CF-52 Hinge

I've been searching the internet for hours.. LITERALLY HOURS!!

I can't find a replacement hinge for the CF-52 to save my life.

Now, I did call Panasonic. Spoke with tech support, they gave me the part numbers for the left and right hinges. I Googled those part numbers and was able to pull up the CF-52 service manual, which doesn't help me much except to show that the part numbers are correct.

Tech support also gave me the number to their Parts line where I must call to get pricing and order the parts. Well the number they gave me rang continuously with no answer from a person or recording.

So I Googled some more, found a different number for the parts department and tried that. I ended up talking with a guy that basically told me that the part numbers I had been given were invalid. In addition to that, the model # itself didn't exist in his system. After going back and forth with him about the fact that this laptop Panasonic STILL sells doesn't exist, he gave me the number to Heartland Services, who apparently do their Toughbook repairs. Which would be all fine and dandy, except for the part where I don't want to send it out. I just need to get the hinge. I have no problem doing in repair myself, I just need the part for it.

If this part is really too impossible to find, I'm wondering if there is another model with interchangeable parts?

I'm getting to the point where I just want to throw this computer at someone. The great part about that, though, is that I can just pick it up and run away with it afterward, seeing as how it's just so well made!

 

OK
Hearland is the place to get these
What was the issue , when you attempted to order them

This seller had some cf-52 parts for sale recently
http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUserNextGen&iId=330506443793&recipient=comparts04

And this seller as well
http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUserNextGen&recipient=laptopaid

Worst thing they can say is no , it's worth a try

 

I got the phone number for Heartland after hours so I will be calling them tomorrow. Sorry, I seemed to have left out that detail in my epic battle story.

Most repair places tell you to call the manufacturer. Which I've done and am not looking forward to doing again.

 

Hearland is very good, they even have a min shipping price that encourages you to buy lots of parts at one time lol , much better than panasonic that would prefer to deal with large volume customers

 

I'm lucky enough to live about an hour (maybe less depending on how heavy my foot is) from a Heartland Service Center so maybe shipping won't be needed. Or I could go in and talk to an actual human being face-to-face.

So do they actually sell parts without having to sell the service along with them? I'll find this out tomorrow, but a little preparedness is always good.

 

Yes
They sell that part ,without requiring you to have them install it

 

And I can't resist, 10 minutes in the stickies, "read before posting", would have gotten you to Heartlands out of the box.
CAP

 

I guess you really didn't read my OP, huh? I found my way to Heartland on my own and even still, I had a question. Z0mg! Not a question!!! I understand that there are Stickies for a reason but I still would have posed my question as to whether or not they actually sell parts or would send me to back to Panasonic. Hope that's okay with you, sunshine.




In any case, you know n00bs don't pay attention to those.

 

They do sell parts, Panasonic does not sell parts.
Sunshine.

 

Well, I don't own anything Panasonic. I don't even own the laptop I'm trying to fix. Like I said, the Panasonic tech support told me I could get the parts from them. Then the parts guy didn't know what I was talking about. It was just a nice big circle jerk.

I did just talk to Heartland. Talked to a nice woman on the phone who was very understanding to my dilemma. I wish all people were this easy to deal with. Though, I didn't get my part ordered because I need the rest of the model number.

Anyway, Sunshine, I'm glad that we are friends so that I may nickname you and you can do the same.

 

Just out of curiosity, did you call 1-800-LAPTOPS or some other number when you called Panasonic? I've always had good luck with that number although others here have reported less than sterling service. They don't always know the answer, but they seem willing to give it a good try and they speak English as a first language. Its not a stretch that the combined knowledge on this forum exceeds that of Panasonic Technical Support in some areas.
CAP

 

I called 1-800-LAPTOP5 which is the tech support number given on the Panasonic site. The guy I talked to was definitely an English-speaker. He was cool, we laughed about stuff so it was fine. He helped me out by giving me the part number and the number to their Panasonic Parts Center which he apparently didn't know that they don't sell parts for laptops.

It was the parts guy that didn't speak English. I mean, he did, but he was obviously new at it and was given a script because he told me the same thing word-for-word several times throughout the call. Not just saying the same thing, but saying it the same way, I could swear he was a recording.

 

Heartland needs the Toughbook full model number to look up the parts
Panasonic part # might be revised or updated (they are always doing that)
Yes, although I have never spoke with Heartlands ,We here good things about them

 

Yea, I figured but it was worth the shot.. It's unfortunate that I had to ask the owner of the laptop for his full model number.. Seeing as it was to be part of a Xmas gift. Lol, oh well. But hey, thanks for not ripping me to shreds for not reading all the stickies before making my post. At least half of the original was a venting session.

 

Welcome to the nut house. We really don't flame much around here, but if you want to see some fun keep an eye on the post where one of our most frequent posters had a brain cramp and asked about a jumping mouse on a CF-29. I've got a feeling he's going to get roasted. Merry Christmas to you and all you love.
CAP

 

Well thank you. You'll have to point me in the direction of this thread.

I come from a local site where flaming takes place on a regular basis. I got flamed for about 6 months on there because winter brings out the drama on a drag racing website.

 

But we call it hazing.. Not flaming. If you can make it through then you have thick enough skin to handle anything they throw. Which they throw a lot at someone.. Especially someone like me.

 

This one:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/542292-cf-29etkcwkm-mouse-crazy-2.html#post6990299
Keep in mind that Rob has been here a while and sells Toughbooks, lots of them, for a living. You have to be almost dead to have been here for long and not have seen the "jumping mouse" come up. Windows thinks the GPS is a mouse and interprets the data stream as mouse input. Its quite interesting trying to click on something to fix the problem while the cursor is tearing around the screen.
CAP

 

Hey, you'll find that you're not just repairing that toughbook for someone else, soon you'll be getting one, no 2, no 3, you can't stop with just ONE! The moderators here have seen it all and heard it all. They are quite patient with the new guys on the forum and willing to share vast amounts of hard earned knowledge to those of us that still are stumbling around in the dark. It is a family of sorts here and many different personalities, most of which are entertaining and informative and quite comical. I don't have much experience with other websites and forums and I just got bitten by the right bug from the right laptop following. Hope you take the plunge and get yourself a toughbook, you won't be sorry.........Driller

 

Ya know, I would like a Toughbook. I've always liked them. There's just one small problem though. I have a setup going right now (since 2004) that I get a new (and upgraded) computer every 2-3 years for about $300. Unfortunately, of the choices I have, none are a Toughbook. I worked for a well-known electronic retailer for about 5 years and I know exactly how their extended plans work. I use it to my advantage.

 

CAP-
I had this problem of a jumping mouse once. Turned out my computer was being remotely controlled by someone in the next room. My brothers were so cruel.