Troubleshooting Apple Cinema HD 23"

Ok...so I picked up a seemingly broken monitor for free and I'm attempting to troubleshoot the damn thing. Basically it's an Apple Cinema HD 23" (A1082). I hook it up to DVI (usb and firewire as well), and all that happens is the LED on the front blinks. The blinks are 1 long blink then 3 or 4 quick blinks.

Any ideas?

Google says: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88366

Some Apple LCD displays will alert you if they detect an error condition.

If one of the Apple LCD displays detects an error condition, the power LED will flash in a certain pattern to indicate the issue.
Pattern Meaning
short, short, short The display is detecting wrong video format or an unsupported resolution.
Verify that your equipment is compatible and restart the computer. If the issue continues, reset the PRAM.
short, long, short Make sure you are using the correct power adapter with the display. This alert will only appear on displays built in 2004 or later which require an external power adapter.
short, short, long The display is detecting a backlight error. Check your display's power connections and restart the computer. If the problem continues, contact Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

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It's probably the backlight inverter or the ccfl lights. You can check easily by plugging it in and then looking closely at the screen to see if you can faintly see the image. I've gotten a couple "dead" apple LCDs on ebay for a few dollars + shipping and fixed the backlight without much trouble.

Seggybop said:

It's probably the backlight inverter or the ccfl lights. You can check easily by plugging it in and then looking closely at the screen to see if you can faintly see the image. I've gotten a couple "dead" apple LCDs on ebay for a few dollars + shipping and fixed the backlight without much trouble.

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how would one go about doing that?

clickclickw00t said:

how would one go about doing that?

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Yes...I would like to know as well.

Hrm, this thread could turn interesting really fast. Cheap Apple LCDs?

To see if your backlights are burned out.. hook up your broken screen to a working PC and turn everything on. Shine a flashlight directly at the screen and see if you see anything on the screen (such as your Windows desktop/icons).. If you do, then your backlights are burned out/broken. There's a chance you can get this repaired for not a lot of money.. but most manufacturers say it's cheaper to buy an entirely new panel than try and get new parts soldered in place. If you don't see anything on your screen with a flashlight, your invertor might be fried (lightning strikes/power outages have been known to ruin invertors in LCDs).. This is a cheaper fix *if* you can source an invertor (from another broken unit, etc.).

I'd hate to see that nice 23" lcd go to waste due to a simple part replacement.. You might have a low-cost gem on your hands.

Jay

fyi, hes already mentioned on genmay that getting a new power adapter fixed it.

Just thought you guys would like to know he got his "$1" Apple LCD working

I was about to post, they have sreious power brick issues with these.

Phelptwan said:

Yes...I would like to know as well.

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Assuming you have a monitor with a non-working backlight that's otherwise OK (image faintly visible), the problem will be with the cold cathode fluourescent lights, the inverter that powers them, or both. If you don't have a spare of either, it will be tough to find out which it is and replacing both may be easiest.

Actually replacing the parts isn't too hard. There's a good howto guide at http://www.inventgeek.com/Projects/BacklightFix/overview.aspx where the guy replaces the original cathode tubes and inverter with ones originally intended for case lighting mods. You can also find original replacement parts, but they're usually horribly overpriced (check lcdparts.net if you want). Universal replacement inverters are being sold on ebay for around $20 and I think they'll work for most screens. The cathode tubes don't seem to care about the specific inverter as long as the connector matches, so buying one designed for your specific model is only useful if it's really important for the original brightness controls and such to work.