2011 13in MacBook Pro Screen Not lighting Up

Okay so I have an Early 2011 13in Macbook Pro when booted up the screen is black. However, when the computer is on you can shine a flashlight into the screen and it is showing content. It works fine when hooked up to an external display which from my understanding rules out a bad graphics card. I have been doing a lot of research into this but I cannot nail down a specific answer to what could be wrong. From my understanding the LCD screen could be bad or there is a fuse in the logic board that could be bad as well. I have tried reseting the SMC and PRAM numerous times with no luck.

Could be a worn or bad cable.

- Nick

FYI…here are all the parts associated with an Early 2011 13" MBP display. If a part is bad…these are your options:

http://www.powerbookmedic.com/133-MacBook-Unibody-Display-LCD-Screen-NEW-p-17281.html
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-13-Unibody-LVDS-Display-Cable-p-17750.html
http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-133-Display-Assembly-p-22575.html

- Nick

If the LVDS display cable was bad would the screen still show video even if it is unilluminated?

Boynton0718 said:

If the LVDS display cable was bad would the screen still show video even if it is unilluminated?

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No it wouldn't and that would be the classic symptom of a defective backlight.

chscag said:

No it wouldn't and that would be the classic symptom of a defective backlight.

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Well it sort of could, as when the OP used a flashlight to see some sort of faint image, which would compound and confirm the the problem is due to a defective backlight or whatever makes it work.

chscag said:

No it wouldn't and that would be the classic symptom of a defective backlight.

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Okay so I found a thread that supposedly locates the backlight fuse. The image with the red outline and arrow is from the thread while the picture of my logic board is beneath it. My board isnt as dirty as it looks its just a bad picture but it was as good of an image as my iPhone would take. Now one of the test points below my fuse looks pretty grimey do ya'll think that could potentially be it?

That's the fuse which is shown in other views I've seen on ifixit. However, the only way you're going to test it is to probably replace it. You might not be able to use a VOM for continuity since the current will likely be shunted around it. I wouldn't try shorting across it as that might result in damage if the circuit has other problems.

chscag said:

That's the fuse which is shown in other views I've seen on ifixit. However, the only way you're going to test it is to probably replace it. You might not be able to use a VOM for continuity since the current will likely be shunted around it. I wouldn't try shorting across it as that might result in damage if the circuit has other problems.

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Okay so I connected my working macbook pro to the display of the broken macbook and it all worked fine as well as I connected the display cable of the broken macbook to my working macbook and the backlight was off. So this absolutely means the problem lays with the logic board. Ill have to go run and get a probe and see what I can come up with.

Boynton0718 said:

Okay so I connected my working macbook pro to the display of the broken macbook and it all worked fine as well as I connected the display cable of the broken macbook to my working macbook and the backlight was off. So this absolutely means the problem lays with the logic board. Ill have to go run and get a probe and see what I can come up with.

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OK, looks like you're on to something. Let us know how it goes.