Fixing the M11x weak hinge creaking/cracking problem. Screen opened!

That sums it up perfectly. Any increase in the amount of offset movement during hinge rotation is a sign that the plastic mount points are giving way. I completely agree that keys contacting the screen is an unrelated side issue and isn't the source of stress that's causing hinge failure.

Wow, that's rich!

 

From Notebookcheck

" The hinges of the M11x protrude a bit out of the case's back, but doesn't interrupt the design in any way, in our opinion The hinges don't give reason for reproach in terms of functionality. They are stable and don't allow the case to teeter, but don't do their job silently"

I wonder if the hinges of the author's M11x are now broken...

 

I'm pretty sure that they were sent a test unit to review that was later returned.

My hinge squeaks ever so slightly when I push the lid backward - at the start of the movement and when that movement stops. Pulling the lid forward doesn't make a sound.

 

Yeah, I don't see why the other thread is merging hinge with screens touching keyboards, seem like completely different issues.

 

The entire hinge design could have been made in a way such that the base does not touch the screen without uneven gaps present in hinges or creaking noise coming from the hinge(s).

 

While that's true and would have been great if they had gotten that important detail right from the outset, we'd still be stuck with weak plastic mounting points that are largely stressed by opening and closing the lid. That's infinitely more stressful than any amount of key contact.

 

Hi, i'm mostly just a reader of this forum but this time i'd like to give back something in return.

I have the same developing hinge problem on my m11x so i decided to do the "preventive measure" move. And since it's already out of warranty and i don't want it to break any further, i went ahead with a DIY fix. Btw, bought this thing last May.

Anyway, here's where i am so far..

I removed the LCD panel and opened it entirely. To do this, you should carefully snap the locks on the edges of the panel while peeling the black foamy double-sided tape that goes around the edges of the LCD screen (btw it's glossy). This tape attaches the LCD to the plastic protector making it sturdy and not warp/buckle when pressed on.

Looking at the base where the hinge is connected, it has the same defect mentioned in this forum. But one of the 3 "plastic" bolt holders (the threaded cylinder thing) on the right side (me facing the laptop) is still a bit intact and holding on for dear life..but it's already cracked..the other two were already "obliterated/pulverized/etc..".

Now, i'm planning to apply steel putty epoxy on it to get it fixed permanently as advised on the m15x hinge fix YouTube video. I plan on filling in the gaps where the holders "used to be" while reattaching it together with the bolts. This should allow me to fix the darn thing without "sticking" the hinge permanently on the LCD panel.

The hinge is aluminum, i think, and it's rotating part is bolted on too tight. It should be loosened up further to lessen the strain it applies on the plastic LCD panel whenever being opened or closed. Dell should have connected this hinge on an aluminum frame inside the LCD panel..it would've been stronger and can act as an antenna for WiFi/WANN card. Anyway..

I'll try to post pics of the mutilated LCD panel if i can or if you are interested.
I'm at work right now and don't have plenty of repair time. Also don't have the epoxy yet. I thought superglue will do but looking at the damage..epoxy is the way to go.

Will try to update you guys soon if i make progress on this DIY repair effort.

This hinge issue is such a crappy design/build for a great gaming laptop..

 

My hinges go toward the desk and back a bit when I close the lid as well and I always do so from the middle, slowly. No noise or anything, but it does it on both sides...

Sigh. I can imagine this laptop being an absolute pain once my warranty's up.

 

Welcome, and sorry for the hinge (althought dell/alienware should be the one saying sorry...). I thought the basic warranty for alienware's products was one year. If you bought it in may, why are you out of warranty?

One more question: did your hinges have some sort of "problem" since the first day you got it (for example, noises) or did you realize that you have a problem just later?

I see in average two new cases per day about broken hinges around the internet since I started to pay attention to this issue. Even if it was a relatively small sample of produced units from the whole universe (an information that we even don't know given the inappropriate silence from dell), it is becoming every day more evident that at least a group of M11x left (or is leaving... again, we don't know because of the silence from dell) the production line with faulty hinges. For this group, I think the right thing to do is to fix/change hinges for free independent of warranty. I can't believe after many reports that this is an issue caused by misuse from the part of the consumer. If machines are leaving the production line with a problem, this problem should be fixed independent of warranty.

 

Just a bit curious... how did you buy it last May (2009)? It wasn't out then.

If you meant the m15, then you have a legacy Alienware system and not an M11x.

 

Yeah, I assumed he/she meant M11x May 2010, but then it would still be covered by basic one year warranty, no?

 

Hi, thanks for the welcome.

I have to correct myself. Bought this last May of this year at Best Buy as a "stock" model. The first one i got has a loose screw flying inside when the fan is switched on..lol..quite scary when you encounter it.. but the unit was working. But i had it replaced anyway.

So..i got this one instead..it was working flawlessly. I didn't order from Dell because, at the time, i thought to myself that the base model was sufficient for my needs and it will also save me some $$$.. And i figured, i can do the upgrade myself--am no stranger to that. So after some time i decided to get the upgrade but Best Buy reps doesn't know what i was talking about--The Bluetooth card and the WANN card (GOBI). I kept pointing to them that the slot in there is a SIM card slot and not another card reader slot. Even online reps don't know about it so i went and upgraded it myself. Bought a Dell Wireless 365 (Bluetooth card) and the Gobi card (WANN card). In the upgrade process..i voided my warranty because i opened it. Yes i opened the laptop without knowing that there was a service manual PDF. Hey, i was excited! lol. I had to figure out carefully how to do it. And luckily was successful and was able to put it back together. Booted, install drivers and there, an upgraded m11x.

The upgrade was worth it. I'm using a Razer Orochi mouse with my m11x and i can also use any SIM card. Just pop it in and you can have on the go internet connection, if your carrier/sim allows. I can also send and receive SMS messages. Neat huh?

I started noticing the drooping screen last month. And verified that it was the infamous hinge issue similar owners was also having. I thought i was spared. On first unboxing, i already noticed that the hinge is a bit tight and might break something..boy was i right. oh well. I already voided my warranty on a laptop that i thought was sturdily built--coz it was labeled "ALIENWARE". I forgot that it was really from Dell.

So that is how my adventure went. Now i'm on for the repairs.

 

What makes you think you 'voided' the warranty simply by opening it up? Perhaps you voided the coverage from best buy but unless you broke the hinge when taking it apart (since you had no reference material at the time), then the warranty from Dell should still be fine.

You need to make sure you set that up - although now, if the hinge is broken it may be too late. They would have no way to confirm you did not cause the damage.

See this link anyway - call and talk to them.

Welcome to Dell Support - Public Sector | Dell

Reference Source:
Dell System Information / Dell Warranty Extensions & Upgrades / Dell Warranty Status - Public Sector

 

You're saying i can skip the repair, put it back together, and still have the warranty? I didn't break the hinge, it was already broken. Thanks for the info.

 

Call customer/tech support after registering your system. If it was already broken, why didn't you just return it to best buy? Bottom line, I have no idea - call them.

 

If they'll replace it with the same hinge setup, it will break again. I'd just go for the DIY fix then.

Thanks anyway.


Cheers.

 

arg my less then 2 week old r2s right hinge is starting to creek (but not all the time) really wish they would do a recall but thats not going to happen

 

Two new people with issues in their hinges just today and just in this forum. The two-new-cases-per-day average is holding... Dell? Statement? Recall? Anything?

PS: Good idea about the poll
Maybe people should have the option to change their vote as time passes since in some cases ( example) luck just changes...

 

Good news for me at least,

My return to Hell box still hasn't shown up, so I called in to complain. The tech i spoke to today was as confused as I was by the lady telling me that I had to send the laptop in. He's got the part shipping to a tech and hopefuly the Tech will have it at my place on Friday.

Dell needs to work on their training....

 

yes. you are right. there will be no recall because it does not threaten anyone's safety.

 

So a recall will only happen if our hinge explodes on us? It's only a matter of time

 

So if I phone support for a hinge replacement it's pretty much just going to break again and again?

Sheesh.

 

Actually, I have a doubt... Let's assume that you have just one month left of warranty and your hinges break. Okay, you call Dell and they replace it for you. But, let's also assume that unfortunately your hinges break again one month later (something that doesn't seems hard to believe...). Now you are supposed out of warranty, but a service was made under warranty just one month ago. Wouldn't Dell cover it? Isn't there an extension of warranty for services made under warranty?

Dr. Goodvibes, is that a HINGE what you have in your hand?
LoL

 

The poll options in this thread are terrible, but oh well, I voted for the one that says I have the hinge issue on R2.

It hasn't broken but I can see the mis-alignment. Shame, because other than that I can't complain, the laptop looks and works great, but what good is that if it's going to break in 3 months?

 

Wow, I didn't know what that was until you mentioned it. + 1 Goodvibes!

 

Ok guys - I know some of you will not agree and thats fine however at this point I am going to ask you to only post in this thread if it directly relates to jon's fix as outlined in post#1.

You have all taken this to the point where the same items are being posted here and in the other thread ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...reen-touching-keyboard-discussion-r1-r2.html). Since the other thread is the oldest, it will continue.

Again, please confine your posts to the main hinge/screen touching keyboard/hinge gap thread. If you want to post on jon's fix, then do so - however the post must directly involve his fix.

Any posts not related to the fix method in post#1 will result in an infraction.

PM me or another mod if you have questions. Do not post questions - pm them.

Thanks.

 

Continued OT is going to result in this thread closing... Keep posts relative to the 'fix' in post #1.

If you want to discuss the hinge/screen touching keyboard/hinge gap topic, go to the other thread ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...creen-touching-keyboard-discussion-r1-r2.html)

 

Any fallout from keeping the old part? I might try this when I get mine replaced.

Does it need replaced? No, but I can see the movement and the occasional "creak". If I can keep the old part DIY repair is a good option.

Bonus question:
If I am allowed to replace certain parts on my own while under warranty (Dell will do this sometimes) if I want to swap back and forth with OEM and DIY screen is there a warranty violation?

 

Standard practice for warranty work is the failed part is collected by the on-site tech or the customer sends it back using the replacement's box + included return waybill.

If this is not done, you will end up with a bill from Dell. That is, unless it is discussed and agreed the failed part does not have to be returned. This is something to address when you place the service call with support.

 

Sorry, I meant did the OP get any fallout yet? If not then I might try same when the day comes as I'll have a tech come out. Returning of part is on them rather than me at that point. I wouldnt try this if the parts come to me for R&R

The comparison of DIY was for afterward or future planning... if having a modded part violates warranty then would swapping from OEM-DIY-OEM retain warranty? Dell has allowed me to do my own warranty parts replacements in the past which tells me that just opening the system myself doesn't violate anything.

Longshot? Probably.

 

Why even worry about it? If you have a creaky hinge, call support. There shouldn't be any squeaking/creaking (IMO of course). The OP's case is rare - they normally do not allow you to keep parts (I've tried and asked before )

Enjoy the system, its under warranty. If something breaks, call them.

 

My warranty is only 1 year... at Malaysian prices I need to keep this a while BUT the extended warranty is crazy high & at least for now cannot afford it. Wouldn't say I'm worried though

I'll try my luck when the day comes. No harm in that & maybe I'll get lucky.

 

Though I don't have any hinge issues on my r1, that is a good job breaking it down for those who do.

 

Great I was looking at that.

Could it be that this is something that Dell is looking at, and their masstest to see what the best 'tightness' on the hinges is to prevent this problem is when they send out screen after screen.

But thanks for the thread and I will have this things in mind in the case I will have the same problem in the future.

 

Also loosen the 3 screws that are shown broken before they get broken?
This would unstress the cracks that may have taken place from over tighting from factory.

If it was like that with mine, I would simply drill threw the case with flat headed screw cut to length to join a flat headed nut at the hindge.. even cut the riser that is stripped and put a block of same height. Professionally done.
( catch 22.. would void the warranty for sure ) So if your motherboard went out Dell would say you went and modified the case and took it appart bla bla bla )

Looking at the photos from OP, when these units get replaced or the screen replaced, is it the SAME exact lid..

Has the area been re-constructed.. is it a new design? or is it the same just another one?

I would love to see photos of the replaced version.

Did Dell fix the issue by re-designing the case ? if so can somone put forth photos that are the same viewing of the OP's photos for comparision.

Thanks!

 

Great thread guys.

Order date: 7/23/10
Received date: 8/3/10

Alienware M11x R2
[Intel Core [email protected]][8GB DDR3][256GB SAMSUNG SSD][NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M-1GB]

I love this thing. It's just a really cool looking device. Lots of "wow" factor. It runs everything great. I'm totally happy with my purchase despite all the hinge issues that many people seem to be having. The only thing that I've noticed on my unit is that the right hinge is maybe a mm higher than the left? Barely noticeable, not an issue at all. No squeaking or cracking. No keyboard touching screen. Keyboard is flat and uniform all around. All edges are straight and aligned.

I guess I'm just one of the luckier ones. Whoever put mine together did it with care.. so THANKS!

However, just because I'm not experiencing any problems now doesn't mean it won't happen later. So... preventive repair! (Yes, I'm under warranty but no point in getting a warranty lcd swap if the design is flawed..)

As per the videos of the M15x's hinge repair and Alienware's M11x teardown YouTube, I took mine apart to loosen the hinge and to also apply some epoxy putty around the screw supports.. see below (by the way, the screw supports on mine looked perfectly fine pre-epoxy)





Hinges loosened and screw supports reinforced.

 

I have moved several posts to the other thread. If yours is missing - check there.

I previously posted this however I will post it one more time -

Only post in this thread if it directly relates to jon's fix as outlined in post#1.

Any comments, discussion, feedback, complaining about the hinge issue need to be posted here - ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...reen-touching-keyboard-discussion-r1-r2.html).

If you want to post on jon's fix, then do so here - the post must directly involve his fix. One line about his fix and then 3 paragraphs about 'why', 'what we should do', etc., is not going to be permitted. It only serves to derail the fix discussion as outlined by the OP - last warning - discuss the other stuff in the first hinge thread.

Any posts not related to the fix method in post#1 will result in an infraction for posting Off Topic.

PM me or another mod if you have questions on this. Do not post questions - pm them.

Thanks.

 

jaeyang9, did you find it hard to get behind the plastic plate the hinge is on?

What did you have to do to get the epoxy behind the plastic plate?

I'm thinking of doing the same thing.

 

In order to get to the hinges, you must remove the front clear screen panel. It basically clicks in all around the edges of the screen. There's double sided tape around the borders of the actual lcd, which appears to serve as the wifi antenna. So just be careful when prying the panels apart.

Once that is out of the way, just unscrew the hinges and remove the metal plate underneath, apply the putty around the screw supports, PUSH the metal plate back into place over the putty and attach screws. Make sure you do it quick otherwise once the putty starts to harden you're going to have trouble pushing the metal plate down into place. *IMPORTANT* make sure either to cut out a space or leave room for a part of the hinge.. see blue area in pic below



Also don't forget to loosen the hinges while you have everything apart.

Getting screen dust free when reassembling was a real nuisance, but I managed pretty well by improvising a vacuum hose attachment w/ a microfiber cleaning cloth clipped at the end to prevent scratches. I was doing this late night and didn't have a can of air. Hey whatever works for you.

 

how well is the epoxy adhering? Any confirmation that its "stuck" well? There are all sorts of diff epoxy products and pliable putties. ShoeGoo work I wonder? Probably too watery before setup.

 

jaeyang9, thanks for the writeup.

Did you have to remove all the screws (including the 2 on the far edge) to remove the metal plate, the hinge is on?

 

Jeeyang's post should be merged with OP's original post for everyone's convenience. Op can you merge?

 

I personally used a product called rhino putty. Easy application. Like play putty. It adheres well, but more than anything it hardens and fills up the empty space around the screw supports so they won't break from stress.

yup all the screws shown there were removed

 

I opened my m11x and made the DIY fix almost a month ago and never encountered the hinge issue again.

I used steel putty epoxy--it is very durable. Dries fast, but you must let it cure around 12-24 hours to get its full strength. I let it cure 48 hours in my case to be sure. Also loosened the hinge to relieve stress on the connection joints when opening/closing.

One side of my hinge support was all torn up when i started the fix. Will post some closeup pics of the before and after fix if i find the time.

Hope they already fixed this in R2.

 

i have my first do it yourself repair of the broken plastic lock hinge 2 months after i bought my m11x. because i am from the philippines and i cant request for a replacement of the cover latch the have the plastic lock for the hinges, i make repirs on my own. i bond it with a steel epoxy and it took 4mos before the left hinge lock gave way while the right is still holding on. the epoxy solution is great but the left bond gave way because the mixture of epoxy i used in the left was not really good one so, i am repairing it now again.

heres the pics of the right and the left:

 

but i hope DELL will make a reall solution for this problem. i guess this is a real FAULTY DESIGN. i hope they make part of the bolt casted in the chassis like the pics below:



just like this bolt, it is cast in the chassis

 

You know what would be nice (and yes I've searched)? If someone posted video and/or instructions for removeing the bezel. The infamous youtube video of the hinge fix jumps right past that part and onto the fix. I just want to loosen up my hinge bolts.

 

I agree. All of the videos I've found do not show how to disassemble the m11x lcd panel. I want to see first-hand if a DIY fix is needed.

 

I'm looking at this for future reference, and I'm confused about what to use as the bonding material. Epoxy, putty, whatever. Can somebody please tell me what to use to bond the broken pieces?

 

Sorry if this has already been posted. I believe this is the page that my Dell tech had open when we (yes, we) took the laptop apart:

m11x-R1 service manual

you may find it useful.