NO POWER ON MY VAIO VPCZ laptop

Hello,

I am looking for some desperate help here. I wanted to change my LCD screen as I was seeing vertical lines. While removing the screen, probably something got messed up and now the laptop wont power on. The local technician tried to connect the laptop using an external source/monitor to show that its functioning which it did. But now unfortunately the power button itself wont let me power on.

Not sure if any users have experienced this problem. The tech suggests that it is the chip which needs to be replaced and everything else is fine. The part number he gave me was 1-881-489-11. It is about 2 inches in length and about a cm and odd wide. I looked on the parts list and I am unable to find one . This laptop was bought in the US and is out of warranty and I need it to be fixed . Can anybody help me here please?

MODEL NUMBER: SONY VAIO VPCZ119X
Specs: 13.1" FULL HD/8GB/256GB SDD/i7/win7 x64 ultimate

 

The part number that you mentioned is just the flat cable that connectsthe keyboard to the motherboard. You can find this part on eBay (search for "fpc 199") and also at spare parts warehouse. Rather expensive for both.

Did you already check the cable that you have? Is it actually damaged? Try make sure that the Brown clip inthe socket on the back of the keyboard is in the right way and is in properly.

 

open laptop

remove CMOS batt

connect to DC

and laptop have to start

if not MBX failure

 

Firstly, Thank you for your responses!

Namaiki, I did a look up on this forum ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/513879-need-new-vpc-z1-keyboard-motherboard-ribbon-cable.html) and the part number that I found was A1769469A. Is FPC 199 a ribbon cable as well? Please correct me if am wrong.

Urgiv, I think the technician tried this (connect to DC) and he was able to connect to an external monitor and that booted up fine. The laptop on its own is not powering on.

I looked up on this forum for any users with such issues. I guess there are many on here. It is hard to comprehend that a bad ribbon cable that connects the keyboard to the Motherboard is needed to even power on the laptop?!?!?! I believe, as namaiki here points out, I am looking for a ribbon cable and I am thinking the part number is: A1769469A.

Any other suggestion? Finding laptop parts online (that ship to India) has been another challenge!

 

Fpc199 is a ribbon cable. It is needed because the power button is connected through this cable as well as the keyboard.

 

Thanks Again Namaiki

I found one on amazon for 37 UKP but they dont ship to India...hard luck!!!

Do you know how I could do a Manual start up of my VAIO without the cable? Is this possible?

 

If I understand correctly, one of the guys accidentally started up their Z1 by plugging in the cable backwards even though it was damaged.

Are you sure the cable is damaged? Maybe you could post some photos of how you have it connected. Note that there is a little force required when you lock the brown clip in the correct way (it can be removed and it fits both ways).

 

Namaiki, Just to give you a background, the laptop was earlier opened by a local tech to get the LCD part number (2 vertical lines appeared). During this he may have messed up with the cable. I am afraid I do not know how to open the laptop. Is there visual guide out there (if you could direct me to) that I could try?

 

Brand new Sony vaio VPCZ series FPC-199 Touchpad Cable | eBay

 

Thank You Urgiv

I am just hoping that you give some directions on removing the CMOS Battery. Is there a visual guide here that I can take a look?

 

CMOS batterie has nothing to do with it. Your ribbon cable is not properly connected, and this connects the whole keyboard assembly incl. power switch to the motherboard. Replace the cable or check the connector for damage.

 

Hello Pyr0,

Do we have a guide here that I can use to open the laptop to check the cable?

Thanks

 

this telling WHO?
let try and will see
I repairing SONY long long time.

He looking how can start laptop if FPC 199 is broken.

And mine solution will help him to start laptop until he will change FPC199 and power button will works again
due to:

power button-> fpc-> tp button board -> fpc 199-> MBX

 

look on mine web side products
and CMOS is located left bottom part (like under Fn key )

picture here

 

Excellent Video Urgiv, Thanks a ton!!

Are you based out of London, UK?

 

no far 50 miles - is map on mine web

 

Thanks to Urgiv, I successfully removed the laptop cover. Here are a few images:

The broken FPC-199 Cable:



The under side of the keyboard where the FPC connector fits in:

 

Did you take the brown clip out yourself or did the tech leave it out?

Put the cable into the white socket so that the metal contacts on the flat side of the the ribbon are touching the metal contacts in the socket. Align the brown clips' teeth with those in the socket (like I said, it goes in both ways. If I recall correctly, one way is too loose and the other way seems is a bit tight) at a 45 degree angle and with a little force you should be able to push it down flat to lock it.

Under the squishy black side of the ribbon, is the connector still intact?

 

direct as namaiki said

put fpc in in and gently press brown clip into connector and fix with tape

I hope VAIO will works again

BTW where are you from?

 

^Looks to me like you didn't break the cable, you broke (or just accidentally removed the latch from) the connector. You may be able to carefully snap that brown latch back on to the white connector. It's a two stage latch so to speak. When it's seated the first "snap" out allows you to slide out the ribbon. The next "snap" removes the latch from the connector.

 

what you progress?

 

Hello Urgiv/Namaiki,

I connected the strip as was described by Namaiki and put in all the screws/laptop battery. When I hit the power button nothing happens. I see the power indicator for the battery is solid orange. The hard disk indicator on the laptop keeps flashing. Is there anything seriously wrong in my laptop?

Thanks

 

propably is FPC 199 vroken or not good connection.

did you remove cmos batter?

 

Urgiv,

Thanks for your reply.

I did not remove CMOS battery as I was unable to locate it from your picture. Do you have a screenshot of the exact CMOS battery location? I will try once you send me the screenshot.

So once I remove the CMOS battery. I can then use the AC adapter to plug in and use the power button on the laptop. Is it?
OR
Once I remove the CMOS battery, I will connect the AC Adapter and the laptop should boot on its own without me having to push the power button.

Please Advise!!!

 

I believe the situation is: "Once I remove the CMOS battery, I will connect the AC Adapter and the laptop should boot on its own without me having to push the power button."

Anyway, could you please post a photo or photos showing how you have connected the ribbon cable?

 

Thanks Namaiki,

I will send the screenshots shortly. Do you know the exact location of a CMOS battery on VPCZ11 laptop? Any Screenshots will really help!

 

Oh, according to what urgiv wrote, the cable connecting the battery should be on the motherboard somewhere around under where the Z or X keys are.

 

Unfortunately, I have been unable to pinpoint to one. May be because I am seeing what a laptop Motherboard looks like for the first time. Any pointers that can help me here!

 

I've circled the battery and connector in red here.

Photo taken from here.

 

I hope you have boot now

 

Urgiv/Namaiki, I guess my laptop has a different problem or maybe I am not seating the FPC Cable properly. But I am really concerned because I removed the FPC cable out and removed the CMOS battery connection (highlighted in the image below). My laptop still did not boot. Is there anything else that needs to be tested. I am getting worried .. Please advise!

 

Any advise or suggestions?

 

remove PSU adapter and battery wait 1 minute after plug back adater DC socket

 

Urgiv,
What is the PSU adapter? You mean the laptop battery or the CMOS battery? Please help!

 

adapter from DC socket and battery ( big one ) from bottom

BTW when opening laptop why battery still there- HAZARD!!!

 

Urgiv,

THE CMOS Battery that I have marked in the picture is correct, isnt it? So I will unplug the AC Adapter and the Battery and the CMOS battery. I will wait for 1 minute and then plug the AC adapter to the laptop... This should power on my laptop am I right?

 

yes correct procedure it will , if not - not good news

 

Urgiv,

If it does not power on, then what can be wrong? I am now tensed.

Please help!

Thanks

 

Sorry to hear. I think MBX faulty Iam afraid, where are you from?
What about warranty?

 

I have not tested it yet...but I am scared. MBX Faulty...does that mean the laptop is useless.

I am from India. I got this laptop from US and it is out of warranty. I will try your suggestions once I get back from work (in about 3 hours time). In the meantime I am keeping my fingers crossed. How far are you from London? Any person you know in London city. I may be travelling there in the next ten days. Please help.

Thanks

 

I hop will start OK, you probably will need new TP board SWX328 for proper connect FPC 199 that all
BTW why you opened laptop?
I see now you replacing LCD- has been battery in laptop when you replacing?
You probably burn out fuse. read here http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/622168-vpc-z13-lcd-panel-upgrade-big-problem.html

 

Urgiv,

I tried connecting as you described..no luck. I think I may need to replace the fuse and the FPC-199. Hopefully that should resolve it. I have decided not to troubleshoot anymore with my laptop..I will hand it over to an expert to take a look at.

Do you know of any good service centers in London? I would have taken your help but I believe you stay far from London (Essex I suppose)!

Please advise.

Thanks,

 

Well after a month or so i finally received my fpc 199 cable from ebay. Went to plug in and boots up fine, keyboard works, touchpad,, screen etc. everything except SPEAKER SOUND!

I want to make sure that the keyboard ribbon is responsible for delivering sound because i can see the speakers are situated on the keyboard part. Sound wasn't a problem before i broke the cable. So i'm wondering if there's a part i might have skipped over while reassembling the laptop. I hope so because i don't want to return to ebay seller for a defunct cable and wait all over again for another cable

Where else could sound be affected?

*and yes i've done the obvious o/s software checks to see if it's muted, sound device enabled etc. I never touched sound properties before disassembling.

 

Well good news on the fix

When you say you have no sound, have you verified that is only on the internal speakers?
How about the headphone connector?
How about via a usb connected sound device?

 

Heh, funny thing about that, the headphone jack was broken somehow after a few months i bought the laptop so internal sound is out. So whenever i relied on headphone sound i use a cheap usb sound card and that would do the trick. I'll have to check it out once i get back home with the USB soundcard which i'm sure would work because it uses another windows generic drivers and sound is processed through the usb card.

I see nothing peculiar in the windows side of thing, volume max, no mute, correct device selected. Even the bios sound when booting up doesn't beep which indicates it's definitely not a driver/software issue.

Edit: hmm i have a sneaking suspicion that it's got something to do with the dangling part that's hanging of the board as seen in this pic ( http://nsa27.casimages.com/img/2011/12/01/111201114934237519.jpg). Not my pic but i forgot about that, looks like it's tucked somehwere underneath the motherboard. I guess i have to disassemble again and see what's up with that. But i forgot whether that dangly part is meant to be connected to something else or just left on its own.

 

So i'm trying to assess what exactly is the vpcz's sound card? Is it the ANL-96 or integrated with the video card? I'm assuming this because of the "NVIDIA High definition audio" as written in device manager). What about the other smaller card connected to the ANL-96 board connected via the blue cable as seen in this pic ( http://nsa27.casimages.com/img/2011/12/01/111201114934237519.jpg)


Here is what works/doesn't work under the following conditions:
Standalone Normal:
- Vaio internal speakers NOT WORKING (worked prior to broken ribbon cable)
- Vaio headphone jack - NOT WORKING (broken previously so never worked)
- Vaio internal mic NOT WORKING (worked prior to broken ribbon cable) - no external mic needed. Where is the internal mic located?
- Vaio external mic > connected to the MIC port NOT WORKING(worked prior to broken ribbon cable)
- Although playing an mp3 reveals the system sound bar levels is recognising audio even though sound not present the above 3 scenarios


VAIO-> HDMI OUT> HDTV:

- SOUND WORKS from the tv speakers. With this method "Playback devices" automatically switches the sound

source from "Speaker/HP" (realtek) to "Panasonic-TV-1" which was always the case.


USB Stereo Audio adapter: ( Newegg.com - SYBA SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter)
This would install generic drivers and thus i could use headphones with this adapter. However vaio speakers would not work.

- Sound Works! plugged in the right side (the anl-96 board side). "Playback devices" automatically switches the sound source from "Speaker/HP" (realtek) to "USB PnP sound device" which was always the case.



Why would the BIOS bootup beep not work anymore? I think my memory serves me that this did happen with the vaio z's (can anyone confirm?)

Anyone have a clue what the source of the problem is? I don't think it is the ANL-96 board if the usb adapter is operating from it. At the same time HDMI sound suggests that the o/s drivers is working properly since i don't think it uses a separate pair of drivers for the tv. My guess is that the keyboard ribbon is the culprit but how is that possible if everything is working except sound/mic? No signs of pin damage on any of the connectors on cable/board.

 

I think it's the hole under the palmrest edge to the left of the headphone jack.

 

Urgiv,

I tried connecting as you described..no luck. I think I may need to replace the fuse and the FPC-199. Hopefully that should resolve it. I have decided not to troubleshoot anymore with my laptop..I will hand it over to an expert to take a look at.

Do you know of any good service centers in London? I would have taken your help but I believe you stay far from London (Essex I suppose)!

Please advise.

Thanks,

 

Hi Mallinath
Not I have no contact for any laptop service in London.
As you can see i had similar problem with MBX for VGN-Z
after re-soldering MBX works back OK.
i am living just 1 1/2 hour away from London.

How log you will be here? you can contact me be email which is at mine website.

But maybe is your MBX completely death and this will be so expensive repair

MBX approx £250 £50 cable £100 tp board plus work

 

Hi Urgiv

I had a same problem with my sony laptop.
After reading your form released that FPG cable has an issue.
Anyway ordered new one but it took 2 weeks to receive and in the mean time I have lost the clip that holds the FPG cable. (As you are shown in your picture) Any idea where I can get that little plastic gadget.
Or Do you have any other solution.

Many thanks