Macbook A1181 Display Dimmed light

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Hi. I know this is a common topic here and I have read a few posts but nothing works for me... :|

This is my situation. I have a Macbook A1181 3,1 with a core duo 2.0 Ghz and with Intel Graphics. The laptop turns on normally, boots up and then a couple of seconds after being in OS X the LCD light turns off. Nothing I do brings it back on, unless I re-start the laptop.

I changed the inverter and nothing, keeps having the same issue. I changed the Cable from the inverter to the Logic Board and nothing. One thing I notice though is when I unplug and plug again the cable to the inverter, the light comes back for a fraction fo a second, and turns off again.

Is this a graphics card issue? is there a way to fix it if it were the problem? I don't have a DVI to VGA cable yet... so I haven't tried other displays.

Appreciate your help in advance.

:Smirk:
 

chscag

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You could have a bad or intermittent backlight. The inverter supplies the necessary AC power to the backlight and since you swapped that out and the cable, that doesn't leave much. The problem, however, with a bad or intermittent backlight is that they are very difficult to change out. Every repair facility that I know always recommends that the entire display be changed in the event the backlight is defective.

It's also possible that a connection to the display backlight is loose although that's unlikely since you can get it to come on by restarting.

You might want to take a look on the iFixit: The free repair manual site to see what's involved in changing the display and the cost for a replacement.
 
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macbook A1181

Hi enuvo,

I have exact same problem with my A1181.

It is not inverter for sure since computer works fine until graphic becomes "too demanding" ;)
At that moment, screen goes blank but it still works so it makes me thing it might be faulty GPU?

Have you ever found what is causing this or maybe solution? I would appreciate any help.

Best regards,
 
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It's highly likely you'll need a new LCD panel, as the backlight is embedded into it. If you'd already dismantled the display to replace the inverter, it's not much more work to replace the LCD. eBay is an economical source.
 
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It's highly likely you'll need a new LCD panel, as the back-light is embedded into it. If you'd already dismantled the display to replace the inverter, it's not much more work to replace the LCD. eBay is an economical source.

It's not a display, and it is not an inverter (I've tried already new parts with same result)

Display works fine in "low graphics" mode...for instance - OS X install disk or win 7 install DVD....you can run it, it will work fine until "starting windows" or login screen into OSX.
Once graphics gets too demanding computer just cut's off display. Actually, display works but there is just not a picture on it :)
I already tried with another (workable) display and, as mentioned before, it is not display.
Not RAM either.
My opinion it is bad graphic card/GPU or something related...
But how to treat this?
 

chscag

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My opinion it is bad graphic card/GPU or something related...
But how to treat this?

If it's a defective GPU as you suspect, the only way to treat it is to change out the logic board. The GPU is surface mounted to the logic board.
 

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