Took apart my 8104 today!

[srw101]

Well I took the plunge, bit my lip and took apart my travelmate 8104. The reason I dismantled it was because I tripped on the ac wire and it broke off the ac socket internally.

It was very interesting inside and very well put together I might add. Most of the boards were very solid looking and had little flexible areas or voids. The biggest problem I ran into believe it or not was when I took off the keyboard and popped off a few keys by accident. They didn't go on as planned and were a struggle to get back on.

After about an hour I located the board that had the socket on it which also had the dvi port on it and resoldered it. Wasn't easy but I'd do it again althoughI wouldn't recommend taking it apart to anyone that doesn't have patience and or decent electronics experience.

My lappy is charging again and like new and I take pride knowing I did it myself! :awdance:

[HypheN]

Hi,

could you please describe how you took apart your 8104. I've spilled an energy drink over my keyboard, now a few keys are stuck. Or is there anywhere a step-by-step instruction available on the web? I don't know how to dismantle the keyboard.

I want to deposit my keyboard in distilled water and then dry it in our boiler room a few days. I've read in german boards, that this would help.

Any advice would be great! Thanks

[Rustican]

I'm interested too in how you took it apart. How were you able to get the keyboard off?

[srw101]

I'm interested too in how you took it apart. How were you able to get the keyboard off?

Just above the escape key and the delete keythere are tabs that have to be pushed in. Very easy to do once you know how I reccomend this method

1.Find to small screw drivers and insert them both at the same time pushing into the tabs but be very careful not to slip and jab the lcd screen.

2. Keeping force on the tabs slide the screwdriver under the keyboard and wedge the top out then the whole keyboard should come out in one piece.

let me know if you did it. I think the distilled water might work but keep in mind this keyboard has some steel on it which may rust...I think any way (I kind of forgot) I hope you don't have to dismantel the whole keyboard for your sake that would be a chore!

[Rustican]

Just above the escape key and the delete keythere are tabs that have to be pushed in. Very easy to do once you know how I reccomend this method

1.Find to small screw drivers and insert them both at the same time pushing into the tabs but be very careful not to slip and jab the lcd screen.

2. Keeping force on the tabs slide the screwdriver under the keyboard and wedge the top out then the whole keyboard should come out in one piece.

let me know if you did it. I think the distilled water might work but keep in mind this keyboard has some steel on it which may rust...I think any way (I kind of forgot) I hope you don't have to dismantel the whole keyboard for your sake that would be a chore!


So once you push the tabs in you can lift up the keyboard of do you have to slide it toward the screen? Can you post a screen shot of how it should come out? Thanks!

[Jarpmann]

cool thread. did you totally dismantle your laptop or did you just take the keyboard out? i would like to take mine apart and paint it. just wondering how hard it would be to take all the plastic covering off it.

[srw101]

cool thread. did you totally dismantle your laptop or did you just take the keyboard out? i would like to take mine apart and paint it. just wondering how hard it would be to take all the plastic covering off it.

That would probably take a while to figure out. I know the hinges have little black covers and behind those are the real hinges. But the plastic could be tricky. Also If you do decide to paint it make sure you do your research and get an enamel that sticks to plastic much like the silver thats on it now.

So once you push the tabs in you can lift up the keyboard of do you have to slide it toward the screen? Can you post a screen shot of how it should come out? Thanks!

The top row of keys I.E. esc all the way through del should angle up towards you and then the whole thing lifts out.

I will try to post pic when I get home tonight...I'm at work right now.

[MrMsyvc]

So once you push the tabs in you can lift up the keyboard of do you have to slide it toward the screen? Can you post a screen shot of how it should come out? Thanks!
Before you push tabs and pull on the top of your keyboard, you have to remove a single screw from the BACK of the computer, otherwise ain't nuttin' going' nowhere.

[srw101]

Before you push tabs and pull on the top of your keyboard, you have to remove a single screw from the BACK of the computer, otherwise ain't nuttin' going' nowhere.

Yeah, I think I remember now I might have to tear back into it this weekend and takes some pics of the process. I do remember taking out all the components on the bottom first. I think the screw might be under the ram....just don't quote me I just dont have the time to confirm right this second.

[HypheN]

Yeah, I think I remember now I might have to tear back into it this weekend and takes some pics of the process. I do remember taking out all the components on the bottom first. I think the screw might be under the ram....just don't quote me I just dont have the time to confirm right this second.

Thanks so far!
hmm maybe I should wait for the weekend then? ;)

I really hope this distilled water thing works. It's all about the drying process - that should be long enough. I want to get the whole keyboard out of the laptop and put in some kind of tank filled with distilled water.

Right now I'm using my keyboard, and since the soda accident (a week ago) only a few keys have a little more resistance than the others. So it's only about the sugar and how this speeds up the rusting process. :(

Thanks to anyone who's helping

[srw101]

Thanks so far!
hmm maybe I should wait for the weekend then? ;)

I really hope this distilled water thing works. It's all about the drying process - that should be long enough. I want to get the whole keyboard out of the laptop and put in some kind of tank filled with distilled water.

Right now I'm using my keyboard, and since the soda accident (a week ago) only a few keys have a little more resistance than the others. So it's only about the sugar and how this speeds up the rusting process. :(

Thanks to anyone who's helping


Hang in there, I had the same problem years ago with a soft touch keyboard. I took it apart and cleaned out all the laminates and sugar and the thing worked like new. I think the key is to dry it as fast as possible in case there is metal in the keyboard. I used a hair dryer when I fixed mine it might work for you too. Also make sure you use warm water it will help break down the sugars better.

[HypheN]

.....I think the key is to dry it as fast as possible in case there is metal in the keyboard. I used a hair dryer when I fixed mine it might work for you too. Also make sure you use warm water it will help break down the sugars better.

I will do that. But waitin' for the weekend to come, hope you'll find some time to take those pictures.

regards
HypheN

[srw101]

Sorry about the long delay I went boating last weekend :)

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/2807/keyboardscrewlocation9nv.th.jpg (http://img353.imageshack.us/my.php?image=keyboardscrewlocation9nv.jpg)
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8079/keyboardrelease13rl.th.jpg (http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=keyboardrelease13rl.jpg)
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7789/keyboardrelease24nc.th.jpg (http://img366.imageshack.us/my.php?image=keyboardrelease24nc.jpg)
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/1663/bottomviewofkeyboardcopy7de.th.jpg (http://img353.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bottomviewofkeyboardcopy7de.jpg)
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/7616/liftfromtoptoremove0gu.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=liftfromtoptoremove0gu.jpg)

[lastdon]

nice , pics! helpful to be honest if ever the laptops needs a good cleaning,

for the ones that have spilled stuff, have u guys bought the acer accidental warranty?

[darksheep]

would be grate if some one posted a complet guid with pics on how to disasembill a travelmate 8104

[srw101]

would be grate if some one posted a complet guid with pics on how to disasembill a travelmate 8104

I have taken it completely apart twice now to fix my AC power jack as seen in the pic. I'd hate to be the guy responsible for everyone voiding their warranty though. I broke my AC jack while staying in Vegas. I tripped on the power cord and snapped the AC jack off the board and would no longer charge. I resoldered it to the board and epoxied it the second time...I shouldv'e done it the first time but you live and learn I guess. I'll post some pics of my dismantled 8104 in the peer to peer section but instructions would take a long time.

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8572/repair3qj.th.jpg (http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=repair3qj.jpg)

[HypheN]

@srw101: Thank You! I just followed your pictured instructions, took out my Keyboard. Placed it in warm distilled water for about 20 minutes, then blow dried it and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes @40°Celsius. sounds crazy but worked.

Now it's dry and workin' like a charm again :)

@lastdon: No, i don't have any accidental warranty.

[Rustican]

Nice job!!! Thanks for the very useful post!!!

[srw101]

@srw101: Thank You! I just followed your pictured instructions, took out my Keyboard. Placed it in warm distilled water for about 20 minutes, then blow dried it and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes @40°Celsius. sounds crazy but worked.

Now it's dry and workin' like a charm again :)

@lastdon: No, i don't have any accidental warranty.

That's fantastic man I'm glad you got it working :) My ac jack has worked great ever since too :dude:

[CitigirlDC]

I've been having an issue with my brand new 8104 (like its three days old) - the keys tend to bump up against the display screen a bit. I've also noticed that the escape key sits higher than the delete key and that if I push the escape key or the surrounding keys hard, the keyboard kind of sinks down a bit. Do you (those of you who have removed your keyboards) think that something is wrong with that tab that holds the keyboard in?

[srw101]

I've been having an issue with my brand new 8104 (like its three days old) - the keys tend to bump up against the display screen a bit. I've also noticed that the escape key sits higher than the delete key and that if I push the escape key or the surrounding keys hard, the keyboard kind of sinks down a bit. Do you (those of you who have removed your keyboards) think that something is wrong with that tab that holds the keyboard in?

Now that you brought it up I think you might be right. I turned mine sideways and the side of the esc key does sit quite a bit higher. I'm not sure there's anything we can do though. Let us know if you find anything out.

[crusherfred]

Does anyone know how to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable from the laptop? I've been able to get the keyboard out, but can't figure out how to disconnect the ribbon cable.

[MrMsyvc]

Does anyone know how to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable from the laptop? I've been able to get the keyboard out, but can't figure out how to disconnect the ribbon cable.
I haven't disconnected the cable on my 8104, but on my old Sager 8887 the ribbon disconnected at the motherboard-end with a wide, thin, delicate plastic bar attached to the cable, similar to the disk drive cables and bar-ends in a desktop PC. Look for something like that at the end of the ribbon and carefully slide in out.

[lkchild]

Hi,

could you please describe how you took apart your 8104. I've spilled an energy drink over my keyboard, now a few keys are stuck. Or is there anywhere a step-by-step instruction available on the web? I don't know how to dismantle the keyboard.

I want to deposit my keyboard in distilled water and then dry it in our boiler room a few days. I've read in german boards, that this would help.

Any advice would be great! Thanks

I tried this with an Apple Powerbook. Didnt work this time, but i did find it good to chase the water back out of the keyboard using isopropyl alcohol, once the water had dissolved the sugary goo. That way it needed less drying out, (and so there was less chance of corrosion).

In my case the sugar had shorted out part of the power board, which kind of saw the end of it as I didnt know enough about the mainboard to find the blown components when the power board was replaced. If you splilled a sugary drink in and its still working you are very lucky indeed.

[rootes1]

I'm with you in loving my new 8104, but I can't seem to figure out how to get a standard headset/mic to generate any normal mic level when plugged into the front jacks. Come to think of it, the internal mic doesn't make normal volume during the setup wizard program either. I've done everything I can think of. The mic sliders are max, but short of shouting, the level meters barely. Acer support didn't help except to tell me to try reloading the driver. Any ideas?

Thanks!!!!!

Before you push tabs and pull on the top of your keyboard, you have to remove a single screw from the BACK of the computer, otherwise ain't nuttin' going' nowhere.