Replacing backlight wiring in older Powerbook Titanium models.

Run_to_da_hills

I understand that the wiring system in these models between the screen and main frame had a lot to be desired. I have an old model titanium that has an intermittent back light problem.

Has anyone done this before? I am very new to Mac and understand that they are quite different to PC Laptops, IE CD DVD Drive system, etc. Looking briefly at diagrams the screen seems to be glued together and the inverter seems to be attached to the main frame rather then inside the screen casing itself as with most pc's.

Any tips on taking on this job appreciated.

pvik00

Select your exact model here and check out the guides:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Browse/PowerBook#Section_PowerBook_G4_Titanium

There is no explicit description on replacing the cables, but you can get good insight into what needs to be done by looking at the one on swapping the display.

Run_to_da_hills

pvik00 wrote: »

Select your exact model here and check out the guides:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Browse/PowerBook#Section_PowerBook_G4_Titanium

There is no explicit description on replacing the cables, but you can get good insight into what needs to be done by looking at the one on swapping the display.

Cheers. Splitting the screen seems to be a bit of a nightmare.

Passenger

Wouldn't you be better off bringing it to an Apple repair specialist for repairing something as delicate as this?

Run_to_da_hills

Passenger wrote: »

Wouldn't you be better off bringing it to an Apple repair specialist for repairing something as delicate as this?

At a charge of about twice what the thing is worth. :eek:

Despite the age of Apple laptops, their spares & labour dose not decrease. My brothers missus was charged e75 to remove a 8CM CD that was mistakingly inserted into the media bay. Some of these places charge 75 to 100 an hour.

thecommander

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

At a charge of about twice what the thing is worth. :eek:

Despite the age of Apple laptops, their spares & labour dose not decrease. My brothers missus was charged e75 to remove a 8CM CD that was mistakingly inserted into the media bay. Some of these places charge 75 to 100 an hour.

Why would the cost of labour go down because the machine is older?

Run_to_da_hills

thecommander wrote: »

Why would the cost of labour go down because the machine is older?

Exaxtly, why send off a e150 laptop to get serviced when the bill could well add up to 150+

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Cheers. Splitting the screen seems to be a bit of a nightmare.

Being au fe with these screens and indeed fixing them in the past, yep they are a nightmare. As you say (super)glued together in spots and no matter how careful I was, the metal always stretched. I found a flat bladed spatula the best for cracking the seal. The longer the blade edge the better. It's needs a bit of force too. You'll stretch it even then though unless your name is Mr Christ. Not a big deal if it's a knockabout machine though.

Great little laptops they were/are(the hinge breakage issue notwithstanding). My only advice would be to take it very slow. Very. Especially the part were you thread the video cables through the holes in the back of the lower case when removing the screen from the body of the mac. That's the point where a lot go bang. It's doable though and because you're under no deadline you can take your sweet time.

What exactly is the fault? If the screen is dark I found most of the time it was the backlight itself gone south(new screen time), sometimes the inverter. The cable only caused issues in two cases in my personal experience, where either the aforementioned hinges(usually the left one) let go and broke the cable, or the cable came lose from either the logic board(motherboard to PC types;):)) or very much less frequently, the screen itself. AFAIR there were two(maybe more?) different cables depending on the model of screen (and logic board connector?)too,

Hope that helps anyway.

Run_to_da_hills

Wibbs wrote: »

Being au fe with these screens and indeed fixing them in the past, yep they are a nightmare. As you say (super)glued together in spots and no matter how careful I was, the metal always stretched. I found a flat bladed spatula the best for cracking the seal. The longer the blade edge the better. It's needs a bit of force too. You'll stretch it even then though unless your name is Mr Christ. Not a big deal if it's a knockabout machine though.

Great little laptops they were/are(the hinge breakage issue notwithstanding). My only advice would be to take it very slow. Very. Especially the part were you thread the video cables through the holes in the back of the lower case when removing the screen from the body of the mac. That's the point where a lot go bang. It's doable though and because you're under no deadline you can take your sweet time.

What exactly is the fault? If the screen is dark I found most of the time it was the backlight itself gone south(new screen time), sometimes the inverter. The cable only caused issues in two cases in my personal experience, where either the aforementioned hinges(usually the left one) let go and broke the cable, or the cable came lose from either the logic board(motherboard to PC types;):)) or very much less frequently, the screen itself. AFAIR there were two(maybe more?) different cables depending on the model of screen (and logic board connector?)too,

Hope that helps anyway.

Intermittent problem. It is definitely a damaged back light cable. I believe these machines were notorious for screen & graphics problems.My sister had one that had an 1" thick line running down the right hand side making her 15" powerbook into a 14". Ill give it a go tomorrow, saw some scalpels for sale in Lidl

Ham'nd'egger

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Intermittent problem. It is definitely a damaged back light cable. I believe these machines were notorious for screen & graphics problems.My sister had one that had an 1" thick line running down the right hand side making her 15" powerbook into a 14". Ill give it a go tomorrow, saw some scalpels for sale in Lidl

There was some PB's with graphic problems but they were linked to issues that were solved with new logic boards and not faulty screens. I would suggest you pop into Dean at Bondi and have him check it out; he is top notch and Apple Certified and is decent enough with prices compared to Mactivate or Typetec.

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Intermittent problem. It is definitely a damaged back light cable.

Nope not always. As I say, I've had quite a few go through my hands and in only two cases I can recall it was the cable(and not a dodgy connection on same). Intermittent problems were nearly always the backlight lamp on the way out or the inverter

I believe these machines were notorious for screen & graphics problems. My sister had one that had an 1" thick line running down the right hand side making her 15" powerbook into a 14".

Funny I had more screen issues with it's the replacement, the aluminium PBG4, which goes to show how mileage can differ. The biggest screen problem I saw in the long term with the titanium g4 concerned the hinges breaking(beyond the logic board issue Ham'nd'egger mentioned).

Ill give it a go tomorrow, saw some scalpels for sale in Lidl

you may as well, because no matter how reasonable a price a techy is going to charge, it's a long winded and somewhat unwlecome job that could go 50/50 and as you said will cost you more than what the unit is worth.

Run_to_da_hills

Wibbs wrote: »

Nope not always. As I say, I've had quite a few go through my hands and in only two cases I can recall it was the cable(and not a dodgy connection on same). Intermittent problems were nearly always the backlight lamp on the way out or the inverter Funny I had more screen issues with it's the replacement, the aluminium PBG4, which goes to show how mileage can differ. The biggest screen problem I saw in the long term with the titanium g4 concerned the hinges breaking(beyond the logic board issue Ham'nd'egger mentioned).:) you may as well, because no matter how reasonable a price a techy is going to charge, it's a long winded and somewhat unwlecome job that could go 50/50 and as you said will cost you more than what the unit is worth.

The machine i am looking at has its left hand hinge sheered off completly with the two inverter wires cudely joined together, (no solder) with insulation tape.

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The machine i am looking at has its left hand hinge sheered off completly with the two inverter wires cudely joined together, (no solder) with insulation tape.

In which case with that important extra info the cable is pretty likely to be the issue!:D You can get hinges on ebay and replace them but it's a well fiddly job. It's a major design flaw with those macs. I can think of only two of those with both hinges still solid today. The rest have one gone or going unbeknownst to the owner. Usually the left one like your one.

Run_to_da_hills

Wibbs wrote: »

In which case with that important extra info the cable is pretty likely to be the issue!:D You can get hinges on ebay and replace them but it's a well fiddly job. It's a major design flaw with those macs. I can think of only two of those with both hinges still solid today. The rest have one gone or going unbeknownst to the owner. Usually the left one like your one.

As soon as I got it sorted and powered up on test before I assembled it, another disaster, the pink cable broke off the end of the back bulb :eek:, not my day. Impossible to solder back, Ive located new 15.2 replacements bulb in the UK for about e10.

They are a very nasty piece of kit to work on, the inverter is buried under the motherboard and nearly involves stripping the whole thing right down, also too many riibon cables. On top of that I reefed my one of my fingers on a sharp edge removing the trimming. :mad:

Wibbs

Yep a bloody ergonomic nightmare. Those pink cables are stupidly delicate. TBH I didn't even know you could get replacement bulbs. I suppose because stripping the monitor assembly down was just too much of a hardship.

Run_to_da_hills

Wibbs wrote: »

Yep a bloody ergonomic nightmare. Those pink cables are stupidly delicate. TBH I didn't even know you could get replacement bulbs. I suppose because stripping the monitor assembly down was just too much of a hardship.

I replaced the wiring, you have no choice but to use the same again as it has to clear the screen cover and hinge, anything too thick will snag. You can get replacement bulbs for any size screen, sometimes its just too time consuming and risky and is just as handy to replace the screen. Apple screens seem to be more expensive than PC screens so it is worth while to replace just the bulb if it goes. http://www.laptopsockets.co.uk/cross%20reference/15-16-inch-backlight-1.htm

preilly79

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Apple screens seem to be more expensive than PC screens

Supply and demand, it's a bitch aint it?

Run_to_da_hills

preilly79 wrote: »

Supply and demand, it's a bitch aint it?

More so the name and playing on ignorance. Most LCD screens are proprietary and will only fit certain Laptops, you have to check carefully, ie not all 15.4 screens are the same. Different manufacturers will use different ribbon cables. If anything I would suspect apple to have the largest number of single screens produced. The Titanium I worked on has a Samsung 15.2 LCD of which I assume heaps were made.

They also had serious issues with displays in the previous generation Imacs a few ears ago which they tried to shove under the carpet, my sister being one of those caught out.

preilly79

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

... The Titanium I worked on has a Samsung 15.2 LCD of which I assume heaps were made.

you're absolutely right, there was probably millions made, but as you say yourself, the mounts and ribbon cables used were all proprietary. couple that with the fact that it is quite an old laptop, with spare parts in short supply then the laws of supply and demand will kick in ... unfortunately they're not in your favour

Wibbs

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I replaced the wiring, you have no choice but to use the same again as it has to clear the screen cover and hinge, anything too thick will snag. You can get replacement bulbs for any size screen, sometimes its just too time consuming and risky and is just as handy to replace the screen. Apple screens seem to be more expensive than PC screens so it is worth while to replace just the bulb if it goes. http://www.laptopsockets.co.uk/cross%20reference/15-16-inch-backlight-1.htm

Thanks for that link.

Run_to_da_hills

Wibbs wrote: »

Thanks for that link.

They come unsoldered, and carriage is 14 STG :eek:

I managed to get the old one working again, trick is plenty of flux and not to move the wires as they will break off easily again.