Toughbook only works in tablet mode.

Hi All,

apologies if this has been covered before on the threads but i havent been able to find it.

I have a cf-19 toughbook but it will only power on with the screen in the tablet setting position.

when the screen is in laptop position the power lights etc come on for a few seconds and it dies again. however move the screen to the tablet position (i.e. covering the keyboard with the screen facing up) it boots up fine.
then if i move the screen it dies.

so i am thinking there is a short in the screen rotation or hinge. does anyone have a diagram where i could see what the setup for the hinge is? or has anyone else had a similar problem before?

 

Full model number will help.

The problem is the cable that wraps around the hinge is broken.

 

thanks shawn thats what i suspected may have happened but wanted to see what i was facing to replace it before i decide whether to take it on myself or drop it off somewhere. I have done a few laptop strip downs and rebuilds but always best to have a guide to hand.

anyway the model number is cf-19 FHGAFBE

do you have any idea where i could buy a replacement loom of the screen this side of the pond, i.e. not from america

 

I strongly suggest that you purchase a hinge assembly with the wiring still attached.
Or perhaps a entire top half to swap. I know a mk3 is different. Yours is a mk2

I do not have any early CF19 parts anymore.

 

yeah , replacing and/or repairing that single cable can be challenging ...
on the other hand , where is the fun in having someone else do it for you (he says masochistically) ?

close inspection will tell you if the other cables in the bundle are ok or are about to let go .
a good single replacement cable might be the way to go and less prone to *errors* .

 

I swapped a bunch of these out a while back. I think I have a harness or two left but I am on the wrong side of the pond.

you have to get them wrapped around just right, it's very time consuming. One of these was a Mk2 for my son for OBD 2 scanning on his truck and a collage back up PC. While I had all of that stretched out I added a third antenna for the intel 5100 card. Just a idea since you will be in there.

 

Thanks for the advice guys so it looks like a job i will need to set aside some time for. I think i found a harness although i may just try to repair the break as its not totally broken if it works in tablet position

 

I repaired a single wire once upon a time.

1. Find the shorted wire.
2. Cut it in two places...in the lid and in the lower case. Use the cut off to pull a new wire in.
3. Solder and shrink wrap the cut ends to the new wire.

Not for the faint of heart......it's like soldering hair.

I WILL NOT do it again.

 

what he said ...
i repaired the cable that runs the v-signals to the lcd decoder/driver (in an HP ... no where near as congested as in a '19) .
three wires
four hours of my time
four aspirin
much foul language (hard to quantitate ... easy to qualitate)

yep , got it fixed ... and the repair lasted a couple of days before another wire in the bundle let go ...
in the same spot that the others had !
ordered up new cable (10 bucks and change)
no aspirin
one hour of my time
only one instance of foul language ... when i dropped an itty-bitty screw on the rug and it immediately stirred itself into the pile

 

I stand by my recommendation. I have spliced video cables before (LED inverter//driver upgrade)
They are as thick as a hair.
Replace the hinge and cable as one unit.
It's worth the extra cost to swap it out and save the hours of trouble.
I will be willing to forward you a hinge assembly from a USA seller as long as you do Paypal.

 

Either that or just buy another Mk2 or 3,they are so cheap now.

 

"cheap" is always relative isn't it?
What part of the world is OP from?

 

Well if it's going overseas it's going to cost $10.00 shipping for just a cable but a top half you will be looking at least $30.00 + for shipping.

 

Cheap is absolutely a relative term. However time, stress, and difficulty are also factors.

 

$65 to send the entire unit to GB, for example. $100-140 for the unit. So 191.6 Euros, 160 British pounds total not counting the import fees.