After reading these posts, it sounded like someone here could help me. If so, I would be very appreciative. I have an IBM X20 laptop and the display has gone dark. I took it to a laptop repair specialist in my area who says that the inverter board is fine, and that the lamp (bulb) is the problem. The bulb needs to be replaced, but he says he can't unseal the display to do it and therefore I have to buy a new screen. Can he be right? I've done some research myself, and it seems that many people often do the work themselves, so I don't understand why it should be impossible to replace the lamp/bulb.

Can anyone give me some advice on this? Thank you ...

You might not be able to find just the bulb... Have you tried getting a Service Manual from IBM? Many manufacturers offer those, along with spare parts lists. You should poke around on the IBM website for a teardown manual and a parts list for that notebook.

Laptop LCD assemblies are, usually and unfortunately, sealed units. They are built in layers, and the lamp is the back layer. When the unit was manufactured, likely on an automated line, a jig was set up specifically for that display. Manual disassembly is the easy part--it's the getting-back-together part that's impossible without an exact assembly jig.

Peeling the layers off an onion is not a reversible process, more's the pity in this case.

Michael,

Yes, I understand what you're saying about reversing the process of peeling an onion. BUT, I was researching all over the web on this issue yesterday and have found a place who can fix the bulb. So far, it's the only place I've contacted directly, but there were others who appeared to be able to fix the lamp, and there are even directions to do so onesself published right on the web. Of course, one needs the lamp to do that.

The people at Fixmymonitor.com (fixmymonitor@msn.com) say they can fix it. Quoted a price, including labor, between $145 and $165 depending on the size of the display screen. My point in raising that is that apparently it CAN be fixed without replacing the entire screen. So I don't understand why some are saying it simply can't be done, and others (including other sites I plan to check out today) can simply fix the lamp/bulb part. I was hoping someone here might be able to give me a definitive answer on whether the lamp can or cannot be replaced, whether or not the part itself might be difficult if not impossible to find, etc. If that's the issue, then simply saying "yeah, it can be unsealed and fixed, but I can't find or don't have the proper lamp-bulb. But for a reputable laptop service dealer to tell me I simply have to replace the entire display is unethical, if they simply don't have the part, or don't know how or have the equipment to unseal the display.

So, to clarify my question a bit, can anyone here tell me simply whether the lamp-bulb on an IBM X20 can be replaced. At the moment I am getting conflicting answers on that simple point.

Thank you for your help.

Alex,

Thank you for your reply. I did try last night to do just what you suggest, but so far have had no luck in locating any place on the IBM site that has a tear down manual or lists specific parts for the IBM X20. Can you suggest a site or a link that might have that?

Here's the lowdown on LCD bulbs:

LCD displays are not sealed, not insofar as the backlight tubes go. My experience has been that most of 'em aren't "enclosed" to the point where replacing the backlight tube becomes ... impossible to those who specialize in LCD repairs.

To see if tubes can be replaced in the LCD in your IBM, you'll have to extract the LCD from your laptop (to the point that you can write down the make and model of the LCD display, or you can do as I do when I have removed one - I xerox it). Then you can Google the make and model with the word repair or backlight added to it, and go thru the list. A great many LCDs can be found on eBay, too - if you can retrieve the make and model of the LCD screen itself.

My experience also tells me that neither LCD manufacturers nor computer manufacturers will be the ones performing such repairs or replacements, and most likely you'll be relying on 3rd party repair facilities who are resourceful enough to pick up the slacks (you have to have expensive equipment and personnel, not to mention a source of LCD parts such as backlight tubes).

Anyway, it's important to get the make and model of the LCD itself since an X20 could (and often do) use LCDs of different makes and models. For instance, I have three identical Compaqs that uses two different makes and models of LCDs. Once you have the make and model of the screen, then those 3rd party repair facilities will be able to help you further.

Thank you kindly for your information.

It is very helpful and I will pursue it.

Many thanks.

Hello

Have solved your problem and replaced the lcd bulb. I have the same problem with a damaged bulb from a IBM T22.

Thanks

Jorge

Helllo

Have solved your problem and replaced the lcd bulb? I have the same problem with a damaged bulb from a IBM T22 LCD.
Can you help me? Where can i buy the bulb?

Thanks

Jorge

HELP???
My lbm laptop x20 have error message during boot.
Error 0198....Power Source is Battery...

Please anyone help