General LCD Problem with Dell Latitude

[cwags12]

I mostly do some side work with older Dell Latitude models, but I think that I have an LCD display problem in general.

Lately, I have seen encountered situations where I am able to boot through everything in Windows fine, and I am
actually able to see what's on the screen in color and in texture.
However, it seems that every other vertical line on the LCD is missing
making everything look really blotchy and distorted. Does this sound
like a bad LCD altogether, bad inverter, or just a bad connection
between (flex) cables behind the LCD piece? If you have any suggestions,
feel free to help me out.

[Xeroid]

We've had that problem on our Compukes at work and it's usually a bad connection or a bad cable going up to the LCD. Try flexing the frame around the LCD and see if your symptoms change. If they do the cable may be the fault. On the Compukes the display and cable come as an assembly so you can't just replace the cable.

We also had some Toshibas where the cable was routed across 2 screws. The screws would wear a hole thru the insulation on the ribbon cable and cause display problems. It was easily fixed with a piece of insulating tape. The only way to know is dissassemble the thing and have a look.

Mike

[cwags12]

Sounds like I will have replace the whole LCD then? I just wanted to make sure that it is not a possible bad motherboard? I had some wanker in Google Groups suggest it was the motherboard...Let me know

[Xeroid]

I doubt it's the motherboard. You'll have to take the thing apart to see if just the ribbon cable can be replaced. I think it's the cable or the display.

Mike

[davidamarkley]

Check the external monitor output, and see if the display is fine. If so, then the video adapter is good. Try to display on the external monitor and the LCD screen at the same time. If the LCD is still distorted and the Monitor is still fine then it's definately not the video adapter.

The cable is probably either loose or damaged. Most of the time, if there is no physical damage to the LCD(front, sides or back) and the laptop hasn't been dropped, then it's the cable. Especially if it just happened 'out-of-the-blue' and not for any good reason.

Hope this helps!

David

[Xeroid]

That's a good idea David.

[cwags12]

Thanks for the help thus far. I just tried it with an external display on my monitor and it shows up perfect on the monitor. Looks like I am going to take this bomb apart and hope for a loose cable or connection. If not, I am going to replace the LCD display.

Thanks,
Clint

[davidamarkley]

No problem! Glad I could help!

David

BTW, thanks Xeroid!

[tweekey]

Mike,
you posted a reply to a person that was having lcd problems with lines in their display. I am also having the same problems with my dell inspiron 4000. this is what I have done so far, I have tried flexing the frame and checking to see if something was loose. I have also taken apart the lcd and replaced the lcd inverter and that same day my picture was back to normal. exactly two days later I was having the same problems with the horizontal lines and distortion on the screen. do I need to now replace the lcd ribbon cable?? or the whole lcd screen.


tweekey

Originally posted by Xeroid
We've had that problem on our Compukes at work and it's usually a bad connection or a bad cable going up to the LCD. Try flexing the frame around the LCD and see if your symptoms change. If they do the cable may be the fault. On the Compukes the display and cable come as an assembly so you can't just replace the cable.

We also had some Toshibas where the cable was routed across 2 screws. The screws would wear a hole thru the insulation on the ribbon cable and cause display problems. It was easily fixed with a piece of insulating tape. The only way to know is dissassemble the thing and have a look.

Mike