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Problem with Apple Cinema Display 23" HD Monitor

Apple Cinema Display 23" LED short-long-short flash prob.

Hello everyone.
This sounds like something of an epidemic... My Apple Cinema 23" HD Display (bought Dec. 2007) hasn't been turning on after a power outage hit our area last week.

The Computer and Display were OFF when the outage occurred. Everything was plugged into a surge suppressor. Everything ELSE plugged in to the suppressor is fine (including my Mac CPU)... but not the monitor.
It’s not dead-dead…. It's a blank screen, but there IS a morse-code flash on the LED (short-long-short). According to Apple Support’s LED Translation , it SHOULD be something to do with the power adaptor. The adaptor IS correct… a 90 watt… but just in case I bought ANOTHER 90w adaptor brick. I plugged the monitor to the new brick. THE RESULT WAS THE SAME.

I’ve tried power cycling, I’ve tried plugging it into different outlets, I’ve tried connecting to other computers. The same LED result remains.

And, yes, of course, I’ve got no Apple Support, and from what I read in similar posts, outside-the-warranty repairs could hit around $400. I REFUSE!

For now I have a Samsung monitor from Costco. It’s not bad, but it’s not the Apple monitor with it’s awesome color-fidelity.

I wonder… has anyone else incurring this same problem (with the same LED flashing deal) tried to use a 150-WATT adaptor brick? I would try this myself, but I’m currently financially unable (and personally unwilling) to throw more cash at this problem unless I know it’ll fix it.

If enough people have the same problem, what does it take for Apple to take notice and issue a recall?

Posted by avatar on Jul 19, 2009

    • By avatarlegalfee May 11, 2010

    • The exact same thing happened to me. Power fail, light flashes short long short, no display. I tried another brick same results. I think I may to open the case and look inside. I believe it's an internal power issue. It could be as simple as a blown fuse.

Solutions (12)

Best Solution

Hello,
I had the "short long short" blinking led problem with my
23" ACD after a power outage which left my screen blank and
my cheek wet with a tear for my baby. I read somewhere that
a guy was getting a 1 volt reading on the middle pin of his
damaged 90 watt power block. I figured maybe the display might
work if I could somehow block the middle pin. So I cut a small
strip of paper wide enough to block just the middle pin and long
enough to cover both sides and it looked like a "W". I gingerly
pressed it into the brick receptacle with a toothpick leaving
just a little slack so it would not tear when I pushed in the
small white plug. It was a bit of a tight fit but guess what.

IT WORKED! I am now enjoying my beloved monitor anew and saved
$$$ on replacement brick or repair.

If you want to try it and you feel you’ve nothing to lose, make
sure you cover just middle pin (both sides) and you may have to try a couple of times. It worked for me. I hope you have good luck too.

Regards, Moozler

    • By avatarBerkshireJim Jul 21, 2010

    • still working after 3day on and off I'm going to try to use electrical tape instead of paper invade the paper eventually dries out or wiggle free, thanks again for the 899 dollar answer, I wonder what that pin does because I missed s a couple of times and had weird bright color reactions from the screen, I finaly got and it work, but I still would like to know why and what it does?

    • By avatarMoozler Jul 21, 2010

    • Hello again,
      I am glad that my "W" paper fix is working for many of you. FYI: My ACD is still running fine today July, 20th 2010, with the same original piece of paper that I installed in October of 2009. I don't know why it works, but I think that the middle pin may signal to the monitor, which watt size of power brick is connected.
      Don't know. Someone from Apple would have to answer that, and lose a lot of repair dollars if they do.
      I won't hold my breath.
      I do stress however, that if you are worried about damaging your monitor, then don't try it. Mine was dead and now it works, and cost nothing to repair.
      It now seems to be working for others too.

      Good luck,
      Moozler


    • By avatarRicardo Licorish Oct 19, 2010

    • This works, thanks for the tip. I used a small, thin piece of clear tape about 3mm wide wrapped around the middle pin of the brick, forming a "U" shape.

      Thanks
      Riclic

    5. View More Comments

Hi guys, I just whantet to writte because YOU MADE MY DAY... the pice of paper on the pin (in my case, I used a pice of tape) Worked really good, I was all disapoinetd because my screen did't whant to work but, that solution made my day, It works and REALLY GOOD.

I just signed up so I could say: "Moozler's middle prong solution worked for me". I was about to buy a $130 power adapter when I found this page but now my 23 inch Cinema Display is working again. Hopefully this solution is permanent.

Props to Moozler on this one. After buying a new power brick, then replacing the inverter board inside the display, my 20" Apple Cinema Display was still dead. All I got was the short-long-short LED array every 5 seconds. This little "ghetto" trick with the center contact on the power lead worked great and my ACD is alive again. Go figure.

Just tried Moozler's paper "W" solution mentioned above for my 23" CD and it works!

  • By Author imageOH2IT Jan 25, 2010

Holy sh------ I can't belive it It worked The thing worked!!!!! so I guess I will re install the monitor and get back to work! Moozer you are a Genius
Len Photo

Moozer you are a Genius! Blocking the middle pin with electrical tape worked for me too.... non working Apple 23 inch HD display with short-long-short flashing white LED issue...

    • By avatarbeefogg Sep 07, 2010

    • Dude, you totally rock. Same exact problem, but with a ACD 20". A little tough getting the pin blocked, but persistence paid off. Totally incredible. You should be knighted. In fact, by the powers vested in me by the state of disbelief, you are henceforth Sir Moozler! Long live the King!

    • By avatarremydeveze Feb 12, 2011

    • It works also for me, the paper in "U" in the brick's in the middle. I am going to translate this in french immediatly ! thx

Holy sh------- , too !!!!!!!! Really work for my 23" Mac LCD monitor! really Incredible, thanks to Moozer !

Hello my 23 inch cinema HD Display has done the same black screen and blinking light thing over nite so i tried everything and came across this middle prong thing i put masking tape on the middle pin and pushed it in gently and booted up the computer and voila it works and it even comes back on when i put it to sleep, but the question i have to ask is this going to harm the monitor over a period of time masking off the middle prong , what is the middle prong for is it also the negative ground any more info on this could save peeps alot of money either way

Surge suppression is not fail safe. It is clear the problem is not Apple, related to the power outage.
The fact that you have no Apple Support is also your fault and not Apple's.
You've also tried to use an adapter that was completely the wrong rating.
Maybe you should speak to the electricity company or insurance company about a claim. Just don't tell them all the stupid things you've been doing with wrong adapters etc.

    • By avatarBerkshireJim Jul 21, 2010

    • apple support is half and half. Half the the time they are great and go further than they are required and sometimes they are less than help but they are better than most.

    • By avatarcdmalpass Apr 29, 2011

    • Do you work for apple? #1 the 150watt unit will work for all 3 models. the 90 will work with 20 and 23 inch models, and the 65 is 20 inch only. As far as having no Apple support, let me ask you this....does apple not cut you off after "x" amount of time. There are endless amounts of folks out there with this same issue. So to correct you, the problem IS clearly Apple's.

The real cause of the the problem is due to failed 3.3v Voltage regulator VR3 on the main board, the middle output pin should be 3.3v, bad one will read about 4vdc which will confuse the power supply detector circutit on the power supply pin due to wrong regulator output, sooner or later the main board will be damage beyond repair if the regulator is not repalced.
http://s807.photobucket.com/albums/yy352/budm/MAC%20Monitors/MAC%20CINEMA%20HD%20Display%2023%20inch/

I am kinda' in shock. This solution actually worked. Good job! Awesome!

  • By Author imageb-out Jul 27, 2011

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