LCD Problem

So the LCD in my 15-month old Vostro 1500 went kaput this evening. I immediately hooked up an external monitor to google the symptoms (I could still see a faint image on my display) and I came to the conclusion that something is wrong with the inverter. I've never messed with LCD's before, so I don't even know what that is.

Anyways, I immediately contacted Dell Support figuring this would be covered by my 2-year warranty (guess I'm pretty naive). They got back to me pretty promptly notifying me that the LCD needed replacement and that was not covered by the warranty. I was then given a spare parts number that I should call if I wanted a replacement part.

Does that sound right? The whole LCD needs replacing? How expense and technical would this fix be?

 

It would be at least $120. They will most likely have a refurbished part. Here is a conversation you should expect:

Hello, my name is Satish, thank you for calling Dell Spare Parts, may I have your service tag..........yada yada yada..........Ok the screen is $250 but I can sell it to you for $150. Its $150 in the first place because its refurbished but supposedly $250 for the new one. but they dont have the new one. its like this: you want to sell something for $50. you dont want to raise the price and then have it on sale, or lower the price for it to be on sale, so you say, oh yeah its originally $60, when it never was.

i tried ebay but the screen is screwed up badly and i had to return it, so u may want to avoid ebay or just be very careful.

 

I dont know why it wouldnt be covered since it wasnt your fault... Try calling again and getting a second answer. Be persistant too, it may work...

Well, it could be the whole LCD or the cable that connects the screen to the graphics card. I could probably give you directions to opening up the notebook to check cables if you would like.

My aunt had almost the same problem... It was ~$400 to get it replaced.

 

So you definitely think my only option is to replace the entire LCD? I'll probably search again, but it sounded like inverters could be replaced???

 

I wouldn't mind this.

 

Detach the Hinge Cover and then check all cables inside. The LCD cable should be the blue one all the way to the right. DIRECTIONS HERE

Also see THIS, if you need to dismantle the whole screen to replace it one day or to get to the cable.

 

Thanks.

I guess I don't get what all should be covered under the limited warranty.

Is this not a question of deficiency here? This support person said my problem would only be covered under their CompleteCare Warranty. From what I can tell that is related to accidental damage. This was never damaged, it just doesn't work after 15 months and my warranty is for 24.

 

Make sure you keep nagging them. That should definitely be covered.

Greg

 

I don´t understand the reason, why it is not cover by the warranty? If not this, so the what?

 

Well, late last night I ended up asking what actually was covered by the warranty. I woke up to an e-mail letting me know that a replacement LCD was approved and ordered, and a local technician would be calling me once the part was ordered.

That's more like it.