T61 Hinge failure

The right hinge on my 2 year old T61 split in 2 pieces. The metal just failed/cracked. I didn't drop it
or force it. In fact I was slowly closing the lid when I noticed it was moving oddly in the wrong direction.
This should not be a warranty issue. It is a failure of the metal/ this laptop should have been recalled.
The lack of quality in th actual metal they are using in China seems to be the problem. My old t41 from IBM
has the same hinge only it still works from 6 years ago.
I Google this problem with hinge issues on this T61 and it is a well documented recurring failure with these
notebooks. I called Lenova, they were not helpful. All I wanted was to talk to a Person who could point out
the part#s needed to repair this.
Briand
[email protected]

lenovasuks, welcome to the forum,
sorry to hear about yout hinge, that's not good news
After having looked up the part number for the correct hinges for your system, posted by zoltanthegypsy, you will be able to order the part from the Maintainance Parts site should you not wish to use e-bay or other possible sources.
For your general information; I've been retailing ThinkPads for over 10 years in Germany, I've seen one case of a broken hinge on a T6 model, three on T4 models. I can count on two hands the number of mainboards I've seen swapped out on T6 models, I'd need two football teams at least to count the number of T4 mainboards swaps.
No I'm not a Lenovo employee.
Andy ______________________________________
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T61 hinge replacement

I need to get the hinge replaced on my Thinkpad T61 and the service part list on the lenovo support website has FRU as 42W2451 (Kato) or 42W2673 (Reell) as the part numbers for the hinge.
I could not find these available on any online stores but found 42W2452 or 42W2674 on eBay, so was wondering if I can use these instead?
Do you guys know if there is a big difference between the two types of hinges i.e. 42W2451/42W2673 and 42W2452/42W2674?
Thanks in advance.

hey sudin,
I would suggest reading the Hardware Maintenance Manual to check if those parts are compatible with your unit :
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/42x3546_03.pdf
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Is T61 hinge broken under warranty?

Hi all,
Recently I found that my T61 right LCD hinge was broken. The machine is still under warranty. I sent to the service centre and a few days later the person told me the hinge is not under warranty and I have to pay about 100 bucks USD to replace the part! I read through the warranty many times and 100% sure I didn't void it.
My question: Is the hinge under warranty?
Thanks.
zhichien

The hinge is under warranty as far as material defects are concerned. But the most common case of hinge breakage is that the ThinkPad has been dropped. I don't know the situation in Singapore but here in Germany the manufacturer must verify that the problem is not his fault within the first year of warranty (and not the consumer). So my hinge got replaced on warranty.
If you have evidence that the hinge broke without you handling your TP negligentyou probably have good chances to have the hinge replaced for free as well.
The price of 100$ might sound high at first but if you take into account that the complete display has to be disassembled and the structure frame needs to be replaced thats an okay price. However my TP came back from repair with the hinge even more broken then before.

T61 display failure after cleaning fan

Hello, I would like some advice.
I opened up my lenovo T61 laptop to clean out the fan and apply new thermal paste.
After I reassembled it however, the display had stopped working. The computer boots up normally and continues to run but there's no picture. I opened it up again and checked the lcd connector and it seems that everything is fine there. Yet there's still no video.
Anyone have any advice what more to check or do?
Thank you

Hello,
One thing you can try to do is connect an external monitor to the faulty machine as a form of troubleshooting to see if there is an image displayed on the external monitor. If you dont mind, try to connect one and inform me on what happens. Thank You
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Can´t install Vista SP1 on T61

dear all
i tried every trick i found in several internet forums regarding problems to install Vista SP1 on a T61 with failure message 0x800F0826. No chance to install.
Can anybody advise how I can be successful ?
Thx in advance
Tom

Hi!
Could you tell us whether it's a clean install of Vista or are you running a Lenovo pre-load? Also, are all your drivers updated? From my research there are two major culprits that can prevent an upgrade to Vista SP1 (either stand-alone or via Windows Update):
1) fingerprint reader driver
2) X3100 Intel graphics driver
However, the error you mention is known to Microsoft but they offer little in terms of a solution for this issue. Here's their explanation:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/2d96561c-0a7a-492a-b48f-8317cf4f1fde1033.mspx
Steve
Message Edited by icantux on 06-24-2008 03:20 PM

HP DV7 Hinge Fail

I purchased a DV7 – 7030us, on July 3, 2012 from Amazon.com. A few months after the warranty period was over I began experiencing problems with the hinges. That problem continued to progress to the point where the left hinge is now entirely out of the case and it is apparent that the right hinge will soon follow. I can provide photos.
I did a bit of research on the web and found that hinge problems are common with models of this type but that there has not been a recall, nor has a general warranty extension been issued by HP.
My previous laptop was also an HP, a DV9920, and it too had hinge failure, to the degree that I purchased aftermarket hinges and made the repair myself. Ultimately that computer was retired because the power connection failed.
It is surprising to me that a company of the size and sophistication of HP would not have addressed the hinge issues long before this. I have owned many HP products over the years, mostly printers, and found them to be of good quality; but I would like you to provide me with appropriate relief for the current hinge problem, by which I mean that the laptop should be returned to you for repair at your expense.
Please contact me with your proposed solution.
Regards,
Thomas J. Watson
This question was solved.
View Solution.

I purchased my laptop about 3-4 years ago.
A few years ago, my computer exhibited the same problem where it looked like the case was being pryed open. I never really took it apart or did anything since I use it more like a desktop than anything else
Last night I took it apart and found the following:
The right side hinge and support structure is very robust. The screen hinge attaches to the laptop base through a metal tab on the base (which has a screw insert on the bottom). The force is distributed very well in this area. On he left side, I saw that there was no metal support. The screen metal hinge screws right into a brass looking insert which is just pressed into the plastic base. On my laptop, the left side insert pulled right out of the plastic, and was basically prying up on both halves of the base, causing the gap when you close it.
When I was trying to rotate the hinges, I found that the left and right hinges took a TON of effort to rotate. in the closing direction: If the insert is OK, there should be no problems since the hinge is "pushing" itself into the plastic base. But when you open the laptop, that screw insert wants to be pulled out. in doing so, it breaks the plastic and causes it to pry the case open, causing the gap.
I think this was an assembly error, not a design problem. It looks like they intended the right side to bear 90% of the force, while the left side just acts as a pivot. I think the left hinge stiffness was set way too high from the assembly line. If you look carefully at the screen hinges, you can see a nut which is covered by the silver looking plastic hinge covers. You need a 1/4" drive socket set and a 5.5 mm socket. I was able to do it with a shalow socket, without an extension.
I ended up loosening this nut so you could easily turn it by hand. Now all the force is taken by the right-side robust hinge, where the left side just acts as a pivot.
I tried to use a metal epoxy in the area, but the stuff I had was too old and didn't bond well. Hopefully I can find a junk computer and just get the replacement base.
To fix this, you can get a new bottom case for about $100, then loosen the nut on the left hinge so that there is minimal force going through that joint (you should be able to rotate the left hinge without he-man strength).
It also doesn't help that the left side hinge sees the highest temperatures. The thermal cycling along with the pretty weak cooling system could make that joint more likely to break.
By the way I took it apart originally becuase my laptop temperatures were crazy high doing non-intensive tasks. The cooling system was pretty bad. it only takes a small build-up of dust to block off the exit for the hot air. Be sure to clean this area if you notice that you can cook an egg on your laptop.

Lenovo wont stand behind dead pixel policy

I am not sure what else to do. It seems like unless you complain on this board, lenovo will not respond.
I bought a t400 back in 2008 and it shipped with dead pixels.
I informed support and they noted it "on my account". I had a 5 year warranty and decided to wait until I had a major issue.
My T400 recently failed (hard blue screen) and I sent it in to lenovo support. They refused to fix the lcd and after a few days shipped my laptop back without fixing the blue screen
I finally got support to let me go with a local repair shop (they did a motherobard swap). The tech fix my machine but again lenovo refused to repair my LCD
I bought a 5 year warranty for piece of mind and lenovo has completely failed.
If you have a dead pixel issue, return the unit asap. Lenovo will refuse repairs.
I have purchased 4 thinkpads since 2008 and since the t61 nvidia failure, the support has gone completely downhill
My case # is A02P78N, and I have sent 3 PMs to mark with no reply.
Can anybody help?

The Policy:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7675653_dead-pixel-policy-lenovo-laptops.html
I love my LENOVO.
T 410s, WIN 7, 128 SSD, 64 Ult.
I do not work for LENOVO.

Lid no longer pops up

When I first got my TiBook 667, the lid release worked fine; push the button and the lid will raise slightly. Now when the release button is pushed, the lid must be pried up. No real great effort, just an inconvience. It latches closed just as before. What is the fix to this problem?

The referred page deals with hinge and case alignment. Is that my problem?
It sounded like it from your original post:
Now when the release button is pushed, the lid must be pried up.
and "sticky" hinges, often leading to hinge failure, are all too common on TiBooks.
Does your lid open easily, without having to hold the base down?
If so, it sounds like your hinges are ok, but improper alignment or loose screws on hinge mounts can definitely cause the latch issue you describe. If that's the case, you don't need a TiGlide kit, you may just need to align your hinges/display; with the display closed, see if the gap is equal all the way around. It doesn't take much of an alignment issue to cause difficulty with the latch and/or smooth hinge operation.
If you do need to align it, remove the hinge covers, loosen the larger mounting screws (the directions in the TiGlide kit make a BIG point of not removing them, not sure why), place a "shim" about 1/16" thick at each of the four corners between the display and the base, and tighten down the hinge screws.

"Bluetooth: Not Available" (internal BT)

I have a 15" PB with the internal BT. I've been using it just fine for over a year with my Macally BT mouse. Last night I must have left my computer running without being plugged in. When I plugged in and started it up, the Bluetooth was unavailable.
Also I don't have the Bluetooth icon in my system preferences anymore. If I do a spotlight search for it, I see the Bluetooth icon and it says that it is located in the system preferences. When I double click it from the Spotlight results, it launches the system prefs without the Bluetooth icon.
Finally, I have the bluetooth thingy on my top menu bar with zig zags going through it and it's grayed. I can't even get it off of the top menu bar.
Is there a fix to this without having to send Apple my computer back?

Hello,
Exact same issue with my one year old 15 PowerBook G4 1.5.GHz (with internal Bluetooth)...
One day Bluetooth functionality was available, the next day it was not only absent, but there was no trace of the Bluetooth hardware to be found without opening up the machine. I tried locating it via the Bluetooth Setup Assistant, Bluetooth Firmware Updater, System Preferences, and System Profiler. All of these utilities stated that a Bluetooth module must be installed before you can use this application or something similar. I even ran the Apple Hardware Test, reset the PRAM, and praised my Steve Jobs voodoo doll without any help. Most likely, the entire module has failed and needs to be replaced. Unless anyone has any suggestions, I am putting this on my list of issues (like case molding separation, screen hinge failure, etc.) to repair via AppleCare.
I have been a long time fanatic for Apple and regularly spend more money than I should at the local Apple Store. Out of the four Macs that I have in my home currently, ALL of them have required hardware repairs within the first three years of use. Yes, AppleCare has taken care of every issue, with the exception of the frustration involved in the repair and the damage to the companies reputation. It hurts to say this, but it looks to me that the general quality control of Apple manufacturing is getting much, much worse...
If we learn from our mistakes, then I obtained my PhD years ago,
Dr. Z.

Just purchased T61 on eBay - has hinge issue

I just bought a T61 on eBay. It is nice in every way except that it has the loose hinge problem. There is about 1" of play, or looseness, at the top of the screen. There is no mfr warranty on the unit, but the seller gives a 30 day warranty. I like the unit, but I don't want it to be a money pit. I bought this unit because I heard that they were built like a bank vault, and I figured that if any used notebook was worth buying, it would be this one. Now, I'm having second thoughts.
I'm wondering how long before the hinge problem makes the thing unusable? It's not really a problem now but would be if it gets worse.
I ordered memory for the unit and was planning to upgrade to Win 7 64bit, but, after reading here about the hinge problem,
I'm not sure if that is wise.
Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Depending on one's priorities and budget, they could go one generation back to T60/p, or ahead to T400/500 and W500 which are all far more depndable machines than nVidia-based T61/p units.
There's a zillion of threads on this forum, Bill Morrow's thinkpad forum and all over the Internet on nVidia chips failure...do some research before making your next move.
The issue at hand is fixable only by motherboard swap, regardless of what anyone will tell you...there is *no* fix for the original batch of GPU chips.
Good luck.
Cheers,
George
In daily use: R60F, R500F, T61, T410
Collecting dust: T60
Enjoying retirement: A31p, T42p,
Non-ThinkPads: Panasonic CF-31 & CF-52, HP 8760W
Starting Thursday, 08/14/2014 I'll be away from the forums until further notice. Please do NOT send private messages since I won't be able to read them. Thank you.

T61 screen wobbles on hinge

how to fix without dissassembly it is only certain angles
t61 7665-d61
ThinkPad Twist S230U-
OS-Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
CPU-Intel Core i7 3517U @ 1.90GHz Ivy Bridge 22nm Technology
RAM-8.00GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard-LENOVO 3347CTO (CPU Socket - U3E1)
Graphics-Wide viewing angle & High density FlexView Display 1366x768 (1366x768@60Hz) Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Lenovo)
Storage-298GB Seagate ST320LT007-9ZV142 (SATA) 22GB SanDisk SSD U100 24GB (SSD) 29GB SDHC Card (SCSI)
Audio-Realtek High Definition Audio

It's a very common problem, Lenovo replaces them under warranty, but otherwise you'd need to buy and replace the hinges. They aren't expensive (about $15usd), but they aren't fun to install. When you install, be very careful when dissembling the Lid assembly, the bezel is glued on with double sided tape and also has clips, it's very easy to break the clips, and the screen is extremely easy to crack too. The right hinge is much easier then the left. Many people find that replacing only one does the job of making it feel tight again.
ThinkPad W-510 i7-820QM(1.73-3.06GHz) Quad Core... ThinkPad T500, T9900, 8gb SSD...FrankNpad T-60p/61p (X9000 2.8ghz) 8gb SSD ips FlexView...ThinkPad T-61p (T9300 2.5ghz) 8gb ram...Thinkpad X-61 Tablet 4gb ram...ThinkPad A-31 (1.9ghz P4 1.5gb ram)

Failure of display hinge on ZV6201CL laptop

Noted several inquiries on this subject with no practical or easy solution because the units are mostly out of warranty and worse, the replacement part is no longer available.
The failure of the hinge relate to excessive friction in the true steel hinge, forcing the aluminum portion that is attach to it [holding it to the display/cover], to break due to excessive torque. The purpose of the friction is to allow the display to hold in different positions. But it seems that in time, perhaps through loss of "lubrication" [if any], it get very stiff.
I am in the second replacement of this pair of hinges for this particular unit. Lubrication has NOT helped much. It is still quite stiff. Should the steel cylinder around the pin need loosening up? I tried Teflon, which is the most slippery oil available.
Anybody had a similar experience or suggestions?
As to availability of the hinge, I got two in EBay and there are more offered at a reasonable price. Dismantling the display is delicate but actually simple, The main unit only requires the removal of the piece behind the keyboard by taking of several screws. As always, first remove the battery. Good luck and do lt at your peril.

Try resetting PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
and if that does not help, resetting PMU (power management)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1712

T61 External Monitor Port Failure Question

I have a Lenovo T61 8897-cto (purchased 4/2008) with what I believe is a failing backlight. In dim environments I can still see the screen. I've been temporarily using an external monitor, but the external monitor just went blank and I can't get it back, (the external monitor works fine with another laptop which I'm using now). My question is, does this new fault point to a system board failure? I suppose it could be a connector but I don't move the system often and not recently. The only other things that comes to mind is that the battery is dying and only has 50% of its capacity left, (but I always run it with the AC cable plugged in).
I'm just wonder if it is worth putting any money into this laptop or to parts it out. I've already ordered a replacement W510 which I should get in under 2 weeks. I was thinking about using the T61 as a backup or dedicated to Ubuntu, but I can buy a used one for under $600 so I don't want to dump $400 into to have it repaired.
Any suggestions/prior experience with failing LCD displays and external video port?

1400x1050 is the highest screen resolution, so I guess that is SXGA+ No, I've never spilled anything on the laptop. I'm running Windows Vista Pro latest Service Pack. I rebooted the system this morning and the external display was detected and used during the boot process. It started to work again under Windows. I'm starting to think that it was some sort of power saving mode that failed to re-initialize. The main laptop screen is still dim, but readable in a dark room. It does have a bit of a tint to it, which I've read is an indicator of a failing backlight. I've checked the warranty on the Lenovo website and they've indicated that it has expired.

T61 Loose Hinge - Does the warranty cover this issue?

Hello, I bought the T61 in 2008 with 3 year warranty in USA. My T61 is showing the loose hinge problem which has been encountered by many other forum users. Right now I'm in Chennai, India and the Lenovo warranty center in Alwarpet, Chennai says the hinge problem is not covered under warranty. Could any one from Lenovo confirm this for me. Thank you, Thaniks

Yes lead_org, it snapped and half piece stayed in its place inside the bezel. I didnot know that the piece was disconnected so I tried to open and it close once , which caused the bezel plastic where is covers the hinge to open up.
At that stage I closed the lid and opened up a case to ship the box. I did take pictures before shipping the laptop , the laptop was never dropped, there were no body cracks or any other damages other than the broken hinge and lcd bezel plastic bending where the broken piece is in contact.
Only the right hinge is broken, the left one is intact.
Preventive maintenance was the first time I heard for electonic items from any hardware vendors.

T61 wobbly hinges/lid

Hi, I have a T61 that is under warrenty but it has really wobbly hinges. The lid has about an inch of play on it which makes it useless when it is on my lap. I have done some research and found out that this is a common problem with the T61 and that people have had it repaired under warrenty. I phoned up Lenovo and the advisor said it was not covered under warrenty as that problem should not have happened and therefore must be caused by the user.
Does anyone have an advice regarding this issue?

Call again and say that you want to appeal the decision. I don't know about repair options in UK. In the US, I would take it to a Lenovo Dealer who was authorized to do warranty repair. With things like this, you are better off showing it to a human being. Also, the dealer gets paid for the work if he does the repair. He gets nothing if he declines.

T61 Hinge failure

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