[hd580]
10-07-2000, 12:25 AM
I'm never going to buy a Dell Inspiron again. Gateway makes the same systems for comparable or better prices (and even a modular CDRW for a Solo, wow!), so for those of you who are business users and need mobile reliability, Inspiron is a nightmare. I think I went through 4 different tradeouts in a year for numerous problems.
A lot of Inspiron's have a light tube that tends to go bad. When that happens, the entire display gets very dim and very red. If under warranty, Dell will fix it for free. If not, Dell will fix it for around $250 I think.
Since the light tube is a $15 part, you can order it and fix it yourself at your own risk, of course. I did this and saved, but there are now 3 vertical pixel-wide stripes on the left side of my display, mostly out of the way; annoying, but 3 lines out of 1024 is easy to ignore. That is still better than squinting at my screen.
The following information is from a fellow Inspiron owner who documented how to fix it. I have a few addendums of my own: Make sure you have a precision #0 1.6 m/m Phillips screwdriver for removing the metal housing around the IBM-TFT matrix display. I almost stripped a few screws down using a flathead. I had no trouble reusing the rubber covers on the light tube. Finally, this new light tube is so much brighter than the old one was when it was working. Great for visibility but you lose just a little contrast. You can read it under the sun, but if you use your laptop for astronomy, say goodbye to your nightvision.
I don't mean to make it sound easy. A TFT crammed into a laptop is nothing like a desktop. Hope this helps anyone out there in the same boat:
The problem everyone is having is a bad florescent light bulb. Just like any other light tube, they get old and quit working.
You can order the replacement light tube from JKL Components for $10 plus shipping. Get at least 2 in case you or the tech breaks one (it's only 2.6mm thick). The
part number for the 13" IBM screen (installed in most Dell Inspiron 3200's) is: BF26285-20B. For your info... the light tube is 285mm long and 2.6mm thick. Call JKL sales at: 818-896-0019. They have a web site too. If you have the 12" screen you will need a different size. JKL's web site will explain how to measure the tube in your computer to find the right size.
The hardest part is getting your computer apart and removing and replacing the bulb. If you like to work on electronics and can deal with a soldering iron and have steady hands and much patience, you can do this yourself. If not, you need to refer this repair to someone who can do it but, a word of warning... One Dell user gave her computer to a tech who destroyed the screen when he ripped the thing apart. He handled the screen like a brick and pretty much broke everything. She ended up sending me the computer and I had to replace the whole screen... he did get the bulb installed though. This is not a repair that techs like to do and apparently was never intended for them to do. I guess the guys that build the screens just want you to buy a new one every time the bulb dies.
Here is how I and several other users fixed ours. Good luck. If you need any help let me know...
I will tell you what I learned the best I can. You might want to print this out for reference. Mostly you have to be very careful attempting this repair and order at least 2 light tubes in case you break one... I broke 2! Now that I have been inside my computer many times, I can do this repair in about an hour but you can expect it to take quite a few more. BE CAREFUL!
Fortunately, the one great thing Dell does provide is detailed tech info on their web site. You can find, download and print all the info you need to repair your Inspiron 3200 on this site.
1. go to SUPPORT.DELL.COM ( if you haven't already, put in whatever info needed to identify your computer, model, service tag, etc.)
2. Find the "Fix It" section and click on MORE...
3. click on YOUR SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION
4. click on TECH NOTES
5. click on REMOVING AND REPLACING PARTS
Scroll down to "Procedures" and here you will find links to detailed instructions for screen and LCD removal. I printed out every page that had anything to do with screen removal, LCD removal and any other pages linked to the pages I needed. For instance on the page for removing the LCD assembly there may be a link to another page called "front bezel removal". Click on that link and print that page too. Print EVERYTHING you can find!
Once you have all the documentation you will notice that it tells you to remove the whole screen assembly from the keyboard. I can tell you now that I have taken my I3200 apart about 6 times, all you really have to do is remove the bezel (see the page on front bezel removal and follow those instructions. This is the hardest part so take your time and be careful), take out 4 screws that hold the LCD screen in place, and carefully remove the display from the top first. Let the top come out while holding the bottom in place like a hinge so you can reach behind the screen and unplug the connections. Once again, follow the instructions you have printed from the web site. WHAT EVER YOU DO... BE CAREFUL!!!
Once you have the LCD screen out, there are no instructions on how to replace the bulb. Here is what you do...
First you have to remove the LCD from the metal housing it is in. Place the display face down and look for the screws on the back side. Take the screws out and make note of where they go because some of these screws ground parts of the circuit board to this housing. Put them back where you took them out when you put it all back together !!!!
Once the screws are out, remove the back metal panel. Now carefully remove the LCD display from the metal housing. Be extremely careful not to bend any circuits on the sides and back of the display.
Once out of the metal assembly, lay the screen on it's face. On the bottom, back side of the panel there are two screws... one on each side. This is where the light tube is. The one on the right holds a little cover over 2 wires (these wires are soldered to the light tube). Remove these screws. At this point you have to carefully pry the little metal housing from the bottom of the display starting on the left side. The light tube is in this housing. This housing is also part of the frame that holds the layers of the display together so note how it is installed as you take it out.
After removing this little housing you have to carefully get the bulb out and unsolder the wires on each end. The replacement bulb will have wires coming out of each end whereas the original bulb did not so... I would suggest that you do what I did... Forget about the rubber wire covers on each end of the original bulb. When you solder the new bulb in, use shrink tubing which will better cover the exposed wires that you have soldered to.
After you finish the solder job, you can plug the light plug into the inverter board and turn the machine on (without hooking the display up) to see if it works. My old bulb glowed sort of pink and dim... the new one was bright white.
If all is well, put everything back just like you found it. Carefully close it all back up.
[This message has been edited by [hd580] (edited 10-07-2000).]
A lot of Inspiron's have a light tube that tends to go bad. When that happens, the entire display gets very dim and very red. If under warranty, Dell will fix it for free. If not, Dell will fix it for around $250 I think.
Since the light tube is a $15 part, you can order it and fix it yourself at your own risk, of course. I did this and saved, but there are now 3 vertical pixel-wide stripes on the left side of my display, mostly out of the way; annoying, but 3 lines out of 1024 is easy to ignore. That is still better than squinting at my screen.
The following information is from a fellow Inspiron owner who documented how to fix it. I have a few addendums of my own: Make sure you have a precision #0 1.6 m/m Phillips screwdriver for removing the metal housing around the IBM-TFT matrix display. I almost stripped a few screws down using a flathead. I had no trouble reusing the rubber covers on the light tube. Finally, this new light tube is so much brighter than the old one was when it was working. Great for visibility but you lose just a little contrast. You can read it under the sun, but if you use your laptop for astronomy, say goodbye to your nightvision.
I don't mean to make it sound easy. A TFT crammed into a laptop is nothing like a desktop. Hope this helps anyone out there in the same boat:
The problem everyone is having is a bad florescent light bulb. Just like any other light tube, they get old and quit working.
You can order the replacement light tube from JKL Components for $10 plus shipping. Get at least 2 in case you or the tech breaks one (it's only 2.6mm thick). The
part number for the 13" IBM screen (installed in most Dell Inspiron 3200's) is: BF26285-20B. For your info... the light tube is 285mm long and 2.6mm thick. Call JKL sales at: 818-896-0019. They have a web site too. If you have the 12" screen you will need a different size. JKL's web site will explain how to measure the tube in your computer to find the right size.
The hardest part is getting your computer apart and removing and replacing the bulb. If you like to work on electronics and can deal with a soldering iron and have steady hands and much patience, you can do this yourself. If not, you need to refer this repair to someone who can do it but, a word of warning... One Dell user gave her computer to a tech who destroyed the screen when he ripped the thing apart. He handled the screen like a brick and pretty much broke everything. She ended up sending me the computer and I had to replace the whole screen... he did get the bulb installed though. This is not a repair that techs like to do and apparently was never intended for them to do. I guess the guys that build the screens just want you to buy a new one every time the bulb dies.
Here is how I and several other users fixed ours. Good luck. If you need any help let me know...
I will tell you what I learned the best I can. You might want to print this out for reference. Mostly you have to be very careful attempting this repair and order at least 2 light tubes in case you break one... I broke 2! Now that I have been inside my computer many times, I can do this repair in about an hour but you can expect it to take quite a few more. BE CAREFUL!
Fortunately, the one great thing Dell does provide is detailed tech info on their web site. You can find, download and print all the info you need to repair your Inspiron 3200 on this site.
1. go to SUPPORT.DELL.COM ( if you haven't already, put in whatever info needed to identify your computer, model, service tag, etc.)
2. Find the "Fix It" section and click on MORE...
3. click on YOUR SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION
4. click on TECH NOTES
5. click on REMOVING AND REPLACING PARTS
Scroll down to "Procedures" and here you will find links to detailed instructions for screen and LCD removal. I printed out every page that had anything to do with screen removal, LCD removal and any other pages linked to the pages I needed. For instance on the page for removing the LCD assembly there may be a link to another page called "front bezel removal". Click on that link and print that page too. Print EVERYTHING you can find!
Once you have all the documentation you will notice that it tells you to remove the whole screen assembly from the keyboard. I can tell you now that I have taken my I3200 apart about 6 times, all you really have to do is remove the bezel (see the page on front bezel removal and follow those instructions. This is the hardest part so take your time and be careful), take out 4 screws that hold the LCD screen in place, and carefully remove the display from the top first. Let the top come out while holding the bottom in place like a hinge so you can reach behind the screen and unplug the connections. Once again, follow the instructions you have printed from the web site. WHAT EVER YOU DO... BE CAREFUL!!!
Once you have the LCD screen out, there are no instructions on how to replace the bulb. Here is what you do...
First you have to remove the LCD from the metal housing it is in. Place the display face down and look for the screws on the back side. Take the screws out and make note of where they go because some of these screws ground parts of the circuit board to this housing. Put them back where you took them out when you put it all back together !!!!
Once the screws are out, remove the back metal panel. Now carefully remove the LCD display from the metal housing. Be extremely careful not to bend any circuits on the sides and back of the display.
Once out of the metal assembly, lay the screen on it's face. On the bottom, back side of the panel there are two screws... one on each side. This is where the light tube is. The one on the right holds a little cover over 2 wires (these wires are soldered to the light tube). Remove these screws. At this point you have to carefully pry the little metal housing from the bottom of the display starting on the left side. The light tube is in this housing. This housing is also part of the frame that holds the layers of the display together so note how it is installed as you take it out.
After removing this little housing you have to carefully get the bulb out and unsolder the wires on each end. The replacement bulb will have wires coming out of each end whereas the original bulb did not so... I would suggest that you do what I did... Forget about the rubber wire covers on each end of the original bulb. When you solder the new bulb in, use shrink tubing which will better cover the exposed wires that you have soldered to.
After you finish the solder job, you can plug the light plug into the inverter board and turn the machine on (without hooking the display up) to see if it works. My old bulb glowed sort of pink and dim... the new one was bright white.
If all is well, put everything back just like you found it. Carefully close it all back up.
[This message has been edited by [hd580] (edited 10-07-2000).]