..yup,
Could be just the V Ram chips or something, huh ¿
c o o k e d
Get a copy of Techtool® and run it •
Alo'ha,
∞

Sponge Bob,
s l o w down now.
.mother and daughter boards do bend and chips comes un soldered.
.but take it apart to see if you can see that kind of hardware damage ƒirst..
start it up without the battery in it , plugged in, first ..make sure techtool® tells you the clock chip and the [ VRAM ] Video Random Access Memory are ok again.
It seems to me that Sony® screens and monitors had a problem with a black line occuring about 1/3 way up the screen since like..uh.. forever , ok ¿ Sony ® makes and has made all newer , post System 9.x G3 & G4 laptops for Apple®..yes they do...geeks and nerds
Let's concentrate on this aspect for a minute or 404 .
Now ...while it's running on electric power from the plug only..bend the screen shut and open and closed..observe results...
Here is what i am thinking ; a) you've got crumbs or something under the magnetic latch sensor that sets off the automatic screen saver or shutdown thingy off ...right under the trackpad..or that
b) there is a loose or frayed wire in the hinge that goes to the screen..water may have gotten in to the screen shorting one wire out , too , that's why you see a line every so often ...pixels..when they go ..are just dots •
c) close the lid now and shake it..anything loose inside ?
These suggestions all come from my having owned a ton of macintosh® laptops over the years..since the PowerBook 145 and exploding PB190 battery days..
alo'ha,
∞

I don't think this one has Applecare. How would I check?

I don't think this one has Applecare, how would I check?

.yup.,
.it very well may be..this is why ..under : system preferences - accounts - startup items..i remove the iCal® and the iTunes® helper apps. figuring that if Apple® can not build it in to the main application , i don't want some hanger-on application mucking things up for me , also . Yet, i use a laptop that is not always on-line functioning as an internet appliance , Mssrs. Jobs & Ellison
Sometimes it also reminds me a bit too much of that 32 bit byte Data General® Eclipse 'puter in the book , " Soul of a New Machine ," by Tracey Kidder, and the reference made to designing 'puters with a bag on the side.
a rant , i realize & sorry , lol , just saying , " Where are all the Data General® , D E Cs®, Wangs®, Eagles®, Compaqs®, Kaypros® , HP's® & TRS-80's®.. today ? "
alo'ha
∞

This Mac has no Apple care, it's about a year and a half old. I don't run iCal ever, and rarely do iTunes on this Mac. I've started Activity Monitor, don't see anything unusual there...

I mainly use it to take all my client info with me when I'm running around working on (under) boats - the mac stays in the truck tho. sometimes I use it to watch movies in bed, but I always fall asleep. Is there a Preferences pane for that?