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Toshiba Tecra S1 - New Motherboard required

post #1 of 29
4/4/05 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
My laptop was built in June 2003 and I am unable to verify if the laptop is still under warranty. (There is no information printed on the Identification label)

I have the serial number of the motherboard and have tried to contact Toshiba Support but to no success.

*** I will never buy a Toshiba laptop again after this experiance ***

My motherbaord has developed a fault and I have no display (Intenal or external) I understand that this is a common problem with the Toshiba Tecra S1.

In short I am stuck without a working notebook and need a new motherboard that works.

My notbook is beeping at me (2 short 1 long three short). The ATI graphics module has failed. It started to lock up and blue screen the system and now I can get no screen display whats so ever.

If anyone can help I would appreciate any contacts and advice. I think it is still underwarranty but can not confirm as I can not determine the serial number and do not have access to my purchase documenation/receipts.

Toshiba can only provide component level diagnostic support (Not much help when you want to see if it can be fixed without replacing the effected component). Whats more is that they want to charge a high amount to tell me what I already know. Yes the motherboard does not work... duhh... I know its connected to the integrated graphcs card but can it be repaired so I do not have to pay the ridiculous hig bcopst of a new motherboard. Currently more then the laptop is worth... Hell it isa just over 18 months old... |Welcome to the reality of laptop service and support... (Sorry I need to get this off my chest)

Can I connect the laptop to an extrenal docking station with an alternative working grahics card?? This way I would atleast

Please send a message to my account. Thanks

Any comments from other susers who have experianced simmilar problems with Toshiba Tecra motherbaords welcomed.

Snowy
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post #2 of 29
4/4/05 at 7:57pm
sorry to hear, it's nearly 2 years old and they have 12 months warranty standard.
You had the option to purchase an extended warranty when you did buy it and had up to 12 months after to also buy it. That would have given you 3 years piece of mind and it could have been repaired under warranty. I hardly see how it is Toshiba's fault.

Where are you located?
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post #3 of 29
4/6/05 at 12:27am
Tecra Notebooks come with 3 year warranty. So it should be in warranty. You can check here with the Serial and Part number

http://toshiba.eclaim.com/toshiba/tsbclok1.asp (USA)
http://209.167.114.38/scripts/query....nty&query_form (Canada)

Hope it works out for you
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post #4 of 29
4/6/05 at 12:39am
No, the Tecra S1 and all the later Tecra models have 1 year warranty as standard.
In the earlier days, the old Tecra's had a 3 year warranty.
In the price warfare of today, you can't add them as standard.
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post #5 of 29
4/6/05 at 10:14am
Actually over here in the USA thats not true .. I've worked on TONS of Tecra S1's and they *all* come with a standard 3 year warranty.. Actually every Tecra and Portege I've ever worked on has come with a 3 year warranty, which in my opinion makes them a better machine overall!
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post #6 of 29
4/6/05 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
I am from Australia and I thought it had a three year warranty. But I can not confirm this. I tried to contact Toshiba and witghout the serial number they can not help me. As I am overseas I can not access my receipt and relevant documentation. This is a nightmare. I still have no explaination as to why teh idetificatiuon lable is missing its serial number. I am told that the serial number might be on the DMI but I can not see and display...

Toshioba have been no help whatsoever

My only chance is to locate and buy a replacement mother board.

I understand that many others have reported simmilar problems with the S1 motherboard and display processor. It appears to be a disgn flaw if you ask me.

ANY ASSITANCE WELCOMED.
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post #7 of 29
4/6/05 at 7:47pm
In Australia, they have 1 year. For an extra $280 or so, they can have an extended 2yr warranty. Obviously it would get priced into the machine in the US if they have 3 yrs already.

Snowy, without the serial number Toshiba can't do much, particularly if it's out of warranty anyway. It identifies the notebook, tells them the build date, who sold it and what the warranty is on it. Try to get a copy of the invoice from where you got it. I have seen on the occasion that the serial number gets rubbed off the label, how I don't really know.

A new motherboard you are looking at over au$1100.00 plus labour. Quite expensive.
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post #8 of 29
4/7/05 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 
First The Idetification Lable has not been rubbed-off It was never printed.
Second I berl;ive it has a three year warranty but the documentation is stopred away in Australia and I am in Ukraine... I can not get hold of it.
Third as To contacting the agent I am in a bind as a friend bought the laptop for me as I did not have time to chase up the sale.

I have found a motherbaord in the USA for 600$ The goping price for thsi laptop on eBay is $1100.

I am very disappointed that Toshiba can not ascertain teh serial num,ber information based on the serial number of the motherboard. I know the build date (June 2003). I am told that teh serial number would be in teh comnputer DMI but I can not see teh screens output so I can not access that.

NOW I think Toshioba has a libility and responsibility to asertain teh serial number. Teh fact that it is not printed on the laptop is a fault of there doing not mine.

I hacve contacted Toshiba (Spent over 50 on phone bills) and they have been no assitance.

My best bet is to try andf locate a secondhand working motherboard and when I return to Aust4raloia take legal action against Toshiba. BUT in the meantime I need a workling laptop.

ANY ASSITANCE IN LOCATING A WORKING SECOND-HAND MOTHER BOARD WELCOMED.
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post #9 of 29
4/7/05 at 7:41pm
the only way you can work out the serial number is from the label or DMI. Nothing printed on the motherboard will be of any use except to identify the motherboard model.
I have never seen a label where they simply forgot to print the serial number. I have seen where just the serial and model number has rubbed off over time, whether it be by handling or cleaning it somehow.
I don't see how you can hold Toshiba liable when you cannot provide an invoice or proof of purchase. It's your responsibility in that regards. Contact the comapny it was purchased from and they should be able to provide a copy of the invoice.
If you came to us with a notebook, not booting, no serial number visible we could not process a warranty claim as is. We would need an invoice with the serial number visible, simple as that. Everyone knows that if you ever have issues with a product, PC based or not, you need a copy of the invoice to be able to return it, have it repaired or exchanged. You can't just rock up to a shop, say you brought it here and want something done about it without providing proof. Why should this be any different.
Your only chance at getting the notebook to boot to check the DMI is to 'twist' the base, put some stress on the motherboard. I have been able to boot a S1 before by doing this.
Enough said.
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post #10 of 29
4/9/05 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Trust me the serial number has not been rubbed off over time. It was never printed and I only discovered this when the current problem with the display occured.

I do have documentation but it is in Australia and I am 20,000KM away..

I do think Toshiba is rersponsible particularly in respect to the failure to print the Serial and Model Number on the identification lable.

As it stands I have a laptop that is less then 18months old and as I believe is still under a three year warranty. The graphics display does not work. (This is a common probnlem with the Toshiba laptop that many other users have also reported - I am not alone here and it would appear to be a design fault)

I am also extramly surprised that Toshiba can not identify teh laptop serial number based on the motherboard serial number. I use to work for Compaq and I can assure you that they record all component serial numbers in the Bill of Materials related to each product. One would assume that Toshiba also mainatains a Bill of Materials register. If not then how could they idetify that a given componet belongs to a nominated unit.

My computer still boots. I can just not see the display. Maybe if I had a bootable CD that auto ran teh DMI information extraction tool andf outputed it to disk then I could access it.

As mentioned I have contacted Toshiba and they are of no help. I thinbk theyt could have offered to do more to try and identify the serial number and as such any warranty entitlements. After all it is they that have not publ;ished the serial number on teh identification label.
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post #11 of 29
4/14/05 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
I saw a posting for a motherboard on ebay with a starting price of $356USD which did not sell. I conbtacted the seller " E. Cabatino" from Canada who said he could sell it to me outside of auction with a diuscount. The listed cost of delivery to the USA was 25USD.

I have indisctted that I am interested and have offered to pay 350USd plus the 25$USD cost of delivery.

The problem I have is that the seller has not provided me with sufficent contact details, so I can not verify sellers identify or finalise the purchase of the mother board. The seller is now asking for 420$USD purcahse price plus an additional 100$USD for delivery from Ontario to Ohio... Now this is not a discount from teh advertised price and unfortuneatly without any contact details I cfan not verify the bonafides of the seller. Seller was not prepared to send COD to the USA. I have a limited window of opportunity (1 week) in which I can arrange for pickup and delivery. I am concerned also that the terms of the original offer has changed. This is not teh way to do business in my book. Had teh seller provided a telephone contact I could have talked to them and made sure their was no misunderstanding. Basicly it leaves a sour taste when a person offering to sell an item over the internet can not provide sufficent contact details to verify the legitimacy of the transcation. Buying outside the eBay auction also leaves me outside ebay's buyer protection program.

If anyone can help source a new/second hand motherboard please contact me ASAP

Thanks
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post #12 of 29
4/17/05 at 10:07am
Do not buy it.. He can take your cash and run.. If you do tell him to list it w/buy it now option ans send you the item number.. Too many scammers out there....
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post #13 of 29
4/20/05 at 8:54am
Thread Starter 
I am still hoping to find a motherboard for this laptop. My next laptop will be a Dell or Compaq/HP If anyone can help locate a reasonable prced motherbaord for the Toshiba S1 I would be appreciated. I am sure there is a high demand on Toshiba Motherbards beacuse the feedback I have received i\indicates that there is a serious deaign fault with the Toshiba Tecra motherboards. reprots indicate that the motherbard is not really designed for mobility. dry solder joints or poor conections/contacts in the PCB reuslt in motherbartd failure over a short time.
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post #14 of 29
5/30/05 at 10:37pm
you might be happy to know Snowy that Toshiba Australia have just notified me that the S1 motherboard will be covered for 3 years under warranty where a manufaturing fault is diagnosed (ie, not physically damaged). This applies to notebooks that were sold with 12months warranty (and obviously extended warranty) and to Australian sold S1's, I am not sure about international machines.
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post #15 of 29
6/10/05 at 4:48pm
I recently exchanged a Toshiba hard drive that was still under warrently, and although I thought the turnaround was a little long (about 60 days) They were helpful and polite. I emailed them from the website and they called the next day.
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post #16 of 29
6/10/05 at 4:52pm
Oh and re the above thread about EBAY, I am an ebay seller and selling something that you offered for auction on ebay, outside of ebay, is fee avoidance and against the rules of the auction. I wouldn't trust someone that is willing to go against the rules to avoid what are really reasonable fees. This selller should be reported to Ebay. And 100.00 Shipping B@#$@&^T!!!!!
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post #17 of 29
11/10/05 at 1:46am
I too own a Tecra S1 and from Australia.

Bought my laptop in July 2003, it came with a 12 month warranty.

I had this exact same problem earlier on this year. I took it to the service centre and the bloke told me that apparently this is a common problem with them, after around 1.5 years they keep breaking.

Luckily for me as it was a 'common problem' he fixed it for free even though the machine was out of warranty by almost 2 years.

This is just one of a myriad of problems I've had with this laptop. Won't be buying Toshiba again!
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post #18 of 29
11/10/05 at 2:08am
issues with the S1 are usually motherboard related, and usually fixed after replacing it the first time.
So the machine was out of warranty, Toshiba "WILL" cover the motherboard for 3 years even if it was purchased with only 12 months warranty. Why wouldn't you buy another Toshiba?? Would you rather have paid for the repair? They know they had an issue with the first revision motherboards, and they looked after you. Why argue with that?

My Tecra S1 has had a motherboard replaced once, been a fairly decent machine for me. HDD failed once as well, was time to reimage anyway. F*&#ing spyware and shit like that. Kept getting popups even with security programs installed.
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post #19 of 29
11/10/05 at 12:41pm
I gotta agree with Toshrepairer. It looks like the Bloke there really came through for you and got your lappy back up n running for free even though it was technically out of warranty. I think that's awesome and wouldn't avoind a company that can pull through like that!
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post #20 of 29
7/3/06 at 5:27am
Hi Toshrepairer
I am having problems with a failed motherboard on a Tecra S1 and have spoken to Toshiba Australia with no joy.

In reference to the this discussion thread on Snowys failed Tecra S1 motherboard....

You highlighted that you had spoken with Toshiba Australia and ......

"you might be happy to know Snowy that Toshiba Australia have just notified me that the S1 motherboard will be covered for 3 years under warranty where a manufaturing fault is diagnosed (ie, not physically damaged). This applies to notebooks that were sold with 12months warranty (and obviously extended warranty) and to Australian sold S1's, I am not sure about international machines."

I have the same problem on my Australian purchased S1. That is a failed video card/motherboard - it has been playing up for some months (ie striped screen etc) but now completely failed - getting 2 short beeps then 1 long, then 3 short beeps.

I phoned Toshiba service in Australia (1800 021 100) and they had no details of such a policy of covering
Tecra S1's outside the normal 12mth period which has expired on my machine, as you mentioned.

So i was after you help please; regarding who i should contact at Toshiba Australia or what course of action I should take.

I have also sent you a message directly within the forum messaging system or can be contacted via email areid@leggmason.com
Many thanks for any help!
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