Colored vertical lines on PB 17" display

I've got a W85 serial numbered Powerbook and guess what - a HORIZONTAL line has just appeared (Saturday) was there ever a resolution to this issue, or am I going to have to get a case number the same as everyone else!

Cheers

Andy

Here's another one. Yup, me too - Thin blue (mine's vertical) line just left of center on my G4 17" W85... purchased in '05.

Is there any word on this about how best to approach the problem? Has anyone had any success with Apple about fixing this issue? My challenge is that my APP just expired a month or so ago. I haven't called yet, I wanted to check this out first. Any thoughts would be most helpful. Thanks!
T

My Powerbook G4 has now about 50 lines. I bought it from New York Apple Soho september 2005.

Hi T-Van

Is there any word on this about how best to approach the problem? Has anyone had any success with Apple about fixing this issue?

I think I did read about someone who was *just out of AppleCare* and they were still able to talk Apple into dealing with the problem...you could always try that? Beyond that, I've read other thoughts elsewhere on how to get the problem taken care of, if you're interested in more ideas, email me (see my forum profile). I've also seen a list of "who to call" info, as well as sites with some do-it-yourself repair info...I won't bother posting all that here, but if you're interested, email me.

P.S. What happened to the ability to quote a user's post...did they remove the feature, did they move it, am I just missing it now?

I've joined the club- with one pretty green line so far.
HATE that I'll have to go as far as replace a wire harness or clip
But I'm SO thankful to the gentleman who posted his discovery of the root of the problem
(see below).

Folks

+After reading hundreds of your messages and checking the serial number on my laptop I am pretty sure that I have figured out the problem. I have a powerbook with the W85 serial number as well and got the famous vertical line problem. After a little over two years the powerbook LCD backlight failed. The screen is still readable in bright light but no LCD backlight.+

+I first bought a slightly older G4-17" (1.5 GHz) laptop from a buddy with a bad hard drive (serial number starting with W84) because I had to replace my screen in an emergency before a meeting and replaced the screen on my 1.67 W85 serial number machine. Guess what no vertical lines anymore either.+

+When I had time I disassembled both machines to see what was different and to troubleshoot my LCD (when I put the dark LCD on the older machine, same issue). I replaced the inverter to no avail and the only other thing that it could have been was the backlight itself or the power cable between the inverter and the Motherboard. Well there was no voltage out of the inverter and when I actually ohmed out the cable between the inverter and the motherboard I found a wire that had been broken. It was still in one piece but the wire had broken inside its insulation. It is the grey outside wire, one of four in the cable.+

+From the position of the break and by looking closely, I figured out that the cable was getting pinched by how the plastic hold down post was pushing the cable down as it comes across the interface from the LCD case to the main laptop case. I tried soldiering the cable to no avail and that is when I figured out that the cable is probably made out of tin or steel, not copper or aluminum, and therefore is brittle and subject to this type of wear failure.+

+I noticed on the older laptop that the plastic hold down piece is made in a different configuration and may not pinch the cable in the same way.+

+I am 100% certain that this is where my vertical lines came from as they disappeared when the cable actually broke (I can see the screen quite well in bright light).+

+This problem would not manifest itself in any logic board or LCD test as it is a pinch in the cable that actually lowers the voltage or shorts the ground wire (I don't have a schematic to determine which) going to the inverter, creating a ground loop.+

+I have been troubleshooting computers since the late 70's and I know that this is the problem with my machine and is probably the problem with all of yours.+

+You may be able to test this by opening your laptop keyboard case off the machine (like when you replace a hard drive), and use a torx wrench (I think it is a number 6), to remove the screw that holds down the plastic part that holds down the LCD backlight power cable. Then close your machine and see if the lines are still there! You may have to wiggle the hold down a bit to get it to loosen up. Don't move it too much as it becomes difficult to resecure the top of your case to the machine as that part likes to lift up and bind the case.+

+You can probably just reaffix the case top to your machine without screwing it in and test it that way as this will remove all of the mechanical binding from that cable. If the vertical lines are gone then guess what, you solved your problem.+

+If this does work I would recommend just taking a pair of clippers and remove that plastic hold down post as removing it does not do anything vital to screw up the machine. That will make it easier to close the keyboard top of the case.+

+If there are any tech's out there I would really like to hear some feedback on this. I am trying to order a replacement cable now to put my original machine back together (you have to completely remove the LCD from the top of the case to get the cable out!!) and confirm the removal of the lines. I also need that cable!!+

+I hope that this helps everyone who has this problem with what is otherwise a great machine! (Attention Apple folks, you can email me for confirmation of this fix).+

Very intersting fix from 'breathejustbreathe'.

My G4 17" LCD had accumulated 17 VLs before DHL came to pick it up in an Apple box that was sent a day to two earlier. My laptop is back now from Apple repair and I have a new LCD. Warranted for 90 days (std repair policy). Mine was out warranty, but along with Marcus' post and speaking very respectfully to Apple executive support, I now have two things; 1) a brand new LCD and a very tight hinge (they must have replaced more than just the LCD) and 2) an even higher regard for Apple as a product and even more so as a company of people who truly are heads above the rest. I have been in the high tech industry as an engineer and manager for almost 30 years and my kudos for Apple is base on a wide swathe of experience. I believe they bent over backwards to help.

<edited by host>

Be nice to Apple. I was and achieved my goals. Even if Apple had not repaired my laptop, I would have still bought Apple products. They simply work. Now I have another reason: They stand behind their products and really care about and value their customers.

do you think that MS would even have talked to me about this problem?

Thanks for posting your story about getting your Powerbook fixed by Apple following my suggested process. But once again a post on how to get your machine fixed has been edited by the host. The process I devised DOES work, but we have to keep the info going. Once again, anyone wanting the process for getting their faulty Powerbook fixed should email me at: *************@**********.** and I will forward you the info. Valve, will you forward the info as well if anyone requests it from you? As I suspected, even out of warranty Apple will help you if you follow the process I laid out for you. It worked for me and now others are being taken care of as well.

Marcus

<Edited by Moderator>

I have the same problem with over 100 vertical lines on my screen. It is so frustrating to have the same problem as thousands of other people without Apple acknowledging it exists. I think that Apple should fix everyone's screens free of charge even if they are out of warranty. It is obviously a design or manufacturing flaw and has nothing to do with the users.

Same thing just started today on my PB G4 17". Apple needs to react to this problem.

Mine has been displaying the lines since a couple of weeks. The first line appeared at startup an disappeared during the startop process so I wasn't very worried at that time. Since a week or so new lines have been developping and they do no longer disappear. I have 4 visible lines right now and I fear more will be coming and those will make my powerbook useless.

Please Apple recognise this problem and recall the affected laptops for repair.

Well, I would like to share a success story with all of you. I contacted apple and they were able to fix my computer for me.

Most important part of the repair was staying polite with all whom I spoke to. No matter how disappointing this problem is, if you get angry and yell, it will not help. No matter how mad I was on the phone, I continued to hold my cool.

They wanted to charge me to fix it, but this was unacceptable to me so I explained how much it would deter me from buying apple products in the future. Not in an angry manner but in a very disappointing tone of voice, because most of all, it is very disappointing that apple is not recognizing this problem on the W8 models. I was true about my comment on not buying any more apple stuff if they would not help and all whom I spoke to believed me.

Remember that the most important thing is to be polite.

<Edited by Moderator>

OK, same strips here!

*Called Apple Germany:*

Lady:
"Never heared about it, have to ask my boss. Please wait."

"Thank you for waiting, so long. We know about this problem, but will not extend the warranity."

"I don't know what the technical problem is, I have to ask my boss, please wait."

"Thanks for waiting again. We do not know what the technical problem is behind the error. We are more looking after software problems here at apple care. But your lokal dealer should know, he is the one who is repairing computers. He is the one who should know how to solve this problem."

"Thanks for calling apple care, have a nice day."

... Have a nice day too ...


*Called Gravis Shop Berlin:*

"Never heard about these problems ... just bring it to our repair workshop ... will make a repair offer ... 2 weeks ... don't know ... 59 Euros if we are not repairing it ... no don't know ... don't know ... don't know ... you should ask a technican ... no I can not connect you to a technican .. don't know ..."


*Called Card Service Berlin:*

"We just change parts. Never heard about it. We change parts but will not follow events after this. To check for repair costs you will have to pay 79 Euros ... Mother Board ... Display change ... don't know ..."


*Called Cancom Munich:*

"Wait I ask in the workshop."

"We know about this problem." <Thank god!>

"We repaired some computers, but it is very tricky. Allmost every computer was a different procedure. One time we changed the display the error reapeared after a few days, then we changed the mother board too, stripes reapeared after a few days, then we changed the display again and it worked. So it's hard to say what will work on your computer. Display change or mother board change or both. I can only advise you, if your computer is out of warranity just leave it like it is. Our workshop will not be able to securely confirm whether a change of the display will be successful, or a mother board change. So best thing is just use a big additional display and that's it."



What I have learend?

PowerBook 17'', G4, 2005 made in Shanghai Number W8...
Scrap metal after 3 years of use!



Please if anyone knows that the source of the error is let us all know!

The world is big and many technicans are out there, so let us - for one time - share your knowledge.

Of course apple knows the source of the problem but will not tell us because we will all scream: Change it, it's your fault!

If there is an apple official who knows the source of the error:

Please lock in in the discussions - even under a different name - and tell us at least what we can do, if we repair our computers by ourselfs!

And your official apple repair shops will be thankful too, by not letting them fiddle around in the dark!

Thanks!

Hello,

Another Powerbook G4 17" here with 2 vertical lines in the center of my screen, each about 1.25" wide. Started happening a week ago and I am no longer covered by Apple Care. Bought mine in June 2005, serial number W85...

Haven't called yet, just looking around first and found this post.

You guys got a new member to the club. I now have one purple vertical line decorating the left side of my MacBook's screen. It disappeared once but it came back. And now it doesn't want to leave.

Pretty good timing though: It's still in warranty, and in two weeks I'll be flying to San Francisco, the city where I bought this MacBook in May.

Another W8 serial number here.

And mine just went over the last few weeks...