Mushy TrackPoint buttons?

Message

bhtooefr · #1 Post by **bhtooefr** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:43 am

My left TrackPoint button is VERY mushy and hypersensitive, and I think my right button is also becoming slightly mushy. All three buttons are MUCH mushier than those on a ThinkPad R50e.

First, is there any way to fix it other than getting a new keyboard unit, and second, has anyone else had these problems?

My laptop's an X21, but this might apply to other models.

wireless4laptop · #2 Post by **wireless4laptop** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:36 am

You can put the button off, right and left, and see a small white plastic cap. The wear cap maybe result in mushy feeling.

bhtooefr · #3 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:51 am

OK, got it taken off, and found that the small cap was actually disintegrating. How can I get a new one without getting a new keyboard, then?

Would it be part of "KBD Misc.", 26P9179?

n00b1337 · #4 Post by **n00b1337** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:23 pm

i changed my girlfriend's left button with the one that controls the scrolling.
since she never uses that button my solution worked. i have also tried replacing the button with one that i canabalized off a normal keyboard. i had to customize that one though using a pair of scissors.

bhtooefr · #5 Post by **bhtooefr** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:31 pm

Hmm... the scroll button is something I use *A LOT*...

By "normal keyboard", what do you mean? A direct membrane keyboard? I'll have to hunt one down, as I don't have any dead ones that have good key feel...

n00b1337 · #6 Post by **n00b1337** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:51 pm

yeh just a normal keyboard. like 5-10 dollar ones. they have lil squishy things under the buttons too so if u cut them right they will help give a better feeling. obviously these won't compare to an original button though so if you can source that part out it would be your best bet.

shinjiplus · #7 Post by **shinjiplus** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:45 pm

can you please describe in more detail how to pull the button off?

i assume you have to remove the keyboard as per the hardware maintenance manual.

thanks!

scrible88 · #8 Post by **scrible88** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 9:08 pm

I had the exact same problem with my x22. The left button was ridiculously "mushy" and had a really bad feel to it. I knew it wasn't correct because the right click button feels wonderful and like new.

I ended up taking it apart about 30 minutes ago and switching the right click rubber piece with the left click. So now my right click is mushy but I don't really care. The left click is all that matters.

If I can find one of those caps easily I'll replace the rubber piece that is falling apart.

shinjiplus · #9 Post by **shinjiplus** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:38 pm

scrible88 wrote:I had the exact same problem with my x22. The left button was ridiculously "mushy" and had a really bad feel to it. I knew it wasn't correct because the right click button feels wonderful and like new.

I ended up taking it apart about 30 minutes ago and switching the right click rubber piece with the left click. So now my right click is mushy but I don't really care. The left click is all that matters.

If I can find one of those caps easily I'll replace the rubber piece that is falling apart.

so you took out the keyboard and it was an easy swap? any more details please

scrible88 · #10 Post by **scrible88** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:49 pm

shinjiplus wrote:
scrible88 wrote:I had the exact same problem with my x22. The left button was ridiculously "mushy" and had a really bad feel to it. I knew it wasn't correct because the right click button feels wonderful and like new.

I ended up taking it apart about 30 minutes ago and switching the right click rubber piece with the left click. So now my right click is mushy but I don't really care. The left click is all that matters.

If I can find one of those caps easily I'll replace the rubber piece that is falling apart.
so you took out the keyboard and it was an easy swap? any more details please

I removed the keyboard by taking out the three screws on the bottom that have the small white arrows pointing to them.

Use a small screwdriver to carefully pry up the keyboard. Pry it up and off using the front of the keyboard because it is latched on pretty well in the back.

Once the keyboard is off the Thinkpad, use a small screwdriver to pry off the mouse buttons. Don't go too deep under the buttons when you are prying them off or you could damage the rubber piece underneath further. They are kinda a pain to pop off but once you've done it once you can do it over easily.

You will be able to see the small white-ish rubber pieces. Remove the one from the right click button if it is in good shape and swap it with the one in the left click button.

After that just pop the top of the mouse buttons back on and put the keyboard back onto the notebook. When you do this make sure you insert the edge of the keyboard nearest to the screen first, then pop the front of the keyboard and sides into place. It should snap back down no problem. Put the screws back in the bottom and you should be ready to go!

shinjiplus · #11 Post by **shinjiplus** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:42 pm

thanks for the help scrible88, i just replaced my left click with my middle click and it feels like new. makes my right click "feel" like mush and my middle click doesn't even work anymore, but ah well.

be careful if you do this mod, i broke the clip holding my middle button in so it kinda doesn't work now.

Mushy TrackPoint buttons?

Mushy TrackPoint buttons?

Who is online