Dell complaints

Laptopg33k · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject: Insprion 1100 and e1505 probs

Ok i got a laptop from my grandfather because he hated the thing it kept freezeing up on him during startup(harddrive issues), it was a inspiron 1100 i told him its just way old and maybe its time for a new one..

I had the laptop i loved the freedom of it cause ive never had one before and well it went great for a month untill all the sudden the screen dimmed then kept brightening then dimming like i unpluged it a bunch of times, well i checked the plug and it was comeing apart and the wires were makeing a big short.
Well i called dell and told them the problem with this 3 year old laptop outta warrenty and they told me no and gave me the to ordering service department, i told them where to step off and hungup, 3 days later outta desperation i try putting the cord backtogether it worked for a while then fell apart again and this really steamed me cause it happend while i wasent there and it fried the laptop.
I just put the laptop aside for a while and while that my parents had plans of getting me a new cord for christmas i really didn't want to get them all Ticked off about the whole thing and me for trying to fix it again.
I Talk to dell on their online chat support and they wanted to send me a new one!!!! I get the computer and its a refurbished e1505 (WOOT) I booted it up played around for a while and it just shutoff for no apparent reason! so i turned it back on and it beeps 2 times and tells me the system overheated, oooookkkkay i get back on the online chat support with dell and they told me they need to replace the heatsink and they want to charge me for it. im like omg why cant you just fix it when you just sent it to me 2 days ago they tell me the warrenty is out on it, ive used this system like this for quite a while now for a good month and it only overheats when i play videogames or watch movies but its probably bad for the filesystem to shutoff like that alot..

If anybody knows what to do about this please share....

diashto · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:04 am Post subject:

The power cord/port falling apart on the 1100 isn't that uncommon.

the e1505 you recieved was probably refurbished.. and if it's overheating, they probably didnt put the thermal grease on the heatsink, or the heatsink or fan is bad.

When you are using it, make sure its on a flat, HARD surface. No blankets, pillows, plastic tablecloths, cloth tablecloths, couches, laps, etc. Look on the bottom of the machine, and there's a round vent - that's the ONLY place that air can get inside to cool the machine. If that's blocked or restricted by anything, your laptop WILL overheat.

Is the fan spinning at all on the laptop?

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:12 pm Post subject:

In one breath, it's refreshing that Dell did anything for you. A machine with a sometimes-problem is better than one that doesn't work at all. But yes, out-of-warranty replacements carry no warranty--there may be an option to purchase coverage during the first 90 days.

In the next breath, it's apparent what Dell is doing--recycling problem machines to customers with problem machines. They break even on it. Costs about $120 to process, and they take tax credits for the value of the system (which sitting around a warehouse is a liability). Shoot, you might even get a good one!

But you might not, especially if you're talking about Dell portables that don't overheat. They do, some chronically. Check as Diashto said that the vents are not obstructed. With the vent on the bottom, you can't avail yourself of the 'cool-pad' solution other Dell portables customers have used. A small desk fan aimed at it might help.

Beyond Minesweeper and Solitaire, Dell portables don't make very good game platforms. But movies overheat it? I'm not 'that' surprised. There is an Intel power save utility that allows you to lock the CPU at a conservative speed (much less heat, longer battery life). See if that speed is adequate for movies. But if they jerk and pause, you'll just have to watch movies outdoors in winter.
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Laptopg33k · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject:

The vents are not blocked, i have it on a laptop table.
Ive proped it up and it does help some but every once a while boom! shutoff completely i used i8kfangui to see the temps and wow the cpus at 74*F/23*C or 120*F/48*C but never goes above 150*F/65*C, but i look at the GPU temperatures........ 160*F/71*C IDLE, thats the problem i did some testing and the computer shuts off when its about over 210*F/98*C thats the highest ive gotten it to stay on...

So how do i take apart this beast and apply the thermal grease? i remember how to take apart the old 1100 im really wanting to keep away from takeing this computer apart its the nicest laptop ive had but the overheating issues are really bad.

Edit( yes the fans running on the laptop constantly unless i let it sit and cool for a bit in idle or just shut it off for 10 minutes and do a fresh boot. Rolling Eyes

diashto · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:34 am Post subject:

unfortunately, there'd be no way to get the heatsink off without taking the palmrest off.. on that model its covered most of the way by the palmrest.

From what you're describing, it sounds like the heatsink might be bad - it has a "heatpipe" in it, that works pretty close to the same way your refridgerator does. There's a chemical inside it that changes viscosity when it heats up, then flows outward towards the fan, where it cools down and then flows back towards the heat. I've run into it before where for whatever reason the heatpipe just stops working.

I would suggest replacing the heatsink if you're going to have it open anyway. Doing a quick search on Ebay, that part is only $10-$20. Search for part number MK442.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject:

150F is the heatsink temp at which Pentium shuts down. Temps measured by software are die temps, internal, ~30F higher. So, 150F die temp for a Pentium is almost comfortable--120F external.

185F is pushing it for any chip (there's some slack in the measurements, they're not 'absolutely' accurate). Whatever thermal solution is provided for the display adapter, it's inadequate.

Adding thermal compound will not help--more is not better--it has higher thermal resistance than the surfaces it couples--it's only intended to fill in the air gaps between two roughly-machined surfaces.

If the original thermal compound was misinstalled, replacing it can help. Might try replacing the radiators--when I was doing laptops (2001), overheating was not an issue. The only defective radiators I know of were on 2004-5 desktops--the thermal tubes failed to bond to the base.
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Laptopg33k · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject:

Ok first of all its the videocard and not the cpu thats getting hot, and since i took apart my inspiron 1100 to find out what burnt up on it about 10 times.. well thanks for the help ill post what i do later on...

laptopwillie · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject: inspiron 1100

When I signed up for this web site, I thought I'd get some help repairing my laptop. All I find is a place to bitch and bash Dell. But honest help from people who have corrected a problem would be a great help. Sending it to Dell service is not an option. Understand, I'm not a Dell fan after working on them at the Memphis repaircenter, I have found that their product quality really sucks. I've seen several posts about the lack of repair quality from Solectron, the contracted repair center for Dell. Let's face it, if the quality isn't there at the start, replacing a part of the same quality will not fix the problem.
Rolling Eyes

I have a 1100 motherboard in hand that shows no sign of powering on. voltage is getting to the board as checked with a VOM. Pressing the power button does nothing. Checking the connector at the mother board gets redings of 19.8 volts and 9.3 volts. I'd be greatful for any HELP.
Shocked

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diashto · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:47 pm Post subject:

This may sound like an odd question, but when you're hitting the power button do you have a CPU installed? The new boards wont respond at all without at least a CPU installed.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject:

There are ~100 power regulating and switching components in a Dell portable, about a third of which are underrated and prone to failure.

Without so much as a print to go by, it's going to be impractically difficult to isolate and replace the failed one. On a VOM open FETs read the same as good ones.

You can practically consider the MB toast and replace it or scrap the whole thing.
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laptopwillie · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject:

laptopwillie · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:34 pm Post subject:

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject:

They are likely the same failure. If I could give you a Q-number to start at, I would. I've chased power regulator failures for 3 days without resolution, even WITH the print. So has every other FA engineer, until we discover what the common failures are. If anyone here knows that for the 1100, I'd be pleasantly surprised.
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laptopwillie · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:50 pm Post subject: