranty

My 21.5 i3 iMac had the same problem after literally two weeks in Afghanistan. I schlepped it back to the US, aggressively but politely lobbied for a fix, and the Apple Store replaced it with the caveat that they will not do it again. The smudges came back about two weeks after I returned to Kabul. I don't understand why there isn't a warning label or something for this issue. Apple sells these units in Dubai through resellers where they have terrible dust storms. I'm surprised there's been no coverage of this issue on TUAW, MacWorld, etc.

P.S. In the process of replacing the screen, the CD drive was rendered inoperative. Didn't find out until it was almost time to fly back. I doubt I'll have much luck having that repaired when I get home as the unit is now out of warranty.

 

[vanchinaman]

Mine wasn't dust. Was kinda difficult to wipe off. Almost reminded me of water stains which I guess could be possible if condensation got in between the panels.

Seeing as the mass bulk of my problem was right over the heat sink it does make me wonder....

Thanks, Oggy for posting this - would have never tried this on my own without the pictures and walkthrough, and now that I'm done (sigh of relief) my iMac feels shiny and new again.

My smudges/dust streaks beneath the LCD panel were TERRIBLE. All over the screen. Incredibly distracting when photo editing - I kept trying to photoshop out tones and smudges that weren't in my pictures. This is a serious, serious failure on Apple's part to adequately seal the LCD panel...

Quick note: for what it's worth, the 'pry points' didn't necessarily hold much weight with me... I found it easier to just get a very skinny flathead screwdriver wedged between the outer frame and black plastic (per the instructions) - if you just do it a little bit all around and 'loosen' it, that seems to work well before lifting up.

Also, be sure to spend a LOT of time cleaning the underside of the LCD adequately - you do not want to have to do this again if you see one last smudge. Having a light nearby to shine across the screen helps to see smudges and dust.

Finally, the majority of dust was actually on the silver part beneath the LCD for me - I believe this is the backlight? Don't know what it is, but that is where the major dust streaks and stains were... it literally looked like someone had poured dirty water on the panel, let it dried, and then reassembled it. Ridiculous. Microfiber cloth + iKlear did the trick on all - just go slow, and be careful.

I wish I'd taken before/after pictures to post - but needless to say, my screen is once again clear. I'm a mac-ed out guy, but this has been my first major 'record-scratch' in their products. I didn't get Applecare because I thought, "it's a desktop... what can go wrong?' Big mistake.

Good luck to anyone else who tries this - but for whatever it's worth, it works. Just take your time. And THANK YOU OGGY.

 

[andy530]

I did it........!!!

I have 27" iMac, bought in 2010, forgot to get Applecare in rush, and then forgot again afterwards. I had exactly the same issue, tried in vain to get a response from Apple, if you are out of warranty..caveat emptor..

After much thought, I decided to give it a go, following Oggy and others guidance, bearing in mind I have never worked on a computer before.

The good news is that it works, there was obvious dust between backlight and LCD screen. The hard bit was prying the LCD apart, my advice, take time to find the pry points, they are tiny and located as Oggy describes.

One thing worth emphasising - get rid of all the metal tape so you can see what you are doing before prying apart the frame.

iMac is all shiny again, I have sealed the LCD with clear tape, I suspect it will go brittle with time, but having done this once, would happily repeat the process. If a newbie like me can do it, anyone can.

A big thank you to all who took the time to describe the process and put up pictures.

 

[GreenApple29]

I'm thinking to follow Oggys steps to open the lcd panel due to same issues with my iMac 24 aluminum
are there any videos guides just have things clear apart from these photos on this thread?
or any other resourceS?
if anyone can help it will be much appreciated!

 

[Wrathwitch]

I had the same problem with the smudges slowly developing and spreading over a majority of my display. It was an LCD problem. Apple guy came over and agreed, we replaced my LCD under warranty. Problem fixed end of story.

My advice if your machine is under warranty, don't frig with it. If you don't like the answer the first guy gives you, ask to talk to a manager. If all else fails, then go looking for a DIY solution. The equipment is too expensive to take chances if you are an amateur.

WW

 

[bushman4]

While the this post is interesting, for those with Applecare Let Apple fix it.
Why void your warranty or take the chance of damaging your IMAC.
Lastly most of these issues usually pop up from the start or shortly after while Apple will replace or repair it.

When you pay for perfection expect to get it!