Dell 1525 not startup up after replacing fan

[jeremyrudd]

I just opened up my Dell Inspiron 1525, replaced the fan and screwed it all back. But now it won't start. No lights, no noises, no fan whirring, nothing, just dead. Pressing the start button does nothing.

I opened it up a bit and saw that the ribbon between the power buttons PCB and the mainboard has lost its lock. (the little black plastic piece that secures the ribbon cable). Anyways I stuck some tape on it to thicken it, and inserted it snug into the connector. But still nothing. Pressing it does nothing. What could be the problem?

While I was re-assembling it everything was put back properly, the fan, the heat sink, I'm just not sure how the DC power board connects to the mainboard. They are separate so I'm assuming there's a vertical connector that joins them? Perhaps that is loose? I'll check it tomorrow but it takes like 2 hours just to unscrew everything to reach the DC power board ... What could be wrong? The laptop WAS starting up perfectly before I opened it, just that it would shut down in like 20 secs due to overheating.

The battery has been disconnected because its dead. I'm powering it up using the power cord.

I managed to attach some pics after my email verified.

The laptop - very good condition as you can see - is a couple of years old though.

The power button (and front panel) - pressing this does nothing. I know my images are of little help, but they probably help jog some memories or bring things into perspective.

 

[C12Friedman]

Interesting laptop, more than a few daughter boards. I'll simply suggest checking that the motherboard is firmly attached to each of the daughter boards once you get back in it.
The service manual (if you're not referencing it) here http/downloads.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_inspiron_laptop/inspiron-1525_service%20manual_en-us.pdf (direct pdf link) may be of help

 

[jeremyrudd]

@C12Friendman - Thanks for your answer. I suspected it was the power board not properly connected to the mainboard, but again, that has a vertical connector so I assumed it would connect automatically the moment I place the mainboard atop the power board?

Damn that I didn't check it (no idea it was so important) ... because if thats the fault I'll have to open the ENTIRE laptop again (2 hrs to unscrew) and close the whole damn thing again (2 hrs to screw back) ... just to check if the power supply is ok.... even if I open it, can I just plugin the power cord into the mainboard while the mainboard is outside the laptop housing???

Here is my question in visual form .. image extracted from page 48 of the SM.

Obviously the LCD would not be connected .. I could screw on the heatsink though...

If I can at least I can verify that the laptop is powering up ... If I can't I'll have to disassemble AND reassemble the whole laptop JUST to check the power...