M11x-R1/R2 New Hinge Design (see post#1)

Cheryl, where are you located? If you are willing to just pay for shipping, I do repairs on these computers. I will fix it for the cost of shipping, consider it a xmas gift for your son. Let me know if your interested, I am located in MN and have a good reputation here. I can send you my phone number if you wanted to talk about it over the phone.

 

Also, if you call dell they will do 1 no warrenty hinge repair and they replace it with the r3 hinge assembly which fixes all the old problems

 

Wow ejohnson, that's really nice of you. If I were you cheryl I'd take him up on that offer. Ejohnson would be way more competent than most of the Dell techs you'd come across.

 

True but on the other hand she would have to ship it and I would hate that. Unless of couse she turns out to live right down the street from him lol

 

Yeah, sometimes they are fast, sometimes they are slow.

When I emailed them, they kept on calling me at 10pm... I work at 5am, so I am long asleep by the time they would call.

 

See post#1 of this thread. Check with Dell first.

 

Hey guys..Bought my M11x R2 probably close to a year now but I had my aunt who lives in NY buy it online and bring it for me when she was coming to where I live (Trinidad). My hinge hasn't yet broken but it's really..unstable and I'd hate to have it break on me as I use it for school regularly..Also my keyboard leaves imprints on the screen so I constantly have to keep putting the cloth that came with it between the screen and keyboard after I use it...I paid a lot for this thing and well I'd really like to get my screen changed but as it was bought in the U.S and it's not in the region, is there any chance I can get my LCD panel replaced? Thanks in advance for any help =)

 

You can fill the ownership transfer form if you're going to stay there more than six months and/or call Dell after.
It will take a while for the transfer to be made, check with them.

 

So, I got my m11xr2 in I believe July of 2010. Had the hinge replaced once in January of this year, then a second time in June or so again. I am starting to see signs of the problem yet again (the left hinge moves significantly more than the right, and doesn't stay balanced)...but I had the one year warranty.

I've seen on here some people getting it replaced out of warranty, do you think there's any chance I could get that done? I ask since I've already done it twice... And if so, is there anything specific I need to use to contact them, or something special to tell them when I do? I really just want this computer to last, I love the performance, but I get so irritated at the freakin' hinge...

 

Your best bet is to contact Alienware support (1-800-ALIENWARE), explain your situation in a polite manner and i believe things will work out in your favor as this is a known recognized issue.

 

This happens on all AW lappies I have used. The 11x(R1 & R2), 15x, 17xR1, 2 and 3 and 18x. They all have some light traces of fingerprint oil streaks on the screen. Not a major amount, just light streaks from time to time. Personally, I think its normal. Sucks but it is what it is...

As for the stock hinge, I would still have the assembly replaced. Defintely sync with support and get the ball rolling.

 

Hi all,

My M11x R2 left hinge has finally died on me after a year and 3 months.
Hopefully AW/Dell will let me replace my own parts again. However does anyone know of the code/ID they use for the fixed hinged for the model Soft Touch Stealth screens for the UK?

The thread mentions the US, but I see no recolition of the UK.

Many thanks

 

That really sucks..that annoys the hell outta me because to me, this is a portable laptop and that isn't exactly practical when you're on the go...Anyway thanks for the reply..I think I'll call up Alienware tomorrow and see what they say..

Just a random question...do you guys ever rest the laptop on your lap durin normal usage? Or maybe on a bed..or a book or anything like that? My fan broke once already and I had to have it shipped back to the U.S where they replaced the entire mobo for me..so I'm sorta..paranoid..I make sure the vents at the bottom have space between whatever surface there is with a laptop cooler..which is also not really practical for a portable laptop.

 

I would never game or do intensive apps without flow but in portable mode I'm not so anal about it. As long as the intake isnt blocked off its fine so for ME I can use it on lap.

 

I was wondering whether there is any chance of Dell Technician bringing R3 monitor instead of R2 monitor.
I noticed that there is difference in the monitor supplied to R2 units and R3 units.

 

My M11X-R2 warranty expired last October. I hear a crack from the hinge when I flip open the monitor. What should I do? Is my hinge going to break? I read somewhere that Alienware will cover M11X hinges repair despite your warranty expiring...Is this true?

 

I bought my M11x about a year ago and i noticed the back it over time would get worse but i didn't think nothing of it until recently i picked it up and the screen gave out and fell off the hinges. I don't know what to do with it now. I have seen that dell is supposed to replace your screen regardless of warranty if this is true how would i go about doing so.

 

Yep, Dell will fix it for free, even if it's out of warranty. All you have to do is make sure it's registered in your name. Just call them up.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...laptop-warranty-out-previous-owners-name.html

 

Yup, that's right. Give them a call 1-800-ALIENWARE. I've had to do a recent repair because my m11x keyboard wouldn't back light, even with all the new drivers I was putting on it. (NEVER REINSTALL WINDOWS ON AN ALIENWARE. THE BACKLIT KEYBOARD WILL FAIL.)

Anyhow, They paid to fix it and ship it, and it was returned in 6 Business days. Very fast service.

I do not have any issues with hinges at the moment and I have an R1 model, but I do notice the screen is on a little bit crooked, or the hinge on the left side is not equally installed to the one on the right. So I may send mine in again.

Alienware's are known to have the problem for the 2009 and up models, and Dell admits it and will fix it free of charge.

Best of luck to you.

 

errr, i reinstalled windows on my R3, no issues with lighting or anything else what so ever... You're doing something wrong bro

and yeah they will replace hinges even if out of warranty.

 

What he did wrong is used the command center dvd that came with the computer... that kills your lights.

 

I did buy my Aleinware Used for 450, and I assumed the backlights stopped working because the OS was reinstalled.

I tried EVERY driver version of alien FX and nothing fixed it. I sent it in so I wouldnt void the warranty by checking the backlight cable myself.

They said they dint replace anything, so I'm assuming a cable came lose, or Dell booby trapped the comps.

and NO I did not use the disk, because I read in a forum post NOT to use the disk.

 

maybe previous owner did then. Cable is same for keyboard and backlight, so it is unlikely. a lot.

 

i also reformat my alienware 4x tryin to fix my time date problem i even open it up repasted the cpu and gpu at first i was scared but once u do it once its so damm easy to take apart easiest laptop ive done

 

No I checked. The keyboard has a separate cable, it's white and the LED cables is copper colored. I watched a video on where to check the cables.

 

Hello I am new to the forum (first post) I wanted to discuss and vent about my hinge repair process and hopefully you don't have the issues I have had. I want to say that I was thankful to hear about a recall on these hinges and glad Dell has decided to make it right.

The send and receive process took 11 business days with 1 day of repair, those that have owned an HP or Lenovo...this is terrible turn around time, but its a recall and I am getting this for free so I am okay. Open the box and my new screen looks great and those proper hinges feel real nice. Thank you Dell? Not yet...

I go to plug it in and hear an odd electrical noise and the AC adaptor light turns off. Long story short it won't charge...so I call the number on the slip that came in the shipper urging me to call if my needs have not been met.

I spent a half hour on the phone arguing and repeating that my Alienware worked fine and charged until now when I got it back. I was told that I would have to pay, I escalated and escalated and finally they agreed to send me a box so I can ground ship my unit back to Houston to the Repair Depot. My suspicion is that something wasn't hooked back up or came loose during the screen replacement, at this point I just want my computer in my hands and working.

I love my M11x but the service behind it is terrible. When they finally agreed to fix it on that nasty phone conversation I asked politely if we could use anything but the ground shipping process to save time. I was told "take it or leave it" what great words from a customer service rep. I like to replace my personal computer every 2-3 years and as a early adopter of the M11x I was starting to browse the R3 and possibly an M14x. Had I not Googled hinge replacements to then learn about the 'recall' I would probably be readying my tax return for an M14x. 'Leave it' I will.

 

My laptop's had a creaking hinge for months, and today the screen had some space in it (between the glass and LCD) which prompted me to look it up and discover the recall.
I sent an email to the address specifically for this issue, and received a very vague email in reply this evening. I called them to get some information, and was told that I'll be getting a box to send my laptop in in. Wish I could have had someone come to my house to fix it, as I use this laptop for school, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

Anyways, I was told that I'd only be without my laptop for 7 days (hope so!). My main concern, and the reason I'm writing, is this fear I have that when I get my laptop back, the hard drive will have been wiped clean! It happened to my dad's HP when he sent it in for a wireless adapter replacement, and I'd really like to avoid that. I'll back everything up first anyways, but to people who've sent their laptops away for the new LCD/hinges, was your computer's drive as you left it?

Thanks!
Sorry for such a long, drawn out post D:

PS, I'm in Canada, although I see that other Canadians were able to have technicians fix the laptops at their houses.

 

Hello, Ninjettem welcome to NBR.

It is recommended that you back up all your data before sending it. There's no guarantee your hard drive won't be erased, this way you protect your private data too

Please take a moment to review the forum rules.

 

You can also call back and ask to speak to a manager and explain you need it for school. That should get the parts and a tech sent to you. Just will take some extra time to cancel the existing support order and dispatch a new one.

 

They did not wipe the hard drive on mine, but that is always a risk. The paperwork that comes with the box asks for permission to re-install the OS if needed. Not sure what happens if you check 'deny'. I hope 7 days happens for you...my experience was they overnight the empty box and include a new shipping slip for ground. They then 2day the unit back. The new hinges are awesome, its hard to believe I was accepting the creaking noise they were making as normal.

It should only be at the depot getting fixed for a day. My experience was lots of shipping time.

Tom

 

I'm still waiting for my 'return to depot' box. :S

Technician told me it would here by this past Wednesday. We did have a pretty severe snow storm that day though.

Hopefully the 'return by' date doesn't reflect how long it takes me to get the box as well.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone
I'm happy to say the tech I talked to on the phone was wrong. Monday I got a call from a technician to set up a time for him to come fix it. Tuesday it took about 20 minutes, and now I have squeak-, creak-, and crack-free hinges!
Now though, I noticed there's a slight little black smudge on the screen. It's quite tiny, but it's on the screen, below the protective clear front >.< Not sure if I should/can call back and get *another* screen, since I've never had a warranty. It's not too bad, just pretty noticeable if I have anything light up.

 

Finally got my unit back (the 2nd time) a month later. A bag with 2 screws was also included. Looked on the back panel to find 2 oversized silver screws basically cross threaded into the bottom, the correct screws were found in the bag (you know the black ones). I was able to get the correct ones in but how pathetic. I guess I cannot win with Dell. Calling them has gotten me nothing but trying to sell me an extended warranty. Any thoughts?

 

Probably because you frame it as "what you gonna give me". Not intentionally but if your post here reads like that the phone call might have also.

I would be annoyed and certainly expect them to care more about the service. Was it sent to DELL or an authorized-contracted-but-not-owned-by-Dell service center?

Either way they should take interest in who did the work and why the screws were sent in a bag.

 

It was sent to the repair depot in Houston, to my knowledge that is a Dell facility. I guess im not catching the "what you gonna give me" part, I am just sharing my story in hopes it doesn't happen to anyone else.

I really doubt Dell is going to answer my calls anymore, and I am running out of energy. I have my unit back and am happy.

 

The unit was returned with some crappy screws installed then you said this, "I guess I cannot win with Dell. Calling them has gotten me nothing but..." which tells me you were looking for some sort of compensation considering your statement about managing to install the proper screws.

Mind you, I am on your side here. Dell service or even contract service did the wrong thing here but I'm not clear on what it is you wanted them to do about it.

I asked about being a Dell facility only because if its actually Dell then make more noise. If its a service center not owned by them you can still make noise but seems to me different folks would be needed to take any action.

 

Maybe those crappy screws are supposed to be inside this thing somewhere? My first thought with the bag and misplaced screws was the tech put it back together in a hurry and noticed 2 extra and threw them in a bag.

This is exactly how IKEA furniture goes down at my house, no pun intended.

 

I have a giant box full of random extra ikea parts

 

thats a good theory. If bored you can skim through varied pics and see if you spot them.

 

I just had the hinges repaired on my M11X R2, tech came to my house with a new panel and did the swap.

I have a new problem now though... he must've got the wireless antenna cable wedged into where it's not supposed to be.

I thought it was a driver issue at first so I tried a couple of drivers all at the recommendation of other users on this forum. No dice.

Reseated the mini-card, reseated the antenna cable connections. Still no love.

I thought that maybe my phone, printer or PS3 were interfering somehow and had my D-link 655 wireless status page up, monitoring the connection speeds and just by chance noticed that the wireless connection rate for my M11X (130 mbps optimal) would drop to 1 mbps (basically useless) when my laptop was opened beyond a certain angle.

Basically, my wireless N works flawlessly with the laptop opened to about 100 degrees. Anywhere past that and the cable is pinched and I lose my wireless connectivity.

Brutal. I appreciate having someone come out so quickly to fix my loose hinges issue, but I'm going to call Dell again tomorrow and request someone come out and fix this new and far worse issue.

I could fix it myself, but don't think I should have to.

 

Just got my R1 back today with the replaced screen. Very impressed with how quickly they returned it. The hinge is buttery smooth and the screen is great.

Interestingly, they replaced the AC adapter as well without stating a reason why. Could it be related to the heat recall from the other thread? They didn't check the 'AC Adapter' on the repair work sheet either, only cables.

 

I sent mine out last Friday and got it back yesterday (Wednesday) which is a pretty good turnaround for depot I thought. Screen is great and the hinge is very firm and smooth. Happy customer

I got back the same power supply though, with like a 12' range haha

 

Bummer. Found a dead pixel right in the middle of my new screen.

Oh well, it's sooo tiny, but it still kinda sucks.

 

Hey guys. I tried calling Alienware today to fix my hinges for a second time. They are already acting up and my screen is wobbly and hinges are making a cracking noise. I still have the old hinges, and I'm out of warranty. I've read that they will fix it without warranty (new hinges). They are now telling me that the first fix was free of charge, they said I have to renew my warranty if I want them fixed?? The first time I was under warranty. Is there anything I can do?

 

Mine came back and my AC adaptor was dead. I sent my unit back and they replaced it. Maybe they took notes?

 

Well, after buying my M11x R2 on October 2010, my right hinge finally gave out over the weekend!

Called Dell Support and they sold me on a 1 year next-business day warranty. The other option was for me to send in my M11x and wait about a week or two.

Tech is supposed to call me when the part arrives tomorrow and schedule a visit to replace the LCD screen (Part #40GMX, soft black WLAN LCD). Keeping my fingers crossed!

Update 2/7/2012: The tech came by my office and replaced the screen in less than 15 minutes. The hinges are now perfect! It doesn't feel as tight as the original hinges. It feels much smoother. Let's hope this is the last time I have to call Dell for any hinge-related issue!

 

Has anyone been able to get a tech to come and replace the hinges after the warranty expired?


Heck, I would be happy to have them send me the screen....




I have no box to send the unit to the depot...

 

They will mail you a nice padded box that is perfect size for the m11x. Then they ship it back in a larger box.

 

Also I escalated to a manager because I did not want to depot. He insisted that they have to depot for this repair as many of the on-site techs were connecting something wrong and causing damage. Obviously I cant prove/disprove that statement but the turnaround was pretty good so I could not complain.

 

I had mine done recently. My R1 finally gave out and was starting to crack at the seams. I got it back from Dell in about one week. The crazy thing was they sent it to my dad (very similar name) but thankfully he lives one town over. I think that was the post office's fault. He called me up and asked me if I wanted to "buy a laptop" lol