M17X R2 won't turn on after teardown for clean

Hi guys, it's me again.
Well, as the tittle say, i'm facing a really strange problem.
I was noticing on my lappy that the fan on idle and the CPU usage use to get pikes, you know, from 20% to 50% without any explanation, so, i think it could be that it was needing a cleaning in deep cause i have this by 8 months so far without intisnsive care; So, i saw everu video and guide to have in mind eveyrhing; Well, i reach the point when you have to take off the big plate to acces to the main board. but i didn't take it completeley, just put this on abhigher position while i clean under, also, i did take off the processor heatsink and blow it using an air blower, to make sure it clean.

I did reseat everything in order, screw the keyboard, touchpad and ribbon control (where the power button is), so, i hit the alienhead and my lap dont turn on, i dont know if it's suggestion but i smell like burn inside, i got freaked out.

I take all the things appar and watch if something was screwed, nothing, reseat again but this time i didnt screw just for try, i've put the battery inside with the touchpad and the keyboard on their place and turn on the machine, this time it work !, i went able to go inside windows and browse the web.

Did screw again everything and put the battery inside, i plug the power cord and when i tried to turn it on, the alienhead turn off and the machine didnt turn on, i dissasembly all again, reaseat everything, put the battery, try to boot and it did it, so, i tried to plug the power cord but the machine turn off.

i start crying, i swear, i love my machine so i was really freaked out.reseat everything again, screwed all the screw, and with the battery inside i plug the cord, the alienhead's got the light that is signal of being charging, but, when i tried to turn it on,. nothing, it won't, even with battery, nothing.

I don´t know what to do or what i did wrong, also i tried the power drain taking off the main board battery, no work; i am not under warranty and i am so sad, what could it be?, please help me in the way you can.

Thanks so much for read this.

 

am sorry to hear about your system

If you smelt something burning most likely something shorted/burnt out, Only thing I would suggest is maybe calling Alienware and kindly state what append and maybe depending on the rep you can ask to pay to extend warranty and get the system repaired? but most likley they would have you pay for the repair, but there is no harm in asking.

good luck

 

Anything you disconnected look at the ends. Look for burns. Triple check your keyboard ribbon cable and lcd connections.if the keyboard isn't connected properly it won't boot. If the screen isn't snapped in it could look like its charging but no picture. Look close at the keyboard connection. If that has burns it could just need to be replaced. If the mobo is fried it would be $300 to replace it. That's around what it cost Aarpcard to replace his mobo.

 

Try to reset the CMOS, sometimes when you don't properly plug the ribbons it can happen so it won't start.

If you're going to take it appart again just go slowly and make sure the laptop is not connected to power.

 

Hi guys, thanks for share your thought but I did already some of those things.
I did check for burns but I didn't see nothing, the ribbons on the keyboard was fine, I check this around 6 times I disassembly it; the smell is something barely, a friend of mine and my brother say it isn't smell like burn, that's subjective, I don't know.
I tried the CMOS by take off the coin cell (just take off the cable), and then press the power button for 20 seconds and put all back, so I plug the power cord and the alien head was on light, like charging the battery, tried to booth but nothing happen, even unplugging and plugging, nonmore head with the charging light.

This is my concern, if the mobo is fried can my system booth?, cause after all that my laptop did turn on with battery and actually I was able to browse web and even restart the system, is that normal to happen with a fried mobo?

Please reply and thank you, thank you so much for your help, I know dell won't help me, I'm over warranty and is a shame but I have no money to get extra warranty even if the allow it

 

A few questions, Cmagamez:
Does the LEDs on the power cord light?
Try to start with minimum hardware: one GPU, one RAM stick, no HDD and no external accessories plugged in and no battery, see what you get.
Make sure the LCD cables are properly plugged, they can be a pain.
If ever your system manages to start but without any output on the monitor, try plugging an external.
Also make sure all the screws are in place as some act as ground.

 

Yes, the power cord led light.
One thing that I've notice is that when the machine turn on the touch pad mouse was working perfect but the light wasn't (in battery)
I just have one GPU, for the rest, need to check
Thank you.

 

It's weird that it doesn't even POST giving error beeps and light codes, did you check the power ribbon cable to see if some of its pins got damaged ? You'd be surprised about how common is that problem.
Also the burnt smell could've been some of the dust "burning" on some hot area after you've moved it.

 

Since you succeded on entering windows, when you let all things unscrewed, it doesn't look to me as a shortcut or burned device/electronics.

My best bet are keyboard cables not properly seated and/or display flat cables not properly connected.

 

That's the weird part, when o set everything screwed it sometimes works and sometimes don't, I think I will have to take it with a technician more experienced cause I'm totally freezed, I can't figure it out and I'm pretty sure that I did everything careful.
Some questions:
The ribbon power is the one that is just plugged to the alienhead to power it on?, if so, it looks perfect.
What does the White ribbon connected to the touchpad (mouse).
Thanks all you for your help, if injuat lice on USA or Europe I will be little worry about but in here aloe ware machines are indeed aliens !!

 

Yes, the ribbon under the alien head(touchstrip) near the monitor is the one that allows you to turn it on/off and control the media buttons, eject function etc.

The ribbon connected to the touchpad is the one transferring your touchpad input to the motherboard, you don't need it to start the system.

Have you tried starting with minimal hardware after resetting the CMOS?

Good luck fella!

 

Fella, thanks !!!, i think i figure out the problem and definitly it have to be with that touchpad ribbon, just let me upload some pics, is hardm when you dont have pc to write, i was totally use to my red baby, oh man, but let me show you, i will need more of your help. Thanks !!

 

That's actually what I wanted to ask you before, if you can upload some pictures.
But the system should start without the touchpad. Maybe the ribbon is damaged and causing a short preventing your laptop to start.

See what you get without it.

 

Hey, man, thanks, i did some videos and of course i shot some pics, look what i got:

1 Video: Touchpad and touchstrip unscrewed, i had to move very slowly the pad mouse to be able to move the mouse 1 - Just battery: Touchpad and Touch Strip unscrew (not presure) - YouTube

2 - In this one i plug the power cord and the battery was chargin, you can see the alienhead's on light: 2 - Power cord pluged, battery chargin - YouTube

3 - This time i tried to boot with the battery on and pluged to the AC, and yes, it boot: 3 - Trying to boot with battery and AC power cord pluged (Succes) - panels was unscrew - YouTube


After that i start to move both panels, first the touchstrip, nothing happens, the machine keep on, so, i take the touchpad and put this high and then i did tried to put this on his site, you know, push it on his place and the computer just shutdown; So, i did figure out than the problem was there.
I take off, partial, the whole plate because i dont want to take off those LCD cables, they are really rare and i am afraid to damage them, so, i saw a black line on the ribbon, the ribbon got burned in the end part (where it is connected to the board, not in the board but in the left side of the ribbon, you can see on the next picture (thats the view from up)



So, i careful take this off and i saw under it, and i saw more burned:



This is the part which is connected to the touchpad indeed



I took a couple of pictures of the connector where it ribbon goes, but i dint see nothing burned except by the plastic, it got a little burned and i think it was because of the ribbon shorcut





I dont know why this got burned, i never touch that ribbon, what i can remember is that i used a cloth to clean the dust near or under tha plate, thats all, i dont know and im afraid because i have not explanation about why this got burned ?

questions: Can i use my laptop without that ribbon while i get the new one?
Why it got burned?, it was pluged properly? :/

Where can i buy that ribbon and how much it cost?, it have too be extacly alienware or there seel that ribbon ?, i mean, is this standar?

Thanks so much !

 

Just as I thought, a shortcut caused by that ribbon.
Use your laptop without the touchpad and I'll help you this evening find a new ribbon.
If you have warranty call Dell.

Cheers

 

Thanks for your help, i'm still thinking about what cause the shortcut, im afraind to put another ribbon on it and burn again
I want to know which kind of ribbon can be used on it, or well, wehre to buy it
Thanks so much, i need to spread rep before give it to you again

 

Don't worry, we'll find you a ribbon.
If I were you I'd take a look at the connectors on both sides and see if they are ok, wash them with alcohol WHILE THE SYSTEM IS OFF AND NOT PLUGGED IN.
An improper seating of the ribbon might've caused this leading to the connectors on the ribbon touching the wrong connectors on the plug.

White your at it, write down the part number exactly as it's shown on the ribbon and send it to me. They are not Alienware/Dell specific

Cheers

 

Looks like a 12pin with a 0,50mm pitch cable, unless it's inverted it shouldn't be hard to find one.
This one should do, and it's already in the states.
However if it is inverted, then it gets harder.

 

Hey, thank you guys.
I don't remember a number part in there, i though the ribbon have it printed . I can't take this appart again cause i'm extremely working with it now, so, cant risk to another passaway LOL
But, maybe, if i call to dell een withput warranty could be there able to give me that information?, also, i remeber that i got a part list with the machine, every single part its supposed to be listed, need to check for it.
Anybody else have idea about a web page where to buy M17x parts?, im pretty sure i saw soething like that posted here before.

 

Well, you won't find it thru Dell as a separate part, I can tell you that to save you some time.
But these days I'll try and take mine out to write down the correct reference or sizes and give you a link to some guys that they do only this, ribbons of all kinds.

So for now use a mouse if it's ok with you and I'll come back to you as soon as I can.

 

Tom Yorke bless you, man, Thanks a lot !

 

Nice job guys in seeing Cmagmez through this issue!

 

Yes, hank you, guys
By the way, i call Dell and they gave me he number part, it will be great if you can check than is the right one:

NKVX3 - Assembly Keyboard Palmrest M17X

Now i need to find it uout, but where? hey said than the aprox cost of it will be 35 USD (Dang)

 

35$ is a good price for the whole palmrest, but I doubt it comes with the ribbon.
BTW won't be home till this Friday, do you have the ribbon out of the laptop?
Write down the letters and numbers exactly how they are and send them to me, don't buy the whole palmrest if you only need the ribbon.

 

It did at least in my case when I had the palmrest changed earlier this year.. It did come pre attached to the Palmrest. The only thing the tech guy did was attach it to the motherboard.

To be clear on this all cgmerz has to do is ask the technical dudes.

 

Hi guys, sorry for my late reply.
Maybe the girl missunderstood my question or need, i ask she just for he ribbon and she seems to gave me all the palmrest instead, about to ask the tech guy, why should ask for?, i can attach the ribbon if that is what you ean, vads24.
I take the nex number right from the ribbon, hope this work, there are two things, so i will type down all:

HAMBURG-SHE235863
AWM 20798 80C 60V VW-1

That's all what i got from the ribbon.

Vads, cool to know that the palsmrest have the ribbon attached, but i think that pay for a palmest just to get a ribbon?, thats insane.

 

Well i dont know if you can get the ribbon itself. Worth a try definitely but often Dell just ships out component wise. Silly at times..but useful during warranty and to waste earth's resources...Lol!.

I meant call the Dell technicians on the phone and inquire, thats all. You can even snap a picture and tell them the exact part you want.

 

Those were exactly the numbers i asked you for.
Here's one as i promissed:

 

Is that your account? Coooool!

 

No, it's not but the guy that i know is on vacation so i had to find something else for Cmgamez.

 

Hey, atalin, thanks for that !
But, were should i get it, from the link above or another guy?, that one from ebay seems like dont ship international, anyway, i can wait for it and for your friend, i really doubt i can get this one on my country :S

 

I'm on it.
Can you measure its length and width in mm if possible, Cmagamez?
Thanks

EDIT: I've sent you a PM.
BTW don't buy ribbons that come from HP systems, they're crap.

 

Hey, fella thans for reply and sorry for my late reply.
Yes, i can, indee metric system is the best, can't undertsnad why in USA or other countries they love the english system
The ribbon meassure is 13.4 cm
Gotta see what abpout the PM and ask those guys about the shipment and those other details.
Thanks so much