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joe7dust · Nov 9, 2010, 04:40 PM

I have a A1226 that I replaced the LED Display Board on, no change. Then I replaced the entire LED LCD screen and tried it with both LED Display Boards that I have, no change still!

So... video works fine on external monitor but I can't even get the backlight up with 2 different screens, and 2 different display boards... I'm kind of stumped here any suggestions would be nice thanks!

BTW, there is a white, 4-pin connector on the left side that I have no idea where it goes. It appears to lead up to the web cam so I haven't worried about it much, it shouldn't need to be connected for the screen to work right?

olePigeon · Nov 9, 2010, 04:56 PM

MacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo Models A1226 and A1260 Repair Manual - iFixit

Here's a step-by-step guide with pictures. You might be able to figure out if you're missing something. There is a 4-pin white connector on the left side of the display, and that's the inverter cable. You'd need to plug that in to get power to the display.

seanc · Nov 9, 2010, 04:59 PM

For those who haven't memorized Apple's identifiers, an "A1226" is a Santa Rosa MacBook Pro.

I'm pretty sure the displays on these machines use CCFL, not LED backlighting.

If you're referring to the white connector in the corner next to the Magsafe connector, that's the inverter cable connector. If you don't plug the inverter in, surprise surprise, you'll have no backlights.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/I...a-Cable/1312/5

Edited thread title.

Waragainstsleep · Nov 9, 2010, 05:44 PM

OP is correct. The MBP has used LED panels since mid 2007 when the swapped to the cursed 8600M GT cards.

Sadly if you have replaced the LED driver board and the LCD panel, its most likely the logic board thats faulty. Or you have used faulty or incompatible replacement parts. Odd though, I've seen machines with inverters blow the power supply from logic board to inverter board, never seen an LED one do it.

You should get a multimeter and look for DC voltage where the LED board connects to the logic board. Either end of the cable will do. I have no idea what the voltage should be (set the scale for up to 200 - its almost certainly less than 25V) but if its 0, then the board is gone, if it register some volts then it might be that you used a bad part. If there is voltage at one end and not the other, then its the cable.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO SHORT ANYTHING WHILE USING THE MULTIMETER!!!!! It is easy to blow out parts while measuring voltages. I caused exactly this issue on a 12" PowerBook once. Needed a new logic board.

seanc · Nov 10, 2010, 02:36 AM

Waragainstsleep, I didn't realise they'd been using LED for so long. Guess I don't have to worry so much about my screen going yellow/pink with age then.

As for the dreaded 8600M, I'm still, somehow on my original logic board.

P · Nov 10, 2010, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by seanc

For those who haven't memorized Apple's identifiers, an "A1226" is a Santa Rosa MacBook Pro.

...that doesn't use the Santa Rosa platform. That nickname came from a misunderstanding spread by rumor sites. Early 2008 is what Apple calls it.

Apple's naming is hilarious. There's the partnumber that iFixit uses, there's another partnumber in their own specs, there's the number in System Profiler, there's the official name that's mostly a model year and there are nicknames.

Originally Posted by seanc

I'm pretty sure the displays on these machines use CCFL, not LED backlighting.

I had to look this up, but it turns out that the 15" model indeed uses LED backlighting.

Waragainstsleep · Nov 10, 2010, 03:28 AM

Yeah, the MBPs got LED screens way before anything else did.

Apples model numbers/names are a bit silly. A1226 covers the "Mid 2007" MacBook Pros. The "Early 2008" model is A1260.
The nicknames are usually carried over from when the product was in development as I understand it. They also have part numbers for ordering from the Apple Store. You'll find those on the label with the serial on the outside of the box.

Having bemoaned the 8600M (I had one in an old work MBP that I rebuilt from scrap go through two boards but then it was fine. It took a bit of a pounding playing COD4 and COD6 fairly regularly on it though), the 9600M in my unibody 15" Late 2008 seems to be heading the same way. It flakes out playing COD4 very easily.

seanc · Nov 10, 2010, 04:16 AM

Ah, well not knowing what it was, I bashed it into Google and that was the hit I got.
Fit the right timeframe to me.

P · Nov 10, 2010, 05:10 AM

These names are killing me... You're right, of course, that A1226 is Late 2007. A1226 uses two thirds of the Santa Rosa platform (the 65nm Core 2 (Merom) CPU and the PM965 (Crestline) chipset, but not the 4965AGN (Kedron) WiFi adapter. A1260 is Early 2008 uses two thirds of Santa Rosa Refresh, with the 45nm Core 2 (Penryn) CPU instead of the older Merom CPU. They are basically identical except for the CPU threadshrink and some configuration details, and neither of them deserve the Santa Rosa name. A1260 is sometimes called Penryn, I think.