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I have seen a few Toshiba Satellite M305 and M305D laptops with exactly the same display problem. When you move the display panel, the image on the screen flickers, some random horizontal lines appear in random places or the image disappears at all. As soon as you stop moving the display, the image ether turns back to normal or the display continue to remain black.
I did some research and found that this problem could be related to the display cable made by CMI.
How can you tell if the display cable was made by CMI? You’ll have to open up the display panel and take a look at the letters and numbers below the barcode on the cable. If first three letters are CMI, the cable was made by CMI.
The following models could have a faulty display cable: Toshiba Satellite M300, M305, M305D and Toshiba Satellite Pro M300.
If you experience a similar problem with your Satellite M305 or M305D laptop, try replacing the display cable first. If the problem still exists, even after replacing the cable, apparently it’s related to the LCD screen.
If the laptop is still under warranty do not open the case or you will lose the warranty. Take your laptop to the authorized repair center.
March 18th, 2013 at 11:51 pm
I know this is going to sound janky but please try it. It worked for me (although it is likely only a stop gap). If you open the laptop to use as normal you will see that there is a toshiba logoscript on the the very bottom of the laptop LCD panel. Push the laptop panel back to about a 45 degree angle so that the bottom bezel is a bit more exposed than normal. Press firmly (don’t overdo it and break anything) on the screen bezel approximately 2 inches to the left of the Toshiba logoscript and hold for 5 seconds. What you’re doing is pushing down a plastic connector that leads in to the power inverter back into place. I know it sounds absurd but I promise you it worked for me. Again, it’s almost certainly only a temporary fix, but it’s better than nothing.
The position of the plastic connector relative to the pins of the power inverter seems to be critical, because as you move the display, this causes a push or pull and rotation of the cable going to the plastic connector. Isolating this movement of the cable by using a glue gun, tape and or stuffing the cable cavity with something will permanently solve the problem.
December 6th, 2012 at 5:10 am
Ray, if you can see the image with a flashlight you have to change the LCD’s CCFL light. I have personally done it with my Toshiba. You must take your time doing it very carefully. No need to buy a motherboard now. Search Ebay for the best deals. I suggest buying it with the connecting tables attached already. Good luck!
Got a M305-S4910 here. Backlight won’t light at all.
Replaced inverter – same problem
Remplace LCD cable – same problem
Have a compatible screen pulled from a dead laptop, tried that – same problem.
Checked all connections – no go
System boots, can view with external monitor
Can see image on LCD by shining a flashlight on it.
Out of ideas unless it’s a motherboard issue.
September 3rd, 2012 at 8:53 am
@ Ray,
Sounds like the motherboard related problem to me.
August 27th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Got a M305-S4910 here. Backlight won’t light at all.
Replaced inverter – same problem
Replace LCD cable – same problem
Have a compatible screen pulled from a dead laptop, tried that – same problem.
Checked all connections – no go
System boots, can view with external monitor
Can see image on LCD by shining a flashlight on it.
Out of ideas unless it’s a motherboard issue.
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:31 am
@ Roman,
You can disassemble the display and try moving the video cable while the laptop is working.
If moving the cable affect image on the screen and it starts flickering, probably you have defective video cable.
July 20th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
I m also having same problem with Satellite A100
December 7th, 2011 at 10:38 am
@Mr B – post 84
Walking through your steps fixed my flickering issue. The only spot our LCD wouldn’t flicker was if it was at full open tilt – anywhere else would either produce ghostly lines or sever flickering. I opened up the bezel around the LCD, removed the three connections around the inverter, reseated them and put everything back together (there was some yellow translucent tape that held one of the connections to a small circuit board, which I used to more tightly secure that connection). THE FLICKERING HAS STOPPED. Thank you! You’ve saved me from completely replacing the video cable, which I thought was my only option. We’ll see how long this fix lasts, but if I have to pop open the bezel once every couple of years to reseat the connections, I can live with that.
Toshiba M305 – S4819 (USA)
December 4th, 2011 at 10:37 am
Hey,
I have the same problem. I have changed the video cable made by CMI to another one made by different manufacturer with different numbers on it. I hoped that this will help, that another brand produces better quality cables, but after a week when installed it sometimes I can see some random tiny lines on the screen. I think the problem is not with cables itself but in the laptop construction. When the lid is closed the shape of it bends the cable in a weird position so tiny cables inside are destroyed slowly because weak point is exactly there where cable is curved. Nowhere else. The solution is to never close the lid or do it as little as possible.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
btw, i’ve been trying to follow the steps on how to remove the lcd. however, i really don’t want to remove the laptop’s (satellite m300) keyboard/top panel. is there a guide on how to remove/reconnect the video cable with just the lcd bezel removoed? thanks!
October 27th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
holy crap! im not the only one with the same problem! i have a satellite m300 and this has happened to my twice now. first, i bought to a toshiba service center here in the philippines. while it was still under warranty at that time, i felt that wow i was so lucky. but after a year screen started flickering again… random white-outs. i tried opening the lcd bezel and kinda tried to wiggle all those damn cables. working again but still flickers sometimes. i don’t want to bring this laptop to a repairman because for sure, they’ll try to replace everything! last thing you know they’ll even tell you you have a defective dvd drive hahah. what to do with this flimsy laptop??