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So I’ve searched and searched… Looking for an answer I recently bought a 13” MacBook Air Mid 2011. Most of the time when booting, it gives me a black screen (no image, no backlight). Sometimes the screen and backlight work on boot. Usually have to do the NVRAM reset. Now, when I close the lid and reopen it, most of the time it is just a black screen with backlight glowing a bit. I can usually close and open it about 6 or 7 times with just backlight and no image before I open it and then I have image and backlight in perfect quality. Some of those times when I open it, I’ll have a quick set of whitish gray lines that flash briefly. These lines are completely random how they flash and located. I’m wondering if this is the LVDS cable or a logic board issue. Update (07/11/2019)
Ok. I guess my final question would be, can you just buy that chip and have a professional install it to the board or would have to go the entire logic board route? If I have to go the logic board route, is it worth spending 150 bucks on a board? I bought the laptop for 80 bucks. Update (07/11/2019) Any way of spotting board version differences? Update (07/18/2019) So got a new board in and have the initial startup sound but nothing else. No image and no backlight. What is going on now? I pretty much 100 percent guarantee that nothing got broken on install as I’m very careful. Ok. Strike that. Board appears defective. Seller is taking it back. Dan, what parts houses are you referring to? Also, is it worth upgrading to the 1.8Ghz i7 board or not? Update (07/22/2019) So here’s a question, since it successfully boots every time with backlight without new logic board, but has that issue when closing the screen, is there a terminal command or something that can force the screen to remain on even with lid closed? Update (07/26/2019) So it’s not the logic board. I have purchased one online and it is doing the exact same thing. Any other ideas.
Those first i5 2011 Macbook Air boards are pretty crappy, they have widespread issues with PCH, RAM and have a nasty tendency to be not repairable. If you’d walk tomorrow in my lab asking for a fix I’d say no thanks, have already wasted enough time on those. Sorry for bad news, but this is my experience with A1369 i5 boards.
Well, the good news its not your LVDS cable! The bad news you do have a logic board issue. ;-{ The issue you are facing is related to the video MUX logic within the Intel Eagle Ridge Thunderbolt chip. Basically, the video signal is sent to the chip and then its driven to the internal display connection and the Thunderbolt port. This logic in the first models had issues. Apple had an extended warranty program to replace the logic board. Sadly, its long expired. The Green outlined chip is the one in question
You’ll need to replace the logic board: MacBook Air 13" Logic Board - 1.7GHz i5, 4GB - Apple P/N 661-6057MacBook Air 13" Logic Board - 1.8GHz i7, 4GB - Apple P/N 661-6101 And here’s the iFixit guide MacBook Air 13" Mid 2011 Logic Board Replacement
