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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.
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??
October 24th, 2011 at 7:29 am
@ Michael Miles,
I guess in your case it was the LCD screen failure. If it starts failing again, you’ll have to replace the screen.
October 21st, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I tried everything with this laptop
Cable replaced, inverter replaced same problem as all of you guys.
I touched the right top of the circuit board behind the lcd at top and bam worked
I the folded a piece of paper and wedged between LCD and cover and screwed back the LCD, so that the board behind the LCD is compressed. All is good now….
As always the solution is found by accident
August 2nd, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Satellite M300 – circa 2009 – Australian model
Confirmed Fix – Same problem with flickering screen that had been getting worse over the last year. LCD flickering issue occurred when moving screen, bumping / jiggling laptop and temporarily resolved by moving screen to different position. It got to a point that the problem was fairly persistent and could not be resolved by moving the screen to a different position.
NOTE: following this procedure – while simple – will more than likely void your warranty!
Fixed by
– remove battery
– remove front outer plastic surround of LCD – remove 4 Phillips head screws under rubber stops in each corner and insert fingernail – or similar thin device – around the edge to break seal and then pry off gently – pieces around hinge are tricky.
– remove connector from right hand side of inverter with tweezers and then reconnect firmly.
– use a small piece of electrical tap to further secure wires to decrease movement.
– reattach front outer plastic surround and replace battery.
Flickering has now stopped.
Hope this help someone else.
May 9th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Hi!
So this doesn’t help anyone, but I believe the problem with this laptop model and most of Toshiba’s models is that the cooling systems are absolute butt.
I had my laptop repaired twice while it was still under warranty, and each time they replaced the motherboard(stating that it was overheating because of the shitty fan and had thusly fried it) and everything worked great once again. I think most of this problem is a matter of regular(monthly) vent cleaning as to prevent overheating, but I’m about to open mine up and see if that’s really the case.
I’ll be back!
April 18th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
This is a reply to Michael.
You said:
“The simple act of disconnecting the video cable from the motherboard and lifting, caused a rotational movement that transferred through the left hinge into the tiny cable connected to the power inverter. Somehow the tiny cable got pushed forward inside the white connector and restored contact between the sliding gold contacts inside the connector with the power inverter pins, at least temporarily until problem re-occurs.”
Well the thing is I have the wire glued by glue gun to many places inside mother board case as well as in the hinge housing and LCD Bessel. Also it is hot glue gunned all around the power inverter. Rotation of the screen seems to have less affect on this problem then it once did. I have noticed that I have had no flicker until just recently and the flicker seems to only come when I watch movies. As before the flickering starts slowly and gets worse and worse over the weeks. All I know is what always temporarily fixes my problem (for at least a month and a half) is disconnecting the wire from the motherboard, then reconnecting. To me it seems to have nothing to do with the inverter, since I do not touch the connection to the inverter anymore to fix my problem (since that area has been hot glued gunned quite securely). I strictly only disconnect the mother board plug and reconnect.
April 16th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Ok i got a side question for yall, even thought i do have the same problem
i was wondering if any of the mb on this series of laptops have died??, my m305d i have has a cracked screen and plan on replacin it, i got the laptop for nothing practically, but im tryin to figure out if its worth fixing, and if the mb is just gonna die then is it even worth messin with??, anyone know if they die alot??, heres the model m305d-s4828