Q: my mac book pro starts up but displays a black screen.  Any solutions?

What do you mean by turns on?

Do y hear the fan?

Does the Power light Lite?

What light light on the MagSafe plug?

Do you hear the startup chime?

Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck

The X Lab: Troubleshooting Startup and Login Items

Top 10 Troubleshooting Tips for Mac Startup Problems

- Try resetting the SMC and NVRAM/PRAM

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

About NVRAM and PRAM

- Try starting in Safe Mode

OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?

- Boot to Recovery and repair the startup disk

OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

- If it is repairable reinstall the OSX

How to reinstall OS X on your Mac - Apple Support

- If you do not have a backup use disk utility to restore the internal disk to an external disk so you can try to recover data.

Then format the startup disk and do a fresh install of OSX

This is the Mac Pro desktop forum. I requested your post be moved to the MacBook Pro laptop forum.

Hi lllass ,

I'm using macbook pro late 2011 A1286. when I turn it on it boots perfectly but doesn't display any image.

When I connect to an external monitor it work perfectly.

When I throw light on the screen I can see the image and work with it.

Upon several research online I realise it is the lcd backlight.

I have tested the a fuse on the board with a P inscription on it and it reads 12.11v.

It still doesn't display on the internal screen.

I also checked the lvds cable and realise small damage to some two pins(see attached file) but I'm not sure if it can cause that.

Can you please advice on what I have to do next.

I have taken to apple service centre but they are asking me to change the whole top unit with the screen at a cost of €680 of which they are not even sure.

Is this a logic board issue or something I can fix myself?

Please advice

Thanks

Try repairing it yourself. The following has instructions and part sources

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Laptop

thanks but what am I repairing? I can't pin point exactly the course of the backlight black out.

Is the backlight fuse with a P inscription and what should be the normal volts output?

How do I locate and test the wled driver with multimeter and what should be the normal output readings ?

Please advice

Just to add, having seen the lvds cable, can that also be the cause?

Normally there should be no voltage across a fuse since the fuse has almost zero resistance. If you see 12 volts across the fuss that means the fuse is blown. However, the cause is likely not the fuse but that there is a failure in the component the fuse services. That is causeing the fuse to blow.

thanks for the reply.

I took it to apple service centre and was told to change the whole top screen unit.

I'm not convince that it is the lcd though. That is why I need to find the exact cause.

Beyond what I have done, is there any other option I should consider?

Illass, which components should I troubleshoot to find the cause?

And can you help with the location of such component on the board?

What size late 2011 MacBook Pro do you have?

A1286 covers many models

15.4inch unibody late 2011 do you need the serial number?

Googling did not find any information that would help troubleshoot your problem.

When you measured the one voltage what was the other lead connected to?

Well thanks. I have decided to take it to another apple shop just to be sure of the first diagnosis.

If it stay the same as in LCD replacement, I will do it myself which will cost only €120 instead of €680 the first guy was asking.

Will post the result in one week time as soon as I have it is done.