0

After smashing my old laptop LCD, I ordered a replacement part from a dismantled 2nd hand laptop. I attached the screen, and the first time I turned it on the screen worked perfectly. Since a reboot however, the screen flicks on for around 1s after boot, and then becomes blank / black. No backlight is on and no image is visible on the screen.

If I use an external monitor to change the resolution of the laptop screen using Xrandr, both screens flicker and the laptop again becomes visible for a very short time, before returning to black.

When I plug back in my old smashed LCD, the screen works fine apart from being smashed - it doesn't go black and I can use it normally.

The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 15. Does anyone know what I can do? Is this a hardware issue or a driver issue?

Thanks for the help!

Improve this question
6
  • One question: The time that remains on, is it longer when lot of black in the image? If you go down on contrast and screen backlight, does it last longer?
    – dmb
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 15:55
  • No - the time it stays on for seems to be the same every time. The best way I can describe it is when you change your screen resolution and it flickers off, on, and off again. That "on" seems to be the only time that the screen works. It also happens when the laptop has been left long enough for the display to go to sleep - when I hit a key or move the mouse, the screen comes to life for a very short time and then disappears again.
    – Sam
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 16:09
  • I was asking because some screens have capacitors, when you go over some threshold and they are failing the screen will go off. Have you checked the health of the ribbon cable?
    – dmb
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 16:21
  • The ribbon cable is undamaged up to the point of the hinge where it enters the screen. I am very confused as the image resolves perfectly for a very short amount of time!
    – Sam
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 18:49
  • I think you new-old screen is damaged. My asumption is based on that your old screen works, shattered but works and your new screen work only for a brief period of time any time the connection is reset, so I think it's realted to the guts of the screen, probably some capacitor has gone bad. One thing that's not clear to me, Does the external monitor also turn off to when the built-in screen turns off?
    – dmb
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 18:58

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
0

I believe your new-old spare screen is damaged. My asumption is based on that your old screen works, shattered but works and your new screen works only for a brief period of time any time the connection is reset, so I think it's realted to the guts of the screen, probably some capacitor has gone bad.

One thing that's not clear to me, Does the external monitor also turn off to when the built-in screen turns off?

@Sam To clarify, the external monitor stays on and so I am able to use it as a "desktop" of sorts. The laptop screen goes black when the monitor is on. Thanks for the help, and I am happy to accept your last comment as an answer if you post it.

Having that information, sadly I'm sure your spare screen is bad the only two thing you can do is to test the board(painfully long process) or change it.

Cheers.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .