# Strange pixel discoloration spots on LCD screen



## pizzathehutt (Feb 13, 2016)

Hi, 
I'm experiencing some curious color problems that started two weeks ago. I first observed a discoloration on the middle left of my screen. I did not really pay attention to it and it disappeared one or two days later. Then, last week, the spot came back, but somewhere else on my screen !?!?! It was now on the bottom left. It disappeared again after a couple days and reappeared 6 days ago on the middle left again. Then, as usual, it disappeared and 2 days ago it reappeared, this time on the bottom middle-left of the screen.

When the background is black, the spot is light-grey/white, when the background is white, it has a reddish tint. When I touch it, it reacts the same as if the screen was broken (a lot of colors around the point of pressure), but that would make no sense because the spot in constantly changing of place.

It doesn't look like a burn in either, because the spot doesn't have a defined form, it's just a randomly shaped spot.

When I look at my screen from above, from a pronounced angle, the spot is a lot more prominent and I can see that the middle is all purple, then red orange and yellow as I look further from the middle.

I attached a couple pictures to show you what's going on. 
***The contrast on the pictures is a lot more noticeable than it is in reality for both frontal views (white appears white and black appears black, even though a subtle color gradient can be seen around the discolored spot when I look carefully), probably due to external lighting.***

Thank you in advance for your help, this problem is kind of annoying.

Btw my laptop is not even 6 months old and it's a Dell Inspiron 5558.


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## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

*This looks like a symptom of a laptop left in a parked car in the hot sun. Don't know where you live, but this is a distinct possibility. It also could be a result of something heavy lying/falling on the lid of the laptop. :sad:


*


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## pizzathehutt (Feb 13, 2016)

I don't think the hot sun is possible... It's currently -15 degrees Celcius here in Canada
Would the opposite be possible? Burnt by the cold? But as far as I remember I haven't stayed more than 15 min with my laptop in my backpack outside.
Or could my backpack be causing too much pressure on the laptop?


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

Take advantage of its warranty and have it replaced or repaired, assuming you bought it brand new and have at least one year manufacturer's warranty. However, if pressure was exerted on the lid and there is evidence of physical damage to the laptop, the warranty won't apply.


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## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

pizzathehutt said:


> I don't think the hot sun is possible... It's currently -15 degrees Celcius here in Canada
> Would the opposite be possible? Burnt by the cold? But as far as I remember I haven't stayed more than 15 min with my laptop in my backpack outside.
> Or could my backpack be causing too much pressure on the laptop?


*The pressure aspect could also be the cause. I made the mistake of riding a shuttle bus to the airport quite awhile back and someone's suitcase fell over against the backpack. It caused a similar discoloration as your illustrations, that never went completely away. Sad part was I had just bought the laptop two days prior on that trip! :sad:

It could also be going from extremely cold to much warmer environment too, come to think of it. Remember, the "L" in LCD is LIQUID! When most liquids freeze, they expand, which could be the why to the color distortion you see.

*


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## pizzathehutt (Feb 13, 2016)

Stancestans said:


> Take advantage of its warranty and have it replaced or repaired, assuming you bought it brand new and have at least one year manufacturer's warranty. However, if pressure was exerted on the lid and there is evidence of physical damage to the laptop, the warranty won't apply.





Wizmo said:


> *The pressure aspect could also be the cause. I made the mistake of riding a shuttle bus to the airport quite awhile back and someone's suitcase fell over against the backpack. It caused a similar discoloration as your illustrations, that never went completely away. Sad part was I had just bought the laptop two days prior on that trip! :sad:
> 
> It could also be going from extremely cold to much warmer environment too, come to think of it. Remember, the "L" in LCD is LIQUID! When most liquids freeze, they expand, which could be the why to the color distortion you see.
> 
> *


Well, I'll try to get in touch with Dell support to know if it's covered by the warranty. Looks like there's nothing I can do to settle the problem by myself. I hope it's just going to disappear for good by itself, even if I'm not really optimistic about it.
Thanks for your help guys.


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## pizzathehutt (Feb 13, 2016)

I just found out a new interesting thing. The spot is moving depending on how is placed my laptop. When it's open a couple hours, it goes to the bottom, when it's closed on a table it goes closer to the middle of the screen and when I have it in my backpack, it goes on the side that is facing down.

Gravity affects the spot, so I think it might be water infiltration between the screen and the frame. If it's not, could it be the LCD liquid going crazy?

I hope these new details will give you an idea on what truly is the problem and how to fix it.


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

pizzathehutt said:


> I just found out a new interesting thing. The spot is moving depending on how is placed my laptop. When it's open a couple hours, it goes to the bottom, when it's closed on a table it goes closer to the middle of the screen and when I have it in my backpack, it goes on the side that is facing down.
> 
> Gravity affects the spot, so I think it might be water infiltration between the screen and the frame. If it's not, could it be the LCD liquid going crazy?
> 
> I hope these new details will give you an idea on what truly is the problem and how to fix it.


Sounds like liquid entrapment inside the display assembly. The display probably suffered a crack that has been seeping liquid gradually. I'm afraid the only way of fixing it would be to replace the screen. Even if the display was opened up and fluid buildup cleaned from the sheets of reflective films inside, it won't be a long-term solution especially if the liquid is indeed seeping through a crack. I've disassembled display assemblies to wipe out spillages, but there will remain some blemishes and permanent stains on the films which will show when the display is powered up. Disassembling the display is not an easy task, and something you should not attempt by yourself.

I strongly recommend contacting Dell support and if it doesn't pass their warranty pre-qualification tests due to physical damage, your best bet is to replace the screen.


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## pizzathehutt (Feb 13, 2016)

Stancestans said:


> Sounds like liquid entrapment inside the display assembly. The display probably suffered a crack that has been seeping liquid gradually. I'm afraid the only way of fixing it would be to replace the screen. Even if the display was opened up and fluid buildup cleaned from the sheets of reflective films inside, it won't be a long-term solution especially if the liquid is indeed seeping through a crack. I've disassembled display assemblies to wipe out spillages, but there will remain some blemishes and permanent stains on the films which will show when the display is powered up. Disassembling the display is not an easy task, and something you should not attempt by yourself.
> 
> I strongly recommend contacting Dell support and if it doesn't pass their warranty pre-qualification tests due to physical damage, your best bet is to replace the screen.


I don't know if it's against the rules of the forum to post a link of another forum, but in this link I found someone who seems to have experienced the exact same problem as me. Hopefully it was covered by Dell warranty, so I might be able to send it back for repairs. I will have a chat with Dell support as soon as possible. Thanks for your feedback. Dell Studio XPS 1645 RGBLED display issue | NotebookReview


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

pizzathehutt said:


> I don't know if it's against the rules of the forum to post a link of another forum, but in this link I found someone who seems to have experienced the exact same problem as me. Hopefully it was covered by Dell warranty, so I might be able to send it back for repairs. I will have a chat with Dell support as soon as possible. Thanks for your feedback. Dell Studio XPS 1645 RGBLED display issue | NotebookReview


It's not against the rules, as far as I know, plus we do it all the time if a solution to a given problem is available outside of TSF. Saves a lot of time too. Yeah, the warranty should be your first and best shot and they may not be too strict with their checks, especially if physical damage is hardly evident. Don't mention it getting bumped by someone's suitcase though.


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