Acer 2012 Users - Good News! I got bluetooth installed successfully on my laptop!

Alright so after a lot of research I've been able to track down a company that sells a spare Bluetooth module for Acer 2025 notebooks, and as of last evening I have been successfully using Bluetooth on my Acer aspire 2012 notebook!

Here is how I did it. Sorry for the blurry pictures. I also hid my MAC address and serial number on the notebook.

*Disclaimer* Don't sue me over this. You are taking the risk with your equipment. This isn't supported by Acer and probably does void the warranty. I am just talking about my experience here.

The Bluetooth part itself is model number "54.A14V5.004". It's actually pretty small compared to the Intel wireless b/g card; about the size of two dimes next to each other.

To my surprise I have actually looked over the location of the Bluetooth module inside my notebook several times without knowing it. When I got this part yesterday I had no clue where to install this part (no instructions included), so I decided to remove the main screws on the bottom and go searching for some empty connector under the keyboard. Fortunately, in the process of doing so I opened up the battery compartment and just looked close enough to notice that there is a clear rectangular plastic cover that is screwed into the laptop. If you remove your battery (or put it in for the first time when you got your new Acer 2012) you will actually see the clear plastic cover quite easily. And if you look close enough you will see that there is a thin black wire that is underneath the plastic cover with a data connector head on the end. That's what you plug the Bluetooth module into.

Here are some pictures

Step 1
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Here you see the battery compartment with the clear plastic cover removed. There are also two holes that have screws in them that hold down the plastic, as well as the data cable. What you want to do is remove each screw (Philips head) and take out plastic cover.



This is the Bluetooth module itself that I ordered, where on the left and right side you will see a slot where the screws will go through and be tightened down to keep the Bluetooth module from moving.

Step 2
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On the right side of the Bluetooth module you will see the data connector head. Attach this to the data cable coming from the battery compartment.

Step 3
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Make sure that the data connector cable is attached to the Bluetooth module, and then insert the module into the area where the plastic cover was. Make sure to align the screw holes correctly, and then place the existing screws back in and tighten so that the module doesn't move around. I left the plastic cover off since it wouldn't fit anyways. Seems pretty secure with the screws installed and battery underneath.

Step 4
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Put the battery back in and power up the laptop. The Bluetooth (blue) button will light up for a second like it always does when you turn on the laptop, and then it will turn off. Don't worry. Once you get into windows push the button again and it will light up and stay blue! You should see that green "Bluetooth enabled" heads up display show up on the screen, as well as Windows asking for a disk to install the Bluetooth device. Rather then going that route, I hit cancel and put in my Acer CD #1. Under the drivers section there is a Bluetooth folder (nice of Acer to include that with our non-Bluetooth notebook ;-) ) with a .MSI installer that will not only install the driver, but also the Bluetooth profiles (there are a lot of neat options to play with). You can also download the Bluetooth drivers off Acer’s website. ** If the Bluetooth light doesn't stay on when you push it then the Bluetooth module probably wasn’t installed correctly. Try rechecking the data cable to make sure it is plugged in securely, and that the Bluetooth module is not moving around.

Here is a screenshot of the device installed. Looks like it is made by the same manufacturer as the Ethernet adapter.




* Other notes:
1) So far I have not noticed any interference with the Intel 802.11 B/G wireless card, and have used both at the same time doing file transfers without any noticeable interruptions or slowdowns.
2) After the drivers are installed and you reboot the laptop, the Bluetooth light doesn't stay on like the wifi light until it gets into windows, upon which it then turns on automatically!
3) It does seem to eat battery life a little bit faster, which is expected. Nothing terrible, but I leave it off when running on battery to get extra usage.
4) I have successfully paired with my Pocket PC and transferred files successfully via the Bluetooth ftp program. I also tried the DUN bluetooth feature with my Motorola v710 cell phone (about time Verizon released a Bluetooth phone) and was "cruising" around the web over my phone at around 10-15K. Still pretty neat though, especially if I am somewhere without an internet connection.
5) Where did I get this Bluetooth module? Definitely not from Acer, since they refuse to sell it since the 2025 series laptop is still under warranty. I managed to track down a very nice company called Capital Data, INC. Their number is (517) - 371-7100. If you call, ask for their Acer parts department. They seemed very nice to me, as they initially didn't have the part but still offered to call around looking for it, and then they actually called me back and left a message saying they found it. This is very rare and excellent customer service! One minor issue I had was that they sent (and charged) me for some additional Bluetooth parts that -I believe- I only inquired about their price, and didn't actually order. Anyways, after some discussion they finally agreed to RMA it with no restocking fee, and even paid for shipping. I wanted to mention all that because they really do seem like a nice company, even with this dispute.
6) How Much? $85 plus shipping.
7) Distance: Supposedly Bluetooth can work up to 30 feet away. I haven’t tried anything further than 10 feet just because it never came up, but the connection didn’t seem to be effected at that distance, so my guess is that the antenna is built into the laptop somewhere. However I don’t have any proof of this. Perhaps it shares the same one with the wireless card?
8) I want to see Oddie or Jeff's next upgrade beat mine! How about upgrading to a Dothan 2 GHz processor on your laptop guys? ;-)

Thanks guys. Glad to share.

Hugh Jazz-
I've also upgraded my memory to 1gb, as well as thrown in a 7200 rpm drive. But these are pretty minor upgrades in terms of opening up the laptop. If you search for a user named Jeff, he posted some internal pictures of the 2012 underneath the keyboard where you can access the second memory bank. Replacing the harddrive is pretty easy. Just unscrew the screws and remove the cover and then pull out the drive. It's pretty obvious how the data teeth on the HD lineup with the ones on the notebook.

Husky55-
Thanks for the info about the price drop. I actually had the HP zt3000 (x1000) before my 2012, and while I loved that notebook, I ended up returning it mainly because HP lied about the 9200 processor. As for batteries for the 2012, I havn't been looking. Maybe ebay? I'm actually hestitant to put a lot of money into batteries. I've had pretty bad luck with them actually; seems like (with my Dell) they would drop down to around to a little over an hour within 6 months.

andhraangel-
Yeah I could but it's like with a pcmcia card/usb wifi, I just don't wanna be carrying around a bunch of extra equipment that I have to plugin whenever I wanna check my mail.

I really don't know unless I really rip this thing open, or get a detailed parts manual, which no one in the Acer parts department was willing to sell.
And when I talked to Acer support (I don't think they knew anything anyways since they didn't mention the module went under the battery) they were telling me 1) the bluetooth anntena is located in the LCD? Just like the wifi's on the 2025 and 2) since they are cutting costs by not including a bluetooth module in the 2012, they wouldn't leave in the bluetooth anntena.

So am not sure really. I don't know enough about wifi/bluetooth specifications to know if they can share they same anntena. They are operating at different frequencies I believe, so maybe not.

Hmm. Well if that's true, which seems to make sense, then they probably left it in. I can't see how it would be working by itself (if at all) more than a few feet without an antenna, and I've tried it at 10 with no problems. I could see the arguement, if it is in the lcd, that they would have to make two versions of the lcd, depending on how hard it is to integrate in the lcd. Since the 2012 and 2025 are using the same chasis, except for the arcade button, they may just use the same lcd.

yeah i read about your problem with wireless in another post. That is the weirdest thing to have those wires reversed! Was your box fully sealed when you got it?

eh I can't open my notebook up right now, downloading some .isos. Sorry

I'll check nexttime I turn it off

hehe. Ouch, $130? I'd go for the $30 usb over paying that. Neitther are convenient though

Maybe a secure digital bluetooth card? Probably would stick out just slightly

yeah I wouldn't rush to get the hitatchi drive. Granted it's nice and all, but the 4200 still seemed pretty responsive to me.

On another note, I'm driving through Vegas right now @ 70mph connected to my v710 cell phone via bluetooth on my 2012 :-) Posting this message @ 5K /second baby ;-)