PowerBook G4 Aluminum 17" 1.67 GHz (High-Res) Display Inverter Replacement

Schritt 1

Use your thumbs to push the two battery retaining tabs away from the battery.
The battery should pop up enough to rotate it toward yourself and lift it out of the lower case.

Schritt 2

Remove the three 2.3 mm Phillips screws securing the memory cover to the lower case.

Schritt 3

Lift the memory cover slightly and pull it toward yourself to remove it from the lower case.

Schritt 4

Remove the following ten screws:
Two 14.7 mm shouldered Phillips.
Three 12.3 mm Phillips.
One 3.8 mm T8 Torx.
One 6.8 mm T8 Torx.
Three 1.3 mm Phillips.

Schritt 5

The ZIF cable is located underneath the bottom RAM slot. If your PowerBook has both RAM slots occupied, make sure to remove the RAM chip.
Use your fingernails to separate the ZIF cable lock away from its socket. (Move the two brown bits down 1mm)
The ZIF cable lock will move about a millimeter away from the socket before it stops (see picture 2). Do not try to remove the ZIF cable lock.

The ZIF cable locks are the little grey pieces seen on the cable-side ends of the white bar. They will slide, as per detailed picture, toward the cable.

web -

Where could I get a whole replacement for this connector ? Mine came off the motherboard

Ruben De La Cruz - 24/10/20

Schritt 6

Use the tip of a spudger to slide the trackpad ribbon cable out of its socket.

Schritt 7

Remove the four 3.4 mm Phillips screws from the PC card side of the PowerBook.
When replacing these screws, you must reinstall each screw in the correct order. Begin by installing the screw closest to the display hinge, and go out from there.

Schritt 8

Remove the four 3.4 mm Phillips screws from the DVI connector side of the PowerBook.
When replacing these screws, you must reinstall each screw in the correct order. Begin by installing the screw closest to the display hinge, and go out from there.
During reassembly, make sure to reinstall the two screws on the right into their appropriate locations, and not the DVI port anchor holes.

Schritt 9

Depress the display latch release button and open your display.

Schritt 10

Starting near the display, lift the upper case straight up off the lower case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Sometimes the "tags"/"lugs" that are around the edge of the top & bottom frame, be careful not to bend them as when putting back the covers they will not merge. I used a screwdriver to poke through the hole the screw was supposed go in & push against the "inside nut" to let the tag from the top slide down between the 2 tags. The "inside nut" is like the one right next to the ribbon cable as shown in Dia.14. The screws are from Dia. 7&8.

harry allcock -

in what direction does one move the ZIF cable lock? what/where is its socket?

Ian -

When putting the machine back together (following steps in reverse), make sure the trackpad ribbon cable comes through the underside of the computer — there is an opening that the cable needs to go through and you will want to “thread the needle” with the cable before securing the upper case again.

Tim - 23/02/18

At the end of these instructions, Jimbo Combo also mentions this, but it should be repeated.

Because the trackpad/keyboard cable is part of the top face/keyboard/trackpad assembly, it’s actually a PITA when doing reassembly.

One way to make this step simple is to do the following:

1. straighten the Zif cable removing all of the bends that is probably has in it.

2. Start putting the top face/keyboard/trackpad assembly on, starting with the edge AWAY from the display.

3. Place the laptop on it’s side, and thread the cable through the opening, using tweezers if necessary so that it fully goes through the opening in the case.

4. Place the laptop back to the way it was and proceed.

ECJohansen - 06/05/21

Schritt 11

If necessary, peel back the strip of aluminum tape covering the modem cable.

Schritt 12

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the modem cable connector up off the modem.

Schritt 13

Disconnect the RJ-11 cable from the modem.

Schritt 14

Use a 4 mm nut driver to remove the two nuts securing the modem to the PC card cage.

Schritt 15

Lift the modem straight up off the studs on the PC card cage.

Schritt 16

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive cable connector up off the logic board.
Bend the hard drive cable away from the PC card cage, giving yourself room to remove it.

Schritt 17

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the PC card cage connector up off the logic board.

Schritt 18

Use the tip of a spudger to peel back the small strip of copper tape off the edge of the PC card cage near the side of the lower case.

Schritt 19

Remove the four Phillips screws (2- 4 mm & 2 -6.8 mm ) securing the PC card cage to the lower case.
The two longer 6.8 mm shouldered screws belong in the end of the PC card cage closest to the logic board.

Schritt 20

Lift the PC card cage by its center piece and maneuver it out of the lower case.

Schritt 21

When reinstalling your PC card cage, be sure to insert the post sticking up from the PC card release button into the hole in the black plastic release mechanism on the PC card cage.

Schritt 22

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the ribbon cable connector up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Schritt 23

Remove the single 2.1 mm Phillips screw securing the AirPort/Bluetooth bracket to the lower case.
It is possible to remove the AirPort/Bluetooth board without removing this screw. Alternatively use the sharp end of a spudger to press the metal pressure connector (shown in orange) down through the hole in the AirPort/Bluetooth board, being careful to not break it off when prying the board up in the next step.

Schritt 24

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth board up off the adhesive securing it to the lower case.

Schritt 25

If necessary, remove the piece of tape and EMI foam covering the AirPort/Bluetooth antennas.
Don't forget to reapply this piece of tape during reassembly. It insulates the bare antenna connectors from the metal PC card cage.

Schritt 26

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna connectors up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.

Schritt 27

Pull the display data cable away from its socket to disconnect it from the logic board.
Be sure to pull only parallel to the face of the logic board, as pulling up on the socket will break it off the logic board.

Schritt 28

If necessary, use the tip of a spudger to remove the small piece of foam tape from the side of the left speaker.

Schritt 29

Disconnect the inverter cable from the logic board.
Be sure to pull only parallel to the face of the logic board, as pulling up on the socket will break it off the logic board.
When pulling this connector away from its socket, it is helpful to use your fingernails to pull on the ears at each side of the connector.

Schritt 30

De-route both AirPort/Bluetooth antennas and the inverter cable from underneath the DC-in board ribbon cable.
It is not necessary to remove the DC-in board cable.

Schritt 31

Before proceeding, be sure your display is perpendicular to the lower case.
Remove four T6 Torx screws from the left display hinge. 2- 8 mm and 1 -10 mm and one 6 mm left to right.
We intentionally have you leave one screw in the left display hinge to aid in disassembly.
The screw holding the plastic display cable bracket to the lower case is shorter than the rest.

Schritt 32

Remove four T6 Torx screws from the right display hinge. 2- 8 mm and 1 -10 mm and one 6 mm right to left.
We intentionally have you leave one screw in the right display hinge to aid in disassembly.
The screw holding the plastic display cable bracket to the lower case is shorter than the rest.

Schritt 33

While supporting the display with one hand, remove the one remaining T6 10 mm Torx screw from each display bracket (two screws total).

Schritt 34

Lift the display straight up from the lower case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Schritt 35

Here are a few tips for reassembling the display. These apply to both the left and right display brackets:
A small bracket (shown in red) near either side of the clutch cover is free to rotate about the display hinge and must be inserted behind the heat sink framework for the display to seat properly.
Before completely lowering the display onto the lower case, use a spudger to rotate the bracket toward the rear edge of your PowerBook, and insert the bracket between the heat sink framework and the adjacent spring. The second picture shows the bracket correctly installed.
When removing the display screws, keep track of the thin metal bracket (shown in green) under the screws on the inner display bracket.
The outer display bracket (shown in orange) simply slides onto the spiral display spring. Be sure to press it on before installing your display into the lower case.

Schritt 36

Remove the single Phillips screw from the lower left and right corners of the display.

Schritt 37

The picture at left (rear panel already removed) shows the locations of the metal clips (shown in red) that snap on to the front display bezel. In the next few steps, you will use a small flathead screwdriver to release these clips from a ridge around the perimeter of the front display bezel.
When prying in the following steps, be sure not to damage the antenna cables that run around the perimeter of the front display bezel.

Schritt 38

Insert the flat end of a spudger between the front display bezel and the plastic rim attached to the rear bezel near the lower right corner of the display.
Do not try to insert the spudger between the front display bezel and its plastic surround.
While carefully prying the rear display bezel away from the display assembly, use a small flathead screwdriver to pry the small steel clip nearest the bottom right corner of the display away from the edge of the front display bezel.
Repeat the above procedure until you've released all the clips along the right side of the display.

Schritt 39

Slightly lift the recently-freed corner of the rear display bezel to separate the clips along the span of the clutch hinges.

Schritt 40

Insert the flat end of a spudger between the rear display bezel and the plastic surround of the front display bezel near the lower left corner of the display.
Carefully pry the rear display bezel away from the front display bezel to release a metal clip.

Schritt 41

Repeat the previous procedure to release the clips along the left side of the rear display bezel.

Schritt 42

Slightly lift the lower edge of the rear display bezel and push it toward the top edge of the display, releasing the clips along the top edge of the rear display bezel.
Remove the rear display bezel and set it aside.

Schritt 43

If present, remove the pieces of tape along the bottom edge of the LCD.

Schritt 44

Use the tip of a spudger to lift the display inverter enough to grab it with your fingers.
Lift the display inverter out of the clutch hinges enough to access both of its connectors.