I think my T40 is destroyed... EDIT - REPAIRED!!!

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Ryan T. · #31 Post by **Ryan T.** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:43 am

alot of system board failures lately. mine is being looked at by a tech as we speak in my kitchen, getting a new system board.

#32 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:16 pm

I got the system board replaced today. The system works fine in general. However, I noticed that the Active Protection System was not running. I tried to run it and it said the system did not support APS and to uninstall it. I did so, and I cannot install APS anymore. I called IBM, and they conclude (one call, one person) that the system board is not an exact replacement, and further, to contact the vendor to see if they can shed any light on the part they used. I will do that tomorrow or Thursday.

In the meantime, I wonder if there is a problem with that device. Most assuredly, my board did not fail wholesale. It would start. If very cold, moving the laptop would cause it to lock up. If warm, any slight jiggle would stop it.

The new board clearly does not support APS, and I am wondering if: (1) the wrong board (and if so what have I got); (2) a refurshibed board that is not working correctly in this respect (but all others); or (3) the engineering fix to prevent future problems takes out that circuit.

... JD Hurst

#33 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:24 pm

Good point. I haven't had time to do any repair work so far this week, so I actually haven't opened the T40 up since it broke.

Lenovo should get back to me by the end of the week.

lithium726 wrote:Dont go into the machine and void the warranty until you know IBM wont take it back....

#34 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:25 pm

Hmm... I'd say (1) or (2) are more likely.

jdhurst wrote: The new board clearly does not support APS, and I am wondering if: (1) the wrong board (and if so what have I got); (2) a refurshibed board that is not working correctly in this respect (but all others); or (3) the engineering fix to prevent future problems takes out that circuit.

... JD Hurst

lithium726 · #35 Post by **lithium726** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:28 pm

jdhurst, The only boards that do not support APM are the T40 boards. T41/2/3 should all support it, so if yours isnt working (much like mine wont

) you have a T40 board (ive got a T40, i just wish the machine had it)

Definatly demand a board that supports all teh stuff it should

zzyss · #36 Post by **zzyss** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:40 am

Just posting to add my $0.02 on a similar issue I had. My T40 started hanging on me - would just hang randomly for no reason and the screen would just freeze. After a reboot it was fine. But then it started getting worse and worse until it got to the stage where it wasn't even booting - and similar symptoms as described in the original post.

I've sent it in for replacement, with only a few months left on the warranty. I'm seriously considering getting a T60p though...

#37 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:48 pm

The vendor has called IBM as well (the vendor is a Gold IBM partner), and has asked me to bring the machine in. I will and we will get to the bottom of it. If it is a T40, then it is the wrong board in the right shipping box. The vendor did not make an error reporting my machine. Thanks.

#38 Post by **jdhurst** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:31 pm

So it was a wolf in sheep's clothing after all. All was done correctly by the vendor, but IBM shipped the wrong part. They haven't said it was a T40 board, just that is was wrong. A new board is en route. Hopefully, that will solve my problem. ... JD Hurst

zzyss · #39 Post by **zzyss** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:24 pm

Since when did the T40 have Active Protection System?

christopher_wolf · #40 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:23 pm

zzyss wrote:Since when did the T40 have Active Protection System?

The T40 never had APS, which means John got the wrong system board for his Thinkpad that had originally supported APS.

lithium726 · #41 Post by **lithium726** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:44 am

zzyss wrote:Since when did the T40 have Active Protection System?

I said the T40 didnt support APS, and that he likely had a T40 board in his T41 if APS wasnt working.

t20user · #42 Post by **t20user** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:43 am

All these system board failures on T4x machines and here I thought it was a T2x thing. CRAP, I am in the market for a T41 for this specific reason.

Are there any T4x machines known to be more reliable than others? Are there (relatively) fewer T43 system board failures?

JHEM · #43 Post by **JHEM** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:32 am

I've had three T40s with the flaky MB/Video card problem, all repaired under warranty.

I've got 4 T41p's in the family, two of which are my daily driver and backup machine. They've all been rock solid.

Wife's and daughter's T42s have been rock solid as well, with the exception of my wife's 6 cell battery self-destructing and freezing her machine. Daughter's machine travels frequently, including monthly trips to EU from US.

SIL's T43 and T43p (personal and business) are both trouble free after more than year of heavy use and travel.

Regards,

James

zzyss · #44 Post by **zzyss** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:57 am

christopher_wolf wrote:The T40 never had APS, which means John got the wrong system board for his Thinkpad that had originally supported APS.

lithium726 wrote:I said the T40 didnt support APS, and that he likely had a T40 board in his T41 if APS wasnt working.

Sorry, I got jdhurst mixed up with the original poster (who had a T40).

nirvana0001 · #45 Post by **nirvana0001** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:33 pm

#46 Post by **K. Eng** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:35 pm

JHEM wrote:I've had three T40s with the flaky MB/Video card problem, all repaired under warranty.

I've got 4 T41p's in the family, two of which are my daily driver and backup machine. They've all been rock solid.

I wish I had 4x T41p

Odd that all your T40s had problems, while none of your other T4x had any problems. Makes me wonder if the T40 board had a design problem that was corrected in later T4x.

AIX · #47 Post by **AIX** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 7:41 am

In the company where I work there are ~15 T41s used by employees. Many of these T41s does not receive a good treatment, and after 2 years of different abuse/people all of these laptops still work without any replacement or technical support. Great machines!

#48 Post by **K. Eng** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 7:53 am

Hmm...

On April 14th, Lenovo Executive Relations said in an email they would get back to me last week concerning my lemon T40. Subsequently, nobody has contacted me. This is not a good sign

#49 Post by **K. Eng** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:49 pm

Update!

Someone from Lenovo Executive Relations called me today and offered have their technicians examine my T40. Supposedly I should get a return box in the next day or two!

I'm hoping it can be repaired ::crosses fingers::

Update again!

Lenovo was true to their word, and sure enough a box reached me this morning. I got back a couple minutes ago and DHL is coming to pick up the box between 5 and 7.

Update again! 4/27/2006

I got another call from a friendly Lenovo rep, who let me know that they have my T40 and their technicians are working on it. I should have further word on what is wrong with it, and what repairs can be done, by tommorow afternoon.

#50 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:59 am

Ok -- major update!

I got the T40 back from Lenovo today! I'm posting from it, and it appears to be in perfect working condition.

The Lenovo repair technicians in North Carolina appear to have done a much more careful job that the Solectron contractors in Memphis.

#51 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:04 am

Some people have "The Luck o' the Irish".

Somehow, I don't think you are Irish though.

DCB2006 · #52 Post by **DCB2006** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:04 am

My T40 has very similar symptoms like the OP described. Luckily it's still under warranty. Now, I wait...

#53 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:18 am

Haha... not so much luck as persistence

No, I'm not Irish in the least!

Right now I am running system tests to make sure everything works.

GomJabbar wrote:Some people have "The Luck o' the Irish".

Somehow, I don't think you are Irish though.

dsvochak · #54 Post by **dsvochak** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:35 am

Dead at 18 days after warranty, revived for free by Lenovo!

Given the history, you might want to amend this to reflect the number of days in the 2nd (or 3rd or 4th or whatever) life.

Seriously, congratulations.

I think my T40 is destroyed... EDIT - REPAIRED!!!

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