loose hinges: vaio pcg-srx41p

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Hi,

this vaio is a great little machine, still performing well after 2
years of constant use - there is just one problem, the display hinges
are loose so
that the screen will not stay open at the required angle, but just
flops backwards.

Does anyone else have this problem, know the answer, or even have a
clue how you can get at the source of the problem? I cannot even begin
to work out how they put the hinge sections together although I have
taken other (cheaper) notebooks apart in the past - and they worked
when I put them back together :)

Sony themselves are not an option because I just know they will take
too long, if they are interested at all!


Thanks in advance

--

Mark
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Mark Andrew wrote:
> Hi,
>
> this vaio is a great little machine, still performing well after 2
> years of constant use - there is just one problem, the display hinges
> are loose so
> that the screen will not stay open at the required angle, but just
> flops backwards.
>
> Does anyone else have this problem, know the answer, or even have a
> clue how you can get at the source of the problem? I cannot even begin
> to work out how they put the hinge sections together although I have
> taken other (cheaper) notebooks apart in the past - and they worked
> when I put them back together :)
>
> Sony themselves are not an option because I just know they will take
> too long, if they are interested at all!
>
>
> Thanks in advance

Just a guess at the easiest solution... With the screen open at its
widest, take a close look at the hinge covers. Many of these are
sectioned with a seam in the cover near the top slightly to the rear
side of the hinge. If you can see the seam, then it is likely that the
front portion can be popped off, revealing the hinge attachment
underneath. Apply moderate pressure toward the front with a small
screwdriver. It might come off also by gently prying upward at the seam
between the case and the hinge at the front or to the side. Of course,
your hinges might be entirely different, but since the screen is
assembled last, the "hinge" is often just a plastic cover for the
attachment. If the hinges are loose, you might be able to see some play
that will show you how the disassembly should be done.

Q
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I've had two Sonys: PCG-GR300 and a I don't remember (486 with 14.1 in
screen or something like that.) From my vast experience I can say they
all do that if you own it long enough.

I've never had one where the screen flops back. When it barely stays
where you put it, one of the hinges is broken. When it flops back,
I would assume two of the hinges are broken. Sony charges a fortune
to fix it. The first one I fixed (with substantial difficulty) myself. The
GR300 I just never close so that the second hinge won't break; its
a desktop replacement for me. anyway.

The next one I get I think I'll try Fujitsu.



"Mark Andrew" <mark.andrew@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:dcf6161f.0406261158.19e77c70@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> this vaio is a great little machine, still performing well after 2
> years of constant use - there is just one problem, the display hinges
> are loose so
> that the screen will not stay open at the required angle, but just
> flops backwards.
>
> Does anyone else have this problem, know the answer, or even have a
> clue how you can get at the source of the problem? I cannot even begin
> to work out how they put the hinge sections together although I have
> taken other (cheaper) notebooks apart in the past - and they worked
> when I put them back together :)
>
> Sony themselves are not an option because I just know they will take
> too long, if they are interested at all!
>
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> --
>
> Mark
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks a lot for your help and interest guys, emboldened by your
suggestions I
started poking around again, but it is as if the thing is some kind of
puzzle where you cannot figure out how they fitted it together (or
whether, which I doubt, it was carved out of a solid block of
plastic.)

Maybe some pictures will help, I have put them at:

http://www.mark-andrew.com/hinges/hinges.html

Then again, I developed an alternative theory, that the hinges are
just fine and that what was preventing the screen
from falling right back in the first place were some little rubber
stoppers/pads on the frame of the screen, similar to one you can see
in the side view photo. These pads (so my theory goes) were along the
bottom of the frame and would get pinched/provide increasing
resistance as the screen/keyboard angle went from say 110 to 180
degrees. They must have fallen off after about six months without me
noticing. There are two little depressions where they could have been,
and one of the foot stoppers underneath the case has done the same
vanishing trick recently.

If this is true, it seems to me, with hindsight, a pretty egregious
case of "design-it-to-look-pretty-and-so-it-holds-together-for-six-months-and-hope-he-gets-bored-with-it-and-doesnt
use-it-too-much-after-that"

Like I say, it is otherwise a little jewel of a machine, just really
annoying that I need to prop the screen up with a book or something
when I don't actually have the thing in my lap.

--

Mark
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

My mom's compaq did the same thing. You can get the hinges off of ebay for a
modest price (sony ones seem to be in the upper $20's). For those of you
interested in compaq, there seem to be many of them on ebay now, but I got
mine direct from a seller (I lost the auction and wanted to know if they had
any more) in England, shipped to the US for a total of $56. I can give the
e-mail address if anybody wants.
Richard
"Mark Andrew" <mark.andrew@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:dcf6161f.0406261158.19e77c70@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> this vaio is a great little machine, still performing well after 2
> years of constant use - there is just one problem, the display hinges
> are loose so
> that the screen will not stay open at the required angle, but just
> flops backwards.
>
> Does anyone else have this problem, know the answer, or even have a
> clue how you can get at the source of the problem? I cannot even begin
> to work out how they put the hinge sections together although I have
> taken other (cheaper) notebooks apart in the past - and they worked
> when I put them back together :)
>
> Sony themselves are not an option because I just know they will take
> too long, if they are interested at all!
>
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> --
>
> Mark
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

> Then again, I developed an alternative theory, that the hinges are
> just fine and that what was preventing the screen
> from falling right back in the first place were some little rubber
> stoppers/pads on the frame of the screen, similar to one you can see
> in the side view photo. These pads (so my theory goes) were along the
> bottom of the frame and would get pinched/provide increasing
> resistance as the screen/keyboard angle went from say 110 to 180
> degrees. They must have fallen off after about six months without me
> noticing. There are two little depressions where they could have been,
> and one of the foot stoppers underneath the case has done the same
> vanishing trick recently.
>

Bad theory.

Sony has an expensive repair book you that has detailed drawing, (and
as I recall text) on how to disassemble the whole thing. If you are as
in love with this thing as you sound, it might be worth the bucks to buy
it. I suppose you could sell it on ebay when you finish.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Mark Andrew wrote:
> Thanks a lot for your help and interest guys, emboldened by your
> suggestions I
> started poking around again, but it is as if the thing is some kind of
> puzzle where you cannot figure out how they fitted it together (or
> whether, which I doubt, it was carved out of a solid block of
> plastic.)
>
> Maybe some pictures will help, I have put them at:
>
> http://www.mark-andrew.com/hinges/hinges.html
>
> Then again, I developed an alternative theory, that the hinges are
> just fine and that what was preventing the screen
> from falling right back in the first place were some little rubber
> stoppers/pads on the frame of the screen, similar to one you can see
> in the side view photo. These pads (so my theory goes) were along the
> bottom of the frame and would get pinched/provide increasing
> resistance as the screen/keyboard angle went from say 110 to 180
> degrees. They must have fallen off after about six months without me
> noticing. There are two little depressions where they could have been,
> and one of the foot stoppers underneath the case has done the same
> vanishing trick recently.
>
> If this is true, it seems to me, with hindsight, a pretty egregious
> case of
>
"design-it-to-look-pretty-and-so-it-holds-together-for-six-months-and-ho
pe-he-gets-bored-with-it-and-doesnt
> use-it-too-much-after-that"
>
> Like I say, it is otherwise a little jewel of a machine, just really
> annoying that I need to prop the screen up with a book or something
> when I don't actually have the thing in my lap.

Interesting; unlike any other hinge I've seen. How about pulling up the
little plastic screw cover - see if there is a big screw holding a hinge
bracket that can be tightened?

Q
 

Hawk

Distinguished
Apr 11, 2004
44
0
18,580
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Hinge area is very different from my two Sonys. I had my hinge covers
off but I still couldn't figure out how to adjust the hinge tension.
One suggestion: In the top view there is a little oblong pad/insert in
the plastic body. If that is a soft rubber pad, remove it and see what
is there. It could be an adjustment screw.

hawk

Mark Andrew wrote:
> Thanks a lot for your help and interest guys, emboldened by your
> suggestions I
> started poking around again, but it is as if the thing is some kind of
> puzzle where you cannot figure out how they fitted it together (or
> whether, which I doubt, it was carved out of a solid block of
> plastic.)
>
> Maybe some pictures will help, I have put them at:
>
> http://www.mark-andrew.com/hinges/hinges.html
>
> Then again, I developed an alternative theory, that the hinges are
> just fine and that what was preventing the screen
> from falling right back in the first place were some little rubber
> stoppers/pads on the frame of the screen, similar to one you can see
> in the side view photo. These pads (so my theory goes) were along the
> bottom of the frame and would get pinched/provide increasing
> resistance as the screen/keyboard angle went from say 110 to 180
> degrees. They must have fallen off after about six months without me
> noticing. There are two little depressions where they could have been,
> and one of the foot stoppers underneath the case has done the same
> vanishing trick recently.
>
> If this is true, it seems to me, with hindsight, a pretty egregious
> case of "design-it-to-look-pretty-and-so-it-holds-together-for-six-months-and-hope-he-gets-bored-with-it-and-doesnt
> use-it-too-much-after-that"
>
> Like I say, it is otherwise a little jewel of a machine, just really
> annoying that I need to prop the screen up with a book or something
> when I don't actually have the thing in my lap.
>
> --
>
> Mark
 

Hawk

Distinguished
Apr 11, 2004
44
0
18,580
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

In a second look at your photos, I noticed what looks more like my
Sony hinge covers. To the left side in the top view there is a
different color piece that looks like my hinge cover. I can't tell
from the photo because it is sort of obscured. On my Sony, you just
squeeze the hinge cover and pull up and it pops off. It is a "U"
shaped piece of plastic about an inch and a half long that just snaps
into some indents on the case.

hawk

Mark Andrew wrote:

> Thanks a lot for your help and interest guys, emboldened by your
> suggestions I
> started poking around again, but it is as if the thing is some kind of
> puzzle where you cannot figure out how they fitted it together (or
> whether, which I doubt, it was carved out of a solid block of
> plastic.)
>
> Maybe some pictures will help, I have put them at:
>
> http://www.mark-andrew.com/hinges/hinges.html
>
> Then again, I developed an alternative theory, that the hinges are
> just fine and that what was preventing the screen
> from falling right back in the first place were some little rubber
> stoppers/pads on the frame of the screen, similar to one you can see
> in the side view photo. These pads (so my theory goes) were along the
> bottom of the frame and would get pinched/provide increasing
> resistance as the screen/keyboard angle went from say 110 to 180
> degrees. They must have fallen off after about six months without me
> noticing. There are two little depressions where they could have been,
> and one of the foot stoppers underneath the case has done the same
> vanishing trick recently.
>
> If this is true, it seems to me, with hindsight, a pretty egregious
> case of "design-it-to-look-pretty-and-so-it-holds-together-for-six-months-and-hope-he-gets-bored-with-it-and-doesnt
> use-it-too-much-after-that"
>
> Like I say, it is otherwise a little jewel of a machine, just really
> annoying that I need to prop the screen up with a book or something
> when I don't actually have the thing in my lap.
>
> --
>
> Mark
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I have exactly the same problem with my VAIOPCG-SRX51P. I don't
remember the screen suddenly starting to go loose, and nothing has
fallen off the computer, so I suspect it's loss of friction in some
critical place in the hinges. Anyone made any further progress fixing
it?

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I had a similar problem with my SRX41P and have fixed it.

The problem is that the springs in the original hinge assemblies are too
weak and soon go totally slack. Mine lasted less than three months. It
appears to be a design fault that Sony subsequently fixed so I think it is
only a problem in early units.

The original hinge part numbers are:

4-657-930-02 TILT (L)
4-657-931-02 TILT (R)

But the replacement parts (without the problem) that you need are:

4-657-930-03 TILT (L)
4-657-931-03 TILT (R)

Some notes.....

1. It is not possible to fix the problem without replacing the hinges.
You cannot even ‘repair’ the original hinges, you must replace them.

2. You cannot ‘prise-off’ any hinge covers or other parts. On the SRX41P
all of the plastic parts are held on by screws. If you try to prise
anything you will break the case, and you won’t have helped yourself.

3. Replacing the hinges is not a trivial affair. It requires substantial
dismantling of the machine. You need to be very, very careful not to
break or lose anything. Also the fine cables that go to the LCD screen
pass through the middle of the hinges on both sides!! And they’re very
easy to break. On the other hand, I managed to do it without a service
manual or diagrams, and I’m only an enthusiastic amateur, so it is
possible if you’re careful and methodical. I think it took me a couple of
hours in total. My new hinges have now been in place since March 2004
with no problems.

4. The biggest problem I had was getting the parts. I couldn’t find a
(sensible) supplier in Europe and the supplier I found in the US doesn’t
ship internationally.

5. The parts from the US supplier cost about US$33 each, plus taxes, plus
shipping (so about £50 in total). Well worth it to preserve a great
little machine that’s still worth £500-£600. (I did find one supplier in
the UK but they wanted £350 just for the parts!!).