Fujitsu LifeBook S2110 LCD Hinges

So about two years ago, my Fujitsu S2110's fan broke and I had to get it replaced by my local Richard's Computers, the following summer (I was at college). After I dropped it off, they called me an confirmed that the fan needed to be replaced but also the A/C input jack also needed to be changed because it was cracked (I could confirm this as I noticed the battery wasn't being charged properly so they weren't scamming me) -- I gave them the OK to replace both parts for about 300 dollars. This was back around July 2007.

Now, almost a year later, everything is still working fine -- the fan is quiet, the A/C jack fits firmly, etc. etc. -- except now, and I discovered this about a month or two ago, the hinges connecting the monitor to the laptop chassis is completely loose. The monitor lid is still intact but the hinge coverings on them are loose/disconnected from the main chassis and can be lifted up rather too easily. The monitor still works fine and I can close/open the lid with few problems -- it's just that everything is rather wobbly.

I'm kind of thinking that this might have something to do with the repairs done on the laptop a year ago since they would have had to remove that exact part to access in the interior of the laptop and they might not have secured it in properly or something afterwards-- but I could be wrong and it might just be wear and tear (though I doubt it since I take very good care of my laptop).

Do any of you guys know what I should do? If you know what I'm referring to and can tell me how to pop the hinges in back together then I would be glad to do it. Do you think it might be worth it to email the repair people and ask them? I will definitely not be bringing it in for any more repairs that would cost money as I plan on replacing the laptop within the next year or so anyways.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

I would be tempted to remove the hinge cover (two? screws underneath near the back) and unclip at the back of the hinges. The hinge covers are part of the cover for the area at the back of the keyboard. Do you see that the whole hinge assembly has lifted up off the chassis as shown in the attached photo? (from a more recent S series).

There may be a couple of screws on the back of the computer that help secure the hinges. Are they present and tight? If they are absent then maybe they have worked loose and fallen out, in which case you may be able to try to claim against whoever did the previous repairs. However, screws have a habit of working loose with time and it is good practise to regularly check them all and, if possible, tighten them.

John

 

My problem is similar to the picture you attached but not quite as bad. The hinges haven't come completely off yet but their attachment to the BACK of the laptop (where all the ports are) is loose and can be easily lifted up and down. Cosmetically, you can't tell if there's anything wrong with the laptop but if you jiggle/try to lift up the hinges on the back it can be easily done which is disconcerting.

I've tried pushing hard down and in to see if it would just snap back into place or something but that doesn't seem to be the problem and I don't *see* any missing screws and can't really lift up the entire hinge/plate to see if there are any without more or less completely dismantling the cover of the laptop.

 

So I went ahead and emailed the repair people (Richard's Computers) about the problem, asking them if it might have been a fault due to their repairs.

Of course, they replied saying that it was not plausible that it was due to them since it has been a year and there's no knowing what has happened to the laptop since then. I was kind of annoyed since I'm fairly, 99% sure that this damage was caused by their repairs since the problem area is exactly where they would have needed to open/take apart for repairs to be done. They did offer to "take a look" at it for a $60 estimate but I replied and said no thanks (they were jerks).

I regret not inspecting my computer more closely after getting it back for repairs (I checked for scratches/dents but I guess I didn't look closely enough).

I guess I'll just have to deal with it.

 

I would get at the hinge mountings, push them down to the right position and fix them in place with a blob of epoxy resin glue.

John

 

You might also want to check my "How to repair the AC jack" thread (see my signature). Careful step-by-step instructions to opening up that notebook are there.