T42 problem

Hi guys,

I dropped my T42 the other day. I'm so sad. At first there weren't any problems. Then suddenly, the laptop screen died. I thought it was an LCD problem, so I swapped my T42 lcd with an older T40. Still same problem.

So here's the problem. The laptop works fine if I leave it on the table. Once I move it or pick it up, the laptop dies. I can still do some stuff like turn on and off the light on top of the screen but the screen is blank and the computer doesn't respond. I have to power off ( by holding power button ) and restart. I didn't notice a crack or anything. I even swapped the hard disk but still the same. Do you think it's a motherboard issue or something else?

it. I love this laptop but I might have to get a new one and I've been thinking of the SL400 since i'm low on cash.

Let me know if you have any advice. No more warranty.

 

Sounds like a connection problem somewhere on the motherboard or possibly the LCD inverter. I had a video issue about 2.5 years into owning my T40 (video card became desoldered from board due to motherboard flex); however, I was lucky enough to still be under warranty at this point. Unfortunately this repair is beyond my expertise.

If you do buy a new ThinkPad, I think you would be better served by an R400 or T60/61 than an SL400 (far better build quality for the T and R series).

 

I'd add the R61 to the list, but would wholeheartedly agree otherwise. The SL is a ThinkPad in name only.

 

Thanks guys...in an ideal world, i'd be happy to get the T400. hmm... maybe I can live with not moving my laptop for another 2 months and save up for the t400. Thanks for the tip.

 

Your T42 probably has the problem jonlumpkin mentioned, which is unfortunately quite common in the T4x series.

With the power off, remove the keyboard (leave the wires attached), press down a bit on the GPU (the big chip marked "ATI", it may be covered by the heatsink in some models) and try powering up. If the computer boots up fine, you know your GPU has come loose.

The stickies in the T4x Thinkpad forum (forum.thinkpad.com) have some DIY fixes you could try. Good luck!

 

Dudes. I think I managed to fix the problem. I just applied some pressure to the GPU. Hope this works for a few months. Thanks again for everything.

 

I hope this fix works well for you. When I had this problem I got a full motherboard swap (I was still under warranty) and my T40 served me for another 2.5 years before I got an x200 (the T40 is still in the service of a friend).