[ltp] R52 Backlight broken? Any experiences on repair/replace?

[Bret Comstock Waldow]

Peter Schmidt wrote:
> Now every time I press the lid-close button (manually) and release it,
> the light works for 2 seconds before turning black again.
>
> Does anyone have any experiences about wet screens or
> repairing/replacing the backlight?
> I'd appreciate any (helpful/serious) answer.
Think in terms of replacing the inverter.  It's still possible there may
be another issue, but that action appears to have fixed identical
symptoms in my T42.  I did not have to replace the actual CFL tube or
screen.

Replacing the inverter has it's own topic in the hardware manual - it's
a well-understood task.  Note I had to buy several used inverter boards
to find a stable one, but they're quite inexpensive on ebay.

You might feel like replacing the video cable while you're in there, but
that's quite a bit more involved.  I can change the inverter on my T42
without a lot of dis-assembly.  I only remove the 3 screws along the
inside base of the display bezel and the bottom 2 (of 3) screws on each
side, and then gently pry up the bezel at the bottom to get at the inverter.

The plastic is quite flexible if I keep a fair curve (no sharp bends) or
you can take all the screws out (check the hardware manual diagram). 
Note there are two places along the bottom of the bezel that happen to
have sticky tape under them, so expect to have to pry the bezel off the
screen with something "soft-ish" (a plastic blade or such) after you've
removed the screws.

Try taking the screws out and then catching your fingernails on the
bottom edge of the bezel between the bezel and the screen (which is
harder than your fingernails) to feel how to work it loose.

Cheers,
Bret