Thinkpads Forum

Hi guys!

Been a while since I peeked in last time, but I'm back, and I've just got myself an X220. (So now I've got two)

So, here's the deal:

I bought a cheap X220

These are the thing wrong with it:
It needs ram, battery, an HDD as well as an HDD cover.
There's a nasty hole in the lid
Display is cracked.

Without ram, it beeps 1-3-3-1, meaning either ram or mobo is at fault
With ram, it beeps one long, and two shorts, meaning either mobo, lcd assembly, or dimm's.

I know that the dimm is ok, as it's taken from another working X220.
As the 1-3-3-1 disappers when the dimm is inserted, it must mean that the mobo is OK, and the lcd assembly is at fault.

Does this seem plausible to you, or what do you think?


It has got a 4 year warranty plan, that lasts until Oct. 2015, but as Lenovo will charge at least 300$ in fees if they cant fix it, it's not a risk I wanna take.


My current plan is, to buy a replacement LCD, and a replacement lid. Then it will look good again, and should be running, or what?


Thanks in adv.
Regards, Frederik.

Cola wrote:...(So now I've got two)...My current plan is, to buy a replacement LCD, and a replacement lid. Then it will look good again, and should be running, or what?

Hi Frederik, welcome back!
If it were I looking at that situation, I would swap parts around between the two until I determined what was wrong, before buying additional parts that may, or may not, correct the problems.

Neil wrote:Hi Frederik, welcome back!
If it were I looking at that situation, I would swap parts around between the two until I determined what was wrong, before buying additional parts that may, or may not, correct the problems.

Hi, Thanks for answering!

I have actually been thinking of this, but sadly, it'd void my warranty on the working X220 (until Sept. 2014), which would be a shame in my opinion.


Also, I've got this following theorem:

1-3-3-1 > 1-2 (Meaning if the mobo is dead, the system would most likely send a 1-3-3-1 before sending a 1-2)

1-3-3-1 = mobo failure or Dimm failure

1-2 = mobo failure, LCD failure or Dimm failure

Now, as I get 1-3-3-1 when there is no RAM in the system, and no 1-3-3-1 when the RAM is in the system, it must mean that the RAM is not at fault. And because it doesn't sound a 1-3-3-1 when the RAM is in the system, it must mean that neither the RAM or the mobo is at fault. Leaving the LCD as the only option.

This makes sense, right?

Yeah, your logic makes sense. Since the LCD is broken, it could well be the source of the beep error.

And, I understand about warranty, I wasn't thinking about that, I've never owned a ThinkPad that was still under warranty, so that has never been a consideration for me.

Neil wrote:And, I understand about warranty, I wasn't thinking about that, I've never owned a ThinkPad that was still under warranty, so that has never been a consideration for me.

Hehe, same here actually. I've mostly been with T40-series and T60/500 series before I got this.

Cola wrote:...
Also, I've got this following theorem:

1-3-3-1 > 1-2 (Meaning if the mobo is dead, the system would most likely send a 1-3-3-1 before sending a 1-2)

1-3-3-1 = mobo failure or Dimm failure

1-2 = mobo failure, LCD failure or Dimm failure

Now, as I get 1-3-3-1 when there is no RAM in the system, and no 1-3-3-1 when the RAM is in the system, it must mean that the RAM is not at fault. And because it doesn't sound a 1-3-3-1 when the RAM is in the system, it must mean that neither the RAM or the mobo is at fault. Leaving the LCD as the only option.

This makes sense, right?

Sorry, but I don't think this necessarily makes sense. But, then again I don't have an X220. So, what do I know?
From a logical point of view, all you have eliminated is the RAM as the culprit. The mobo can still be at fault. Looking at the HMM http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc ... a60739.pdf page 48, it lists the system board as the most likely cause for a one long and two short beeps error.

Wow! Massive achivement here!

Believe it or not, but after doing the static discharge, by pressing 10 times on the power button, followed by holding it for 30 seconds, I actually got it running on an external monitor on an ubuntu live USB distro!

My procedure is the following:
1. Connect VGA and AC Power
2. Quickly close the lid completely, so the external display lights up
3. Open laptop again, and boot into Ubuntu

So now I've got a picture on both displays, and I'm in Ubuntu. Of course, the Thinkpad's display is still done for, but this confirms my theory, that the motherboard is not at fault here.

pics: