Black Screen iMac Late 2009 Fixed

Question

This is just an FYI as when I had experienced my black screen on my Late 2009 Imac and read so MANY complaints
of people having the same issue I thought I would post my symptoms here. Due to the fact that my 3 year Apple care warranty
had run out I was faced with either bringing it to Apple and have them fix it or fix it myself. Taking it to Apple was out of the question
because of the amount of $$ they feel the need to charge for parts and labor.
I did my research and read many post of so many people having this issue.
Mine started one day whlile I was on my mac..my mac beeped and went black..So I replaced the memory..no biggie.
Then months later my screen would go black for no apparent reason. I would shut down, reset SMC & PRAM..It would come back for a little while
and just randomly go black. I thought maybe heat issue. So I cleaned vents & dust from fans etc.
Finally my Imac got to the point where the second I boot up..the screen would come on and immediatly go black.
I did the recommended things people had suggested.
I shined a flashlight on my mac LCD Panel while it was booted..I could faintly see my desktop folders ETC..
So I thought backlight board may need to be replaced. I purchased a new board, replaced..Not The Problem
I noticed that when booted and screen was black if I pressed the power button a couple of times the screen would come back
long enough for me to turn the brightness all the way down and still see the screen. At least this way I could run Extended Hardware
Test to see if it found any hardware issues. It found none and I ran the test 5 times. I thought this may have been power related
so I then purchased a brand new PSU from iFixit and that was not the problem.
I replaced all the lcd sync cables, temp cables, still not fixed.
Final resort. I purchased a LCD panel ( awesome seller on Ebay) used and in mint condition ( not a blemish). BINGO..
A new LCD fixed the problem. ( I did get silver tape & mylar to replace the stuff I tore off)
I have been running my Imac now for a couple weeks..non stop but I do shut down at night. I have had no issues now at all.
It feels just as nice & smooth and fast as it did from day 1.
What do I have left? A great Machine and some parts I took out as I replaced new ones and the old ones are probably good so I will have those
should my PSU or backlight goes bad. I may pick up a few more parts to have on hand and put away before it gets too difficult to find them.
I hope this helps anyone out there left with a late 2009 Imac..black screen..I am so relieved...

Answer 1

Hi-
Do you notice these smudge marks with the iMac off as well? If so, it is probably just some dirt or a fingerprint behind the glass on the front panel.
Yes, Apple or any authorized repair center can do this. 5 minutes tops. You could probably do it yourself (if out of warranty, which you are not) with a pair of suction cups to lift off the glass.
Again- you are under warranty, so I most certainly wouldn't do that.
Some users post being able to get a replacement iMac while their defective unit is in the shop, but those individuals have either had a history of having problems with their order, or were especially forceful in manner.
Don't count on being able to get one.