Toughbook repair basics?

The following is not directed at anyone in particular.
While Toughbooks are tough and easier to disassemble the most laptops, I have learned that they are still laptops and working on them requires finesse and patience. To the same degree as any small electronic device.

Ball peen hammers and arc welders need not apply.

As these laptops get cheaper, I see more posts that involve damage during repair. Damage that can be avoided by patience and READING THE FAQ / USING THE SEARCH TOOLS. There is a lot of very experienced members on this forum. Asking first can avoid a lot of time and money wasted on trying to reinvent the wheel.


Replace the word TEST with your search term
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Shawn

 

People that break these whilst trying to "upgrade" them is what keeps me and Jeff in business...

If someone reads this post and still neglects it and breaks it, just send it to me or Jeff and we'll repair it for a small fee.

Thanks

 

Fair enough.

I guess since I repair pressure washers for a living now, I get weary of the "I always wanted to work on a ......" crowd.

Sir, Sir please just s l o w l y step away from the toolbox before someone gets hurt.

 

I think this link is broken.

 

Try this one:

https://www.google.com/?q=TEST+site:forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic

 

hmm... it was working. oh well, I made it all better.

 

And you there, with the soldering iron, drop it and assume the position!

Jeff $13.69 part

 

I was going to ask, What is it? But I know what it is. Junk now I presume.
Better question , What was it?
Did you do that?
Why did you do that?
How much do you charge per hour to do that?

 

This is what I found.
On a CF-19 power cable from near the lights/buttons to the battery connector.
Did I do this ? ....where do you live?..you 'n' me gonna hav a little chat!
This is the CF-19 that was in the swamp. And lately I ain't seen no stinkin' swamps 'round here.
Thanks for the advertising buddy. Take care. Smart-a$$.

Seriously folks this may be one of the causes of flashing lights on the CF-19. Not necessarily welding like this but this is one of the cables to check.
1. You have your power board on one side and the cables to it.
2. You have your switch.
3. You have this cable and needless to say when I lifted it up:

 

I imagine this meeting will involve a hot soldering iron

Did the repair actually work though? I looked at trying to solder a ffc once and said you gotta be kidding. One of the modifications posted here suggested ffc soldering. After 10 seconds, I went to plan B.
I give credit to anyone who can even attempt to solder a ffc.

 

"Ya' talkin' to my man all wrong....
Ya' usin' the wrong tone.....
You talk to him like that again and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron"
Why has Christopher Walkin never been president???? Inquiring minds want to know.

yeah.....ffc+solder=sucks

 

On power supply alone, operation is normal. Put a battery in and either red or green blinky light comes on. Course that can be fixed by taping over the charge light.

 

re. Sadlmkr's photo.

This FPC type is a laminate of a thin and a thicker plastic film with the copper tracks in between. You have to scrape away the thin film down to the metal so that you can solder to the track. I use a scalpel with a 10a blade.

A single strand of wire for each track (as I think Jeff may have used) makes the solder flow across the break rather than bead on each side and helps to reinforce the repair.

I think there's a "hard spot" across where the thinner film ends and the gold-plated contacts begin. They often crack exactly there or at a fold - I've always wondered whether heat cycling or work-hardening by expansion/contraction maybe causes the copper tracks to become brittle. Just guessing though.

When the tracks are very close together you may find it easier to solder a wire to each track at a different point along the FPC's length so that there's no chance of bridging tracks. Obviously then you would run each wire to the appropriate point on the board.

Once in a very blue moon you can get away with shortening the FPC when it's cracked next to the contacts. Scrape away film to expose new contacts.

 

who wants to bet? Lol...

ohlip

 

Just to be clear..Jeff did not do that. He got the laptop in that condition.

 

Thanks, hadn't realised I'd misread Jeff's post.
I should have known better - that was some rough soldering wasn't it?

 

You haven't seen MY soldering.:laugh:

Thanks guys,

Jeff

 

FFCs are difficult; not impossible. I did a repair on a KB FFC on my CF-28 that lasted for years until the keyboard itself developed some crunky keys. I've done a few bahundred on various bits of equipment over the years. For point-to-point repairs, I recommend a Weller ETA or ETS (Extra long conical) tip and wire scavenged from one of those "round" IDE cables; good quality wire, very thin and strong for its size, and usually tins very easily.

The most important thing is to spend the money on a decent soldering station; that $Whatever.99 Radio Shack special is NOT repair equipment, it is demolition equipment. You can often find a decent used Weller WTCPT/WTCPS/WTCPN/TC201 or similar on eBay for $20-$40 delivered; it is possibly the best investment you'll EVER make. You don't need digital display or even adjustable temperature; these irons are temperature-controlled by selecting the correct tip for the work, and will keep you from messing things up by turning up the heat too high.

mnem
*DIY-ily*

 

That what I am talking about. the Dwagon speaks, lol.. Likewise, man!


ohlip

 

Update here: Changed the mobo, battery cable ..added WWAN and I'm typing on it after factory restore. CF-19CHGAXBM. Get this! 1100 hours.

Jeff....anyone?....

 

Well, 1100 hours on your "new to you" MB anyways... LOL :laugh:

mnem
Doyt!

 

Bravo!...........

 

Exactly.....but it's not tweaked back to zero as some are.

I was surprised how clean the board was when I was installing it. And it matches the case. There are a couple of places for those teensie cables to get out of line...switch, touch pad etc. If they looked straight I let them be. And the one hidden screw under the SD reader. Pretty straight forward and I hesitate to say easy...but hey! if I can do it???

I left the sound board in place so had to roll the mobo up 90 degrees to unlatch one cable with a reminder to self to fasten the cable first on re-install.
Trick of the day. Some screws go through the back and then through the mobo. Before screwing the back down, look through the holes and put a little black mark on the copper circles that don't need a silver mobo screw.

Watch for a CF-19 sale. 2 MK1 and one MK2 with 60 honest hours.

Jeff...thanks Shawn...