Thunderbolt Display Issues

[rm19]

Hi all,

I recently got a used thunderbolt monitor and it seems to be that the backlight no longer functions. If you take a flashlight and shine on the screen, you can see the image and it is not lit - according to ifixit, that's the issue.

Im a student, so I hope you can imagine that I'm on a tight budget and would like to get it fixed, or fix it myself so that it's functional.

Any thoughts on what's wrong, costs, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chscag]

Hi all,

I recently got a used thunderbolt monitor and it seems to be that the backlight no longer functions. If you take a flashlight and shine on the screen, you can see the image and it is not lit - according to ifixit, that's the issue.

Im a student, so I hope you can imagine that I'm on a tight budget and would like to get it fixed, or fix it myself so that it's functional.

Any thoughts on what's wrong, costs, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

The Thunderbolt displays are LED backlighted. Did you check the take apart and troubleshooting instructions at ifixit? It could be anything from a backlight fuse to a bad cable.

 

[rm19]

The Thunderbolt displays are LED backlighted. Did you check the take apart and troubleshooting instructions at ifixit? It could be anything from a backlight fuse to a bad cable.

I need to first get the Torx screw drivers. Is that my best bet? I called apple and they quoted me at $450 for replacing the LED screen and that's nearly double what I paid to get this monitor.

I'm trying to see if local shops would do it for less.

 

[chscag]

I need to first get the Torx screw drivers. Is that my best bet? I called apple and they quoted me at $450 for replacing the LED screen and that's nearly double what I paid to get this monitor.

I'm trying to see if local shops would do it for less.

Torx screwdriver sets are readily available to buy from Lowes or Home Depot and possibly Ace Hardware if you have any of those stores nearby. Be careful using any local shop. Make sure they are familiar with Apple products especially the repair of a thunderbolt display. Also, you may find that their labor prices are close to what Apple quoted.

 

[rm19]

Torx screwdriver sets are readily available to buy from Lowes or Home Depot and possibly Ace Hardware if you have any of those stores nearby. Be careful using any local shop. Make sure they are familiar with Apple products especially the repair of a thunderbolt display. Also, you may find that their labor prices are close to what Apple quoted.

So I did end up getting one from Home depot and I opened it up, reseated the cables and it didnt help. Yesterday the monitor did come back to life and it illuminated the screen, I have no way of explaining how this is possible. Today it died again and doesn't illuminate. I showed it to someone, but before they did anything to it, it started working again.

Any ideas on what it could be, or what I should do it? Is it even worth taking in to an apple store?

 

[chscag]

So I did end up getting one from Home depot and I opened it up, reseated the cables and it didnt help. Yesterday the monitor did come back to life and it illuminated the screen, I have no way of explaining how this is possible. Today it died again and doesn't illuminate. I showed it to someone, but before they did anything to it, it started working again.

Any ideas on what it could be, or what I should do it? Is it even worth taking in to an apple store?

Screen coming on and off intermittently are generally the symptoms of a bad cable. The take down instructions that ifixit has might help to localize which one is the culprit. Or if you can take it apart again and leave it so that it runs but gently wiggle the cables or push on the connectors to see if the screen comes on and off. As far as taking it to an Apple Store, if the TB display is an older one, they may refuse to even look at it.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Before you spend any more $$$ on that thing, I think you should consider third-party displays.

A good reference to start shopping is this list:
Comprehensive List of S-IPS/H-IPS/e-IPS and other IPS Based LCD Monitors

 

[rm19]

Screen coming on and off intermittently are generally the symptoms of a bad cable. The take down instructions that ifixit has might help to localize which one is the culprit. Or if you can take it apart again and leave it so that it runs but gently wiggle the cables or push on the connectors to see if the screen comes on and off. As far as taking it to an Apple Store, if the TB display is an older one, they may refuse to even look at it.

I have it open and I'm trying to figure out what it is. I wiggled some of the cables while it was on the power source and I can't seem to locate which one is the issue. I tried the main cables that ifixit goes over, but I'm not sure if there's other ones that I might be missing due to a lack of knowledge. Do you have any other suggestions? Im trying to find things online specific to the LG display itself.

OP:

Before you spend any more $$$ on that thing, I think you should consider third-party displays.

A good reference to start shopping is this list:
Comprehensive List of S-IPS/H-IPS/e-IPS and other IPS Based LCD Monitors

I will definitely look into cutting my losses with it, but I'm going to hold out some level of hope because if this is something as little as a loose cable, it could turn out to be a great deal. Nonetheless, I'm still keeping this as an option.