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

friend took apart his m11x screen to do the epoxy fix the moment he got his and i had him take a few pictures. weird his has the gold star screw ins, is this a change from the old m11x hinges?? i dont see them in the first page of this thread.

 

I would also love to see someone take some pictures of what to do exactly. Would greatly appreciate that, I might do this soon.

 

its the same gold star screw with my m11x r1.

heres the pic with the plastic holding this gold screw being broken.






now here is the look of the epoxy bond that is applied to the two surface. just make good application in the inner part or the lower part of the screws. though it really looks UGLY but it really helps.

 

Are you noticing an increase in dust contaminant getting in the screen having taken it apart and compromised the double sided tape that is there to keep the dust out?

 

Creaking is starting to happen and hinge is starting to show some play. No external signs of breakage yet.

 

I took mine apart and applied some metal epoxy to it. I think that is the safest route to take, in light of all of these issues surrounding this. I was looking for a laptop that would last many years - as long as my M1210, which this replaced. One way or another, it's gonna last that long.

 

Why would you do that until your warranty was about to expire?

 

I would have no problems doing the epoxy fix if Dell wouldn't void my warranty. Hell, I'd loosen up my hinges if it didn't void my warranty. It would be nice if Dell would still provide warranty for those that remove their bezel simply to loosen the hinge screws.

I for one plan on getting a new laptop again and again and again until there's a fix. It will be easy to do by simply treating my laptop in the normal intended use instead of babying the opening and closing of the hinge like I have been doing.

 

I'm all for DIY fixes once Dell is off the hook for fixing it. I'd be much more worried that the hinges might still break after a DIY job and then be left with a notebook that Dell would no longer be obligated to fix on their dime.

 

my epoxy-reinforced hinges are indestructible i tell you! lol

but seriously, after doing the DIY, i'm SUPER confident my hinges won't be breaking even from excessive opening/closing.

i just recently used some of the leftover epoxy putty to fix a leaking faucet in the kitchen. good stuff!

btw.. from reading all these threads, it has already been confirmed that the Dell warranty repair only involves a tech removing the entire lcd panel & hinge piece and replacing that with a new one altogether. the lcd panel swap does not involve opening up the old lcd panel. therefore no visible DIY = no void of warranty ;D

nope no increase at all. i used some double sided tape around the edges of screen before closing panel back up. besides, the bezel/panel clicks together pretty tight, so as long as it was closed up dust-free it should stay that way.

 

What can your say aboute this: YouTube - M11X screen fix

Can I therefore get to the hinges, that would just weaken them and extend their lifetime? I'm still under warranty, but I live in Ukraine, and here you can not rely on good service

After long-term opening screen to the maximum, they begin to publish a squeak. That made me very scared >_<

Sorry for my bad English and thx

 

Squeaks are not something that indicate eminent hinge problems. They're pretty much a fact of life for most laptops. Cracking, crunching or popping noises are what you need to be concerned with. Those are precursors to hinge failure.

 

yep the epoxy bonding is the sure FIX NOW real solution. but i hope dell will have their next m11x with that chassis holder part would cast the golden bolt inside and not the plastic holder holder the bolt of the hinge.

 

I only applied 1 year warranty from Dell before i knew this hinge issues =.=ll

Now my question is, will i able to extend my warranty before my 1 year warranty expired? Thanks.

P.S. and how do i extend?

 

Yes, yu can extend you warranty at any time during the first year. It'll cost you more than it would have if you'd added it when you bought the M11x. Call Dell or look into a 3rd party warranty service such as Square Trade. Search the forum for detailed discussions on all of this.

Having never really dealt with Epoxying plastic, how likely is the bond going to last on what I'm assuming is fairly smooth plastic? Isn't there a real potential for that bond to give out over time?

 

based on my experience, the surface is not that smooth so their is a good surface the epoxy to hold on. My first bond fix was almost 6 months ago. The left hinge that i put epoxy was does not have the solid mix and it eventually cracked under pressure but it took 4 months. so i re bond the left hinge while the right hinge is still holding solid.

i suggest you make a preventive bond fix to your hinge now so that it will be more solid and may give you peace of mind from the m11x hinge issues.

 

There is no way I'm doing anything to my hinges while there's a warranty in place that will fix it for free. I don't understand why anyone is doing that until it's their only option. I'll be paying close attention to people who are using different types of epoxy to see how those fixes hold up over time too.

 

My guess is that some peeps don't have the time to waste for Dell to come out and swap out a future broken LCD. The stories of peeps M11x's ending up in worse shape after the service tech worked on it due to incompetence and/or shoddy replacement parts also is discouraging. Epoxy is pretty strong stuff too. I for one do have the time and will make Dell give me a new laptop as often as it takes until the hinge is re-engineered.

 

Any video guide on cracking display?

 

Is this what you're looking for, vorob?

YouTube - M11X screen fix

 

Finally!!! Repped ya. Is Speedaholic on here? Gonna double-rep him.

 

I don't think that guy is an NBR member. If he is, he's a lurker.

 

You definitely need to keep an eye on the tech when he's on the job. The tech they sent me was incredibly sloppy. He chipped the paint and the palmrest, and jacked up the keyboard and the touchpad. Didn't even set the keyboard in properly. I'm so effin pissed. Would've been better if they just shipped the LCD screen to me so that I could install it myself.

For those in Orange County, CA, watch out for a tech whose last name starts with an I and ends with a Z.

 

Use a flathead and press in near the caps lock and page down key (outer edges).

The KB has two hidden catches in each of those areas that hold it down (about half a centimeter lower than simply laying it on top and screwing it in... keys should be flush with palmrest (within 1mm tolerence).

 

M11x service manual zip

M11x keyboard removal and install viewed online

 

Or what DrGoodVibes said

 

You can gently click both end of the keyboard in using your thumb. Less change of a tool slipping/scratching/etc. I've done it a dozen times at least.

 

Thanks. I know precisely what you're talking about, but it's not a matter of popping the keyboard back in. I've dissassembled the M11x through the same manuals Goodvibe posted, and I'm pretty sure the keyboard itself is broken, or it's something more serious, as many of the keys don't actually register on-screen.

Eh, Dell's sending a new tech to replace the keyboard and to assess the damage. Hoping for better luck this time.

 

i super glued it thx for help.
here comes the next problem...when i tried to open screen it didn't opened...so didn't opened and glued just like in guide screws to the screw holes and when i do that...some dust layed on my inner screen T_T can i some how open screen without damage and take of dust? it's really annoying.
p.s sorry bad english

 

Bloody araldite failed - my fault I open the screen - remind me never to do this again!!!!!!!!!!!

23 dec - off on holiday in the morning so have the bloody thing clamped in front of me now with more araldite on and a plastic clamp - bloody useless company all promise and no bloody action.

Think the envy 13 is looking really good.

 

Mate - a fellow ausi - your only hope is to open up the screen and glue with araldite - I'm sitting here typing with a ruddy clamp on the LHS waiting for this batch to cure so don't feel alone with this issue.

Bloody alienware useless is all I can say

 

Tried to open my screen but i didn't know that front panel is glued to the lid... So i decided not to start.

 

If you do, be aware that you will have to resecure it with some kind of double tape as suggested elsewhere on here. I didn't do it, and am getting a bit of dust behind the screen. Not the end of the world, but I will eventually have to go back in and blow it out. If you do open it, be very gentle and SLOW or you can actually break the hinges.

 

Well, thats sad. Not only hinges are crap but whole displace construction... Who decided to cover lcd with pice of transparent plastic, very unpractical...

 

Man, I was looking at buying one of these (with the i7 processor) and this is very unsettling. I was hoping to get one before I go on holidays State-side for 3 weeks but if no revision is released with the hinge issue fixed then I might have to scrap the buy.

 

i dont have hinge problems yet with my 3rd monitor but i have noticed something weird.. just wondering if anyone else has this issue... on my left hinge (above the heat escape thing) i noticed that one squeaks/creaks alot after a long time on the computer.. i almost think the plastic heats up and softens a bit so it moves a bit when the monitor opens and closes.. the right hinge doesn't make a noise.. if I put my finger on the plastic around the left hinge it doesn't make a noise..

it squeaks right at the place where the two plastics join.. look at the attached picture...

 

Not to alarm you or anything, but your hinge may be ready to split open. Especially since the noise stops when you put pressure on it may be a telling sign that they are coming apart.

 

but the plastic hinge isn't glued together is it?? its just put together like lego?? (the plastic thing in my picture)

 

That seam isn't meant to be sealed. When you open and close the lid it's normal for there to be some amount of movement of those two pieces, but if you're seeing that gap open and close more than a teensy bit as you rotate the lid then it's possible that something isn't right.

You say you've had this display replaced before. It's quite possible that the cable that runs through that left hinge cover wasn't routed properly. When you pull off the indicator cover (cover that has the alienhead power button) you should see a cable that runs underneath the metal hinge arm rather than above it. If it was run on top of the arm then it's possible that it's getting pinched and causing that gap to open or otherwise rub.

Just a thought. It wouldn't be the first time that a tech didn't route those cables properly when putting everything back together. Should be easy to check.

 

To back up what Batboy pointed out, if you have warranty, this is what is for. Once you go past it, you can do surgery on it.

In my case because I plan to get an R2, I was not afraid to "fix the hinge", but there are caveats...

- Dust will get in behind the screen somewhat

- You have to essentially break the screen clip on the bottom right to pull out the screen

- The screen is a LOT harder to make out than the videos people show, you will likely break the hinge even more if you are not careful

- there is tape around the screen face holding it to the back... this stops the dust getting in, you will end up pulling this apart.

- The lighting for the logo will never be the same unless you get double-sided tape to get the front screen and back to re-adhere. Instead of a flat uniform lighting it will be a gradient effect... its actually kind of cool, but not to everyone's taste.

Unless you can deal with these things just stick to your warranty.

 

i agree with this. when i first repaired my screen, i got this gradient effect on the lighting of the logo. i found it cool and nice though

 

I fixed my broken hinge with gorilla glue! The stuff expands 4 times its size and hardens into a stiff material that will stick anything togethor.

just took apart my screen, dropped a few drops into each broken screw hole, made a makeshift jig to hold the screen in place and voila next day as good as new.

Oh and also unscrewed the hinge a bit too to loosen it up.

 

i have the same problem laptop is 6 months old, hinges are broken and dell will not make good on it, they want 200.00 up front and bill me for parts after it is fixed, 6 months of warranty left and no help with this problem. Than they have the nerve to try and sell me an extended warranty..
looks like i will have to make another call and make note of all the other laptops having the same problem including this thread..

 

@tony357: Err, that's not right. Let them know that the hinge problem is down to an engineering defect (which they have acknowledged) and not negligence on your part.

 

Closing thread as performing this fix now is just suicide

please see this thread before buying a tube of epoxy... lol

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...eased-update-hinge-issue-m11x-01-24-11-a.html