Left Shift Key Works Intermittently - T510

[lparsons]

I bought my new T510 around Christmas time, to replace my 7+ year old R32. Life has been great, although recently my left shift key has been working only when it wants to. All the keys near it work fine, and key travel and click for the shift key itself is normal. However sometimes pressing that shift key does nothing. I find that I tend to use the left shift key more often than the right (retraining myself somewhat on this message) so this is rather annoying.

Is there anything obvious I might want to try before I contact Lenovo? I didn't buy any special warranty options, so I rather dread the idea of having to ship it back to them for a keyboard replacement (or would they send one to me?).

[Colonel O'Neill]

You have the latest BIOS update, right?

Maybe try picking off the keycap and looking for anything stuck under the key?

[lparsons]

Does the key just pop off like on the old IBM buckling spring keyboards, or is there a trick to removing it? I tried gently prying it but it didn't want to come off. I didn't want to put too much force under it...

[Colonel O'Neill]

Try pulling a bit from all four directions; each keyboard manufacturer has a different direction in which the key detaches.

[redhook]

Don't worry about shipping your laptop off to have the keyboard replaced, Lenovo will ship you a new one since it is a CRU (Customer Replaceable Unit). Be sure to send the old one back though or you may get charged. It should take you less than 5 minutes to replace the keyboard and only requires the removal of 3 screws..

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 74449.html

[lparsons]

Don't worry about shipping your laptop off to have the keyboard replaced, Lenovo will ship you a new one since it is a CRU (Customer Replaceable Unit). Be sure to send the old one back though or you may get charged. It should take you less than 5 minutes to replace the keyboard and only requires the removal of 3 screws..

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 74449.html

Thank you for the suggestion. I didn't realize Lenovo/IBM considered it a user-replaceable part. I just called them and after less than 5 minutes on the phone they agreed to send me a new keyboard!

On a side note, why are the Lenovo thinkpad support calls - for thinkpads made and sold by Lenovo - still answered by IBM?

[anarti77]

Did you send your old keyboard to lenovo? I just had my X200s keyboard replaced, they send me the new one. No one mentioned anything over the phone that I would need to send my old one to them.

[lparsons]

Did you send your old keyboard to lenovo? I just had my X200s keyboard replaced, they send me the new one. No one mentioned anything over the phone that I would need to send my old one to them.

When they sent me the new keyboard, there was a shipping label in the box to place on the original box to send the original keyboard back in. I dutifully placed the original keyboard back in the box and sent it back.

I was told on the phone I would need to do that. They said they would have to bill me for the keyboard if I did not send the original one back. I saw the same thing when I replaced a battery under warranty (some time ago) on my old R32. I don't know if it differs based on model / line / warranty level, but you may be wise to keep an eye out for a bill from Lenovo - or you could be proactive and call them, they could probably send you a new box to ship it back in if you ask.