[stevegong]

Hi guys,

When I woke my ibook up this morning, the screen was dim so I restarted it and the backlight never came on. If I put the screen to almost closing, the backlight does come on.

This leads me to believe that the cable providing power to backlight is thin or is about to be severed.

My iBook has long gone off warranty. What are my options to fix this problem?

Thanks.

[DMBand0026]

Try pushing down on the part of the computer above the keyboard. Right around the hinge, that'll show you if your power is being cut or what. If you push down on it and the power comes back on, it's a faulty connecter I think. Maybe someone can shed some more light on this for you.

[curiousuburb]

Does it happen at all angles or just when the book is open at certain aspects?

<Backlight cables are known to fail occasionally and if it works at some spots and not others it might indicate a kink in the cable which would require replacement.>

[stevegong]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb Does it happen at all angles or just when the book is open at certain aspects? <Backlight cables are known to fail occasionally and if it works at some spots and not others it might indicate a kink in the cable which would require replacement.>

It only fails when I open it up. If it's 30 degrees open, it works fine, anything more shuts it off.

What is odd is that I found that if I open the screen little by little over 10 minutes, it will be able to work and even at obtuse angles.

But I think it must be a kink in the cable. would it need a replacement or could I somehow join them back together and wrap it around with tape?

[Escher]

stevegong: I had this problem with my iBook almost two years ago. It's the backlight powercable that is being pinched in the hinge. Apple has steadfastly refused to acknowledge this design defect. And I paid $300 for the out of warranty repair.

The good news is that if you are willing to open up you iBook, it's a $30 part -- the Reed Switch assembly -- that you can replace yourself. I know Small Dog Electronics sells the part.

See this iBook screen goes black thread on the Apple Discussion Boards for other victims and instructions for sourcing and replacing the Reed Switch.

Good luck!

Escher

[digitalAngel]

http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/

check this link out.. i had the same thing happen to my iBook and i got the logic board replaced for free. i'm not sure how old your iBook is but see if it falls under this recall.

[stevegong]

Originally Posted by digitalAngel http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/faq/ check this link out.. i had the same thing happen to my iBook and i got the logic board replaced for free. i'm not sure how old your iBook is but see if it falls under this recall.

thanks for the help, but I don't have a problem with my logic board.