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TM8100 Screen is GARBLED (lines, ghosting, distortion..)

post #1 of 40
9/25/06 at 2:36am
Thread Starter 
On my Acer Travelmate 8100, as soon as I turn it on, the screen starts to do VERY weird stuff:



I know that it is a hardware problem because the ONLY way to get this to disappear temporarily is by flexing the body of the laptop randomly.

I have opened up the laptop and checked the cable connections, and everything seems in order. I undid most of the screws and put them back in.

I checked for dust, and there really wasn't too much. The computer is just over a year old so the warranty is out.

Does anyone have any idea as to why this might be happening?
Thanks in advance
matija

update: see page 2 of this thread
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post #2 of 40
9/25/06 at 2:55am
Let me ask this, is the lid opened and closed numerous times a day?

There are basically 3 possible sources:
1)Monitor Cable (this is about $15-20)
2)Video Card Failure
3)LCD Failure

If the laptop is opened and closed frequently there is a possibility the cable has a break in it. This is not a very common but possible. You may also check the connection on the monitor end. BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN POPPING THE MONITOR BEZEL OPEN!!!

-Schiff
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post #3 of 40
9/25/06 at 3:02am
Thread Starter 
yes, the lid definitely gets opened numerous times a day.

As for checking the cable on the monitor end: I've tried tugging on the cables while the computer is on, and it makes no difference. The only thing that makes a difference is the flex on the bottom part of the laptop (the base, not the screen). Which leads me to believe that it is a video card issue.

Anyone know how much this stuff costs to replace?
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post #4 of 40
9/25/06 at 4:54am
qda, the possible problems are:
a) GPU or video RAM failure
b) the connector between the LCD and laptop motherboard is going kaput
To test if the problem is a) then try to connect an external monitor and start the laptop with it. If there are no problems then most likely the problem is b).
In either case send the laptop back for servicing if it's still covered by Warranty.
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post #5 of 40
9/25/06 at 5:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicolin
qda, the possible problems are:
a) GPU or video RAM failure
b) the connector between the LCD and laptop motherboard is going kaput
To test if the problem is a) then try to connect an external monitor and start the laptop with it. If there are no problems then most likely the problem is b).
In either case send the laptop back for servicing if it's still covered by Warranty.

nope, as i said, warranty is done
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post #6 of 40
9/25/06 at 1:55pm
You can try contacting these guys. They offer diagnosis and they can usually get replacement acer parts for a decent price.

http://www.notebooksolutions.ca/zc/

-Schiff
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post #7 of 40
9/25/06 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
hmm thanks for the tip, but it seems like they dont have parts for the travelmate 8100
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post #8 of 40
9/25/06 at 3:30pm
do you have an external vga connector?? if you can connect up via that and you don't get the mess on a vga screen then that would suggest that the vga card is ok.. so it must be the invertor or the lcd.. and vice versa..
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post #9 of 40
9/26/06 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
update on the status: plugging in an external VGA monitor works perfectly (it boots in clone mode, the external monitor is fine, the lcd on the laptop is exactly the same as before - garbled and flickering)

i've found that the easiest way to 'fix' the problem temporarily is to press down below the arrow keys with a couple fingers rather hard... is this indicative of something??
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post #10 of 40
9/26/06 at 5:41pm
Not being familiar with your motherboard layout its difficult to say. There could be a second monitor harness to jump a segment of the board (where traces are not possible due to poor layout) however this is extremely rare in modern laptops. There could be damage to a trace on the board but that would require physical inspection of the region in question. Unfortunately todays boards contain several layers and the problem may not be visible to the naked eye. It could also be as simple as the monitor harness gets torqued just right when you press that part of the unit. Is the video card integrated to the main board or slotted?

The website I provided earlier has contact information on it. I exchanged several emails with them when I had my issue and they were very helpful. They also had parts available that were not listed on the site. If their policies have not changed they offer diagnosis for $25-50 which is FAR below the labor rate of Acer.

If you can not determine the issue yourself I would recommend against using the Acer Repair Depot. They are, to put it bluntly, HACKS. My unit arrived back knicked up from prying the case open, hinges misaligned, and the monitor cable over torqued with the retaining screw. While my repair was under warranty and they replaced the motherboard and keyboard, the condition which I received my unit back was inexcusible. I spent nearly 2 hours arguing with them to receive a replacement case to fix the damage they inflicted on mine.

-Schiff
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post #11 of 40
9/26/06 at 6:00pm
Thread Starter 
ok i'm going to give those guys a call, thanks for the heads up css
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post #12 of 40
9/26/06 at 6:38pm

Flickering...

Acer sorted my laptops with similar problem for free for it was covered by warranty - replacement mobo and charging circuit in both laptops. Once by mistake they sent me invoice for repairs (which they later recalled) for around £600. So... you'd better sort it out yourself
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post #13 of 40
9/27/06 at 12:30am
man im having the same reply with my IBM thinkpad, "garbled" (i woulda sed staticy) screen, exactly like how it looks in ur first picture and its makin me mad cuz this dam laptop is only 7 months old, and it may just be the monitor cable but im not sure, its making noises like its running but sometimes theres just a black screen, the monitor light wont come on (the one that lights up the screen for night use) and sometimes if it does work it'll work for about 5 minutes to a half an hour then it goes wonky, i need help too, but i cant call anyone that u guys suggested
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post #14 of 40
9/27/06 at 3:14am
It should be under warranty from ibm directly
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post #15 of 40
9/28/06 at 1:08pm
I've had exacty the same issue with my Acer 8102. Applying pressure on the bottom right part of laptop usually fixed the problem. Weird thing is that LCD is working perfectly for last 6-7 months without any repair or disassembly.
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post #16 of 40
10/8/06 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
OK guys, still no solution. I took it into a repair shop here in town, but they don't have the right parts to test what might be broken. I've opened the laptop up so many times, and tried cleaning all these things and moving things around, and nothing has helped..

here's the slight update:

BOTH the DVI and VGA work perfectly with external monitors

The flickering seems to change a bit every time i open the computer, so I know that's affecting it somehow

There is a board that is attached to the TOP half of the laptop which clicks into a socket directly (PCB to PCB) when the computer closes, and I've made sure that it is in fact always snug..





I've tried cleaning these slight layers of gummy film off some of the screw-hole-metal-rings...

so yeah, still in a rut, anyone have any advice??
thanks
matija
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post #17 of 40
10/8/06 at 10:33pm
Thread Starter 
update #2:

just found the service manual (actually its for the ferrari 4000 but they seem to be identical.. even the pics in the manual are of the 8100 SILVER case, not black/red)

so yeah, i realize now that the PCB in question in the above pic is the Power Board..

I am having trouble finding out how much those parts cost, they're nowhere to be found online..
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post #18 of 40
10/8/06 at 11:02pm
Since the output to an external monitor works you can pretty much narrow it down to either the lcd panel or the monitor cable. If moving the monitor angle has a direct effect of the display then I would start with the cable.

If you locate an lcd panel it will cost between 300 and 500 USD, but I would consukt a professional before jumping to buy a new panel.

-Chris
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post #19 of 40
10/8/06 at 11:11pm
Thread Starter 
yeah I'm trying to order an LCD cable but i cannot for the life of me find an online store that sells this one (though i'm waiting for a few email replies.. maybe i should look for the ferrari 4000 one..?)
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post #20 of 40
10/8/06 at 11:55pm
Im not sure if they would be the same length, but there is a stong possibility.

Did you have any luck emaling the people @ that website I recommended?
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