Thinking about sending in my T41p in for warranty...

[Tsuioku]

MODS... PLEASE MOVE TO T4X FORUM...
(Too many windows open... click New Topic in the wrong one.. sorry..)

My laptop has developed a few problems here and there but as I really need it for school, I've really been putting things off. A couple of days ago however, the left (broader) hinge snap from the base and I'm concerned about that it will cause unnecessary stress on the remaining hinge causing it to snap too.

OPTIONS
1. Repair it myself - My friend can get a hold of a dead T42 for free so I might able to do the repair myself. My T41p is still under warranty though so would this be avisable? (ie void my warranty)

2. Send it in for Warranty - How long is the turnaround time if I send it back to Lenovo? Would bringing it to a local depot speed up the turnaround time? (I'm located in Vancouver, Canada so if anybody knows of an honest/good depot, please PM me)

IF I SEND IN FOR WARRANTY...
What things should I look out for...
1. I saw all the infamous postings on GPU problems. I used to get random resets, freezing and BSOD every 1-3 days but since I've reduced Hardware Acceleration, it's decreased to about once every 1-2 weeks. Is this still the same issue? If so, should I claim it? Should I leave my HDD in there when sending in my laptop? (I'll probably be removing my RAM upgrade though)

2. I used to read that people used get their keyboard replaced due to "shiny keys" is this still possible? My "N" key is somewhat busted on my keyboard so I'll be claiming it regardless but if it still works, it might just be less hassle. If I press on the upper half, the key doesn't work (it just tilts).

3. I also read a lot of horror stories on this forum on warranty claims blaming the user for abuse. The lower bezel (below the keyboard) has a couple of minor cracks and wonder if they'll try to pull this on me. I have no idea how they came to be but I definitely don't abuse my laptop.

4. Is there anything else I should do/know about prior to making a claim?


Thanks in advance.


Here are also some thumbnails of my situation. Click to see a bigger version. Pardon the poor resolution though... Camera phone...

[Beaver]

Use the warranty, it's the best option.

[richk]

In general, unless you have "thinkpad Protection" added to your warranty, broken hinges are not covered.

[Tsuioku]

I only have EZServ... but wow... I would have expected it to be counted under the statement: "Lenovo warrants that each Machine 1) is free from defects in materials and workmanship"

Definitely looks like a defect to me... The hinge is made of a composite metal and I was extremely surprised how it broke off the base like that... If I was abusing it, both hinges would have snapped off.


Do you think I'd be able to claim the GPU and Keyboard issues?

[sktn77a]

You might get lucky but I doubt they will replace any of these parts under the easyserv warranty. Same with the GPU issue - unless they can reproduce a problem, they won't fix anything and your problem doesn't sound like a failing GPU.

[sjthinkpader]

In general, unless you have "thinkpad Protection" added to your warranty, broken hinges are not covered.

I had the 3 years Onsite and no Thinkpad Protection on a T41. They came out and replaced the hinge.