Loose Screws!!!!!!!!!!!

I recently got my notebook approx 3 weeks ago. Ever since I got it, it had been making these horrible creaking sounds when opening and shutting the lid. The creaking was the worst when adjusting the screen a centimeter or 2 when already open to adjust viewing angle, especially when I did it from the right upper corner of the lid.

It was almost like little snapping noises going on in the inside like something was just about to crack. It sounded like a old house with creaking floorboards.

Well, finally I decided to figure out what in the world was going on; the whole time I thought my right hinge was busted. I finally found the right screwdriver and went at all the screws on the bottom of the computer.

To my surprise, all of the screws were loose! I turned each screw almost 720 degrees before there was a comfortable 'stop' to it and without overdoing it. The hinge screws (the ones in the far back, you will see 2 on each side of the hinge) turned almost 1080 degrees.

WTF??? the 'screw man' in china is not getting paid enough or is overworked or he just doesn't give a crap . It's probably the combination of the 3

This put an end to all the creaking and the 'loose' lid feeling. Now it feels as a thinkpad should; sturdy and concrete!

So to all those who are complaining about build quality, try doing this and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Now this also reminds me of another thread I read in which someone had to get their mother board replaced. He was watching over the technician out of curiosity and the technician was surprised that all the screws were loose in the interior, including the ones holding the CPU down....what is going on here?

Hope this helps anyone with creaking problems!

 

where are the hinge screws?

 

I'm getting this creaking noise myself.

 

you got screwed

 

.........A few screws loose

 

So where exactly are the screws? I'm kind of new to opening up laptops so I don't want to do anything wrong.

 

I had the same issue, although, there was creaking in the notebook generally, not necessarily the screen. I just went ahead and tightened every single screw I can find, in addition to fastening in the cd rom drive screw. Creaking is gone..

 

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-39298.html

 

braddd, if you shut your screen, and flip the computer upside down. towards the back right under the hinges on the base...you will see 2 screws by the right hinge and then 2 screws by the left hinge. You will also see a 3rd screw only on the left side a few inches to the left of where the power cord is plugged in..for a total of 5 screws...2 on the right...2 on the left...and 1 to the left of where power plugs in

all this left and right may be confusing...but my perspective is looking at the screen as you normally would while using your laptop...obviously if you flip it so you can see the back..the right and left will switch...so just keep in mind my perspective is always looking at it from the front...in which case the power cord will plug in to the left...

let me know if you need anymore assistance

 

perfect comment!

 

I also found that the screws on my T61 were loose. But they were not that loose, two or three more turns, and they were fit in place, but not too fit so as to break the threads.
I wonder if Lenovo does it purposefully (I know you are going..no... not that Lenovo design **** again) ... I am saying this because a little bit of structural flexibility in the notebook would make it absorb shocks more effectively than a rigid notebook (with tight screws and without any room for parts movement) would take the impact really hard and bad. Just an idea.

 

not so loose that your notebook creaks though...that just doesn't make sense

 

Hi,

I got my T61 15.4 widescreen last week and I have the exact same symptoms. The screen is wobbling. It has about a half inch play.
I checked the screws on the bottom but those were tight (i could add 60 degrees only). Seems to me that the issue comes from the opposite side that the hinges is not correctly screwed to the LCD panel.
Anybody has the same issue? Which screws need to be adjusted for that?
Thanks a lot.

 

did you try screwing all of them in? just tighten everything screw you can see

 

The guys who had loose screws can you take one out and see if there's thread locker on it.

On my T60p all the screws have either blue or red thread locker.

 

The screw that holds the hard drive in just randomly fell out of my x61s today....I've had the comp about 3 1/2 months and I've never touched this screw. I just picked up the comp today and underneath it was a screw.

 

lol....that is sort of funny. Better tighten up your screws too!

 

the only screws I have taken out are for to remove the palm rest to install RAM...those were all pure black with no thread lockers on it

 

Really? Mine have blue. The ones on the LCD and holding the HDD to the HDD rack has red.

 

nope..my palmrest ones were completely black. Those are the only screws I have taken out thus far

 

Wow Lenovo really cut back. It's such a small thing but it makes a huge difference.

Vibrations can now loosen screws...

I can snap pictures if anyone's actually wants to see.

 

hmm...after reading this topic, i tried to check all the screws on my T61. Seems like they are not securely tightened. i'll wait until i get off work and go home and tighten them and see if it fixes the creaking problems. ehehe...i also wonder if Lenovo did this on purpose (which i think i did!).

 

seems like they're not paying the chinese worker who's job it is to do the screwing enough

 

Hm. No more thread locker. This is not good.

This is something to take up with the Lenovo folks.

 

I checked the 5 under the hinges and they were all good. The hinge is sitting firmly on the bottom of the laptop so I don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is either with the hinge itself or with screws that secure the hinge to the LCD panel.

 

after tightening all the screws, i find that the creaking sound has become quite minimal. however, it does not solve the looseness of the left side between the base and the lid. now my t61 should feel better

 

that is probably a issue in the hinge mechanism it self or that a screw is loose in the lid (screw connecting hinge to actual lid versus the hinge screwed to the base), You would probably have to take off your lid and tighten some screws within the lid apparatus

 

has anyone tried that? will it solve the problem? ehehe..