Lilliput with permanent white screen of death

Pale Rider · 09-28-2005, 07:33 PM

Ok, this stupid Lilliput has been nothing but a huge pain in the *** since the first month I owned it. Seems to be a wide spread problem :P. Unfortunaly I am broke so I need to get the best lifespan out of this hunk of junk.

First of all, 2 months after I bought it the TS went out on part of the right side. It sucks but I just got used to it. Didn't need part of the right side for centrafuse. Kinda threw my whole TS off when that part went off, never quite cailibrates right, but once again I got use to it.

Then the middle of the summer I was doing a custom in dash install of the lilli when the stupid connector latch on the LCD side broke off (see http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=57731). That sucked, but after I posted the above thread and got some helpful suggestions I was able to get it working once again with a toothpick and some scotch tape.

Unfortuantly that only lasted for about a week. Then I went over a bump and it jar'd it loose. From then on out it kept going to white everytime I hit a bump in the road or if I applied pressure on the TS screen. Needless to say I got pretty ****ed off so I took it out of my dash and it has been rolling and around my room ever since.

So last weeek (over 3 weeks later) I got tired of staring at a huge whole in my dash so I decided to try my luck again. I fiddled with it for a couple of hours, working with the toothpick and scotch tape. Every now and then I would find the 'perfect' angle and the 'VGA MODE' would appear on the screen. Then all of the sudden I couldn't get it again. I messed with it for about 2 more hours, and no matter how a finagled it in there I would just get a solid bright white screen.

Now I use to get this before, but when I would jiggle the ribbon around I would atleast see the screen flicker ("VGA MODE" come up). No matter what I did now, the damn screen was just white.

So I figured with all this bending etc the ribbon has gone through I probably b0rked it. End of last week I ordered a replacement from DigitalWW (great service btw!) as suggested in a previous thread.

Well this morning the brand new ribbon came in and I figured I was saved! WRONG! STILL no matter what angle I try with the ribbon or what I do.. screen is just blazing white. I can't even get it to flicker or anything. I can move that damn cable all around in there, still white.

My only thought is maybe I jacked up one of the metal prongs in the black connector from moving it around and trying to get it to work, but this doesnt even seem right.

I figure I would ask around before I just totally give up. The lilli could of just died on me for all I know.

I searched past threads but not much insight.

Anyways, any insight or suggestions as always are appreciated.

Thanks and cheers. (i could sure use a beer or two!)

Pale Rider · 10-03-2005, 12:52 PM

so any ideas before i give up and start saving my $ for a new screen?

Enforcer · 10-03-2005, 01:40 PM

See , people slag the lilli's off. But in most cases they have been taken apart.

I am on my third, one has a similar problem to you I need to invetigate though.

the first one I had used to have multicoloured lines for VGA, composite works fine (it's a headrest monitor at present.)

third one has just gone in.

Recommendations. (if you get a new one for your dash)

1. make sure supply is regulated (and I mean well regulated, suggest you have a switch also that allows you to disconnect power in case you have to jump start car)

2. Make sure the lilliput is in tight, use as much of the original casing as you can, also make sure the cables going in are tied so that they can't be pulled about.

3. If you are taking anything apart to mod allow for it to get broken.

Oh and good luck

studmonk3y · 10-03-2005, 01:51 PM

ok well i have broken the clip for the ribbon cable and have used the toothpick method also, so I know your pain. What finally worked for me was to wedge something underneath the ribbon where it connects to the lcd. This makes it have a sharp downward angle which gives a good connection on mine. looks like this \ ...hah if that helps. I'll try to take a picture for you later today since my lilliput is apart right now.

Pale Rider · 10-03-2005, 03:18 PM

hmm I will try that tonight when I mess with it somre more.

I was thinking maybe it is perm. screwed up.

Use to, I could atleast move the ribbon around and get the screen to get a 'signal' or flicker.

Now no matter what I do with the ribbon cable.. white screen.

But I will try the ' \ ' suggestion tonight

turbocad6 · 10-03-2005, 03:56 PM

if you moved this cable around alot with the screen powered up theres a good chance that you may have shorted something...... it doesn't take a lot to short these tiny traces to an adjacent terminal..... my guess is you fried it.....

parvo99 · 10-03-2005, 04:14 PM

I did the same thing with my Super screen. wiggled it around alot trying to get an image, and finally it wouldn't work at all. I ordered a new one, and swapped parts to see what was wrong. Found out the LCD wasn't working. If you can't get anything to come up, I'm going to agree with turbocad6 that you fried it

.

studmonk3y · 10-03-2005, 08:03 PM

heres the pic i promised, I doubt you fried it, I've wiggled stuff around with it powered on before with no trouble. The ribbon cable is just very very touchy.

Punisher · 10-03-2005, 10:22 PM

Hey what size is your lilli?

turbocad6 · 10-03-2005, 10:29 PM

ahhhhh a possibility for a backlight deal I see

Pale Rider · 10-03-2005, 10:38 PM

It is a 7" lilliput. Probably a year old or so.

I will try what studmonkey recommended.

But who knows, I very well could of shorted it. I was moving it around a lot while it was on trying to find that perfect "sweet spot". Unfortuantly it just stopped workign at all. I know the cable is very sensitive, because It was when I had it working using the tooth pick trick. But now it is just non responsive, since I can move it all around any which way and in any direction.. and still only get a white screen.. i wouldnt be suprised if I fux0r'd something up.

Thanks for all the comments so far

much appreciated

Pale Rider · 10-04-2005, 09:38 PM

Alright so I tried what was recommended above and still nothing. Im pretty sure I might of messed up something.

So my question(s):

If I did indeed bust a trace or something by moving the ribbon cable around while the LCD was powered on, is there anything I can look for or do to fix it?

If there isn't anything I can do, can I sell my lilli for parts or is it pretty much just trash?

Are the new lilli's sold on the mp3car.com store better than the old ones (the one I have now is over 1.5 years old?)

Thanks

- Jared

turbocad6 · 10-04-2005, 09:43 PM

you can sell it for parts, only problem is you can't confirm which is bad, the lcd or the controller or posibally even both?.....I'd gamble its only the lcd, but theres no way to tell without having another of these to test each part... the touchscreen is probably fine at least....

Pale Rider · 10-04-2005, 09:49 PM

haha no the right side of the TS went out about 5 or 6 months ago.

SO basically this pos isn't worth squat, but that is really what I figured

How about those new Lillis @ the mp3car.com store? Are they better than the old generation?

xdjxklusivex · 10-04-2005, 09:50 PM

hey dude u prolly fried it :-( if u decide to part it out leme know !! i might be comin to tx in a month or two to visit family so :-) maybe i can revive ur lilli lol