Update = After completing troubleshooting, a DELL-Cares agent setup an exchange.
Fun times.  I bought a G3 a year ago, only to have the sound of shorting a month into ownership and the display went dark.  Contacted Dell, who had me send the machine to a service facility.  It sat there a month and a half with no updates available from support other than "we will get back to you within 24-48 hours ".  This happened several times.  Then, when I offered to have them simply return the laptop and I would pay to upgrade, that was a flat "no".  Eventually, Dell support offered me a refurbished G3, and I accepted because I needed something, they then proceeded to send me a G3 with lower specs than the one I bought.  So laptop number two arrives, and you'll never guess, yup, same frying sound, no display.  And the refurbished service code?  Not recognized by Dell support.  So now, a year later, I can't get anyone at Dell to speak to me to make this right.  Any thoughts?  Anyone?
G3 laptop lcd motherboard connection shorted