Laptop back light issue with angle of base

[rtuite]

I've got a Compaq 515 that is practically new (imaged once and thrown on a shelf). I just pulled it out to throw Ubuntu on it for my kid, and it's got this weird glitch with the backlight going off that I've never seen before.

• 
  *The screen angle does NOT cause it to go out.
  *Moving the screen back and forth does NOT cause it to go out. (I even got a little rude with it...still nothing)
  *With the base of the laptop sitting flat, it does NOT go out.
  *If you sit it on a flat surface that is slightly inclined forward (toward you, maybe 1/8" difference between front and back) it DOES go out
  *This does NOT happen when you're holding it in the air, only when its sitting on a hard surface.

Now that we've established what makes it go out, here's the behavior with the back light off

• 
  *If you pick up slightly on the front of the machine, it comes back on.
  *If you prop the front of the machine on something thin (I'm using a technicians pocket screwdriver), it comes back on.
  *If you hold the front right corner and back left corner, and gently lift on the front left corner, it comes back on
  *If you hold the front left corner and the back right corner, and gently lift on the front right corner, it does nothing.

There is no flickering, it's literally on when sitting flat, and off if it's at an angle.

 

[tman1]

Take it apart and reseat the video cable. While you're at it, reseat the connections on the back of the LCD as well.

 

[rtuite]

I've had it apart a couple times, and nothing is out of sorts. I actually have 3 of these, and all 3 do this. They are fine 99.9% of the time. They only do this when you stack them 3 high. The angle of the machine at this point is where it has the issue. As long as it's flat on a table, it's fine so I don't really care anymore. It's just annoying. Typical HP/Compaq quality.