T30 Stuck Lower-Left UltraNav Button

[brooklynboy]

As the title says, the left-hand button below the touchpad is stuck "on." I can leave the touchpad enabled in the BIOS and the mouse control panel, but unless I disable the touchpad buttons, I cannot left-click even with the button above the touchpad. BTW, it does not feel physically stuck or sticky.

The problem came on gradually over the course of about a year, initially seeming to occur only in the hot-weather months, but now it's permanent. The companion right button works fine, as do the other two buttons above.

Lots of compressed air around the button has no effect. Should I spray in a bit of control cleaner or silicone? Is there anything else cleanable or repairable, or must I replace the bezel? If the latter, I'll just leave those buttons disabled.

Thanks, all.

[RealBlackStuff]

Sound like metal fatigue to me.
Only way to fix it, is replacing the keyboard bezel. Is not very expensive and is quite easy to do using the HMM.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-42308

[brooklynboy]

RBS, thanks. I see part 46L4781 for about $60 new, or $25 used (+$10 shipping) on eBay.

Replacement looks like about an hour or two's work if I don't break off any plastic tabs. I'm inclined to let it slide until I have to open the case for some other reason (while hoping that I don't), but just in case, I have a few beginner's questions if you have the time:

- Does a new part include the treasured IBM decal, or would I have to try to transfer my old one? Is this even possible?
- Would a used part be reliable?
- Are the nylon-coated screws reusable, or would I have to order a set?
- Is it really necessary to remove the backup battery for this operation?

Thanks again.

[RealBlackStuff]

If you get a new one, it MIGHT have the IBM decal, but I am not sure about that. You can gently pry the old one out and glue it back in.
You can also buy those decals on eBay.

If you get the part from a reliable dealer, a used one can be just as good. Most thinkpadders use the trackpoint rather than the nav-pad, so chances are good that the nav-pad is perfect.
Currently there is a used one (with IBM decal) cheap on eBay http://tinyurl.com/2qchyb

Gently remove the black screw-covers, you can reuse them as-is or use double-sided scotch tape to reattach. Screws can also be reused.

I don't remember if you have to physically remove the cmos-battery. You will have to unscrew it anyway and perhaps the bezel comes off with that battery still attached to the motherboard.
If not, there's no problem disconnecting it, unless you have any passwords in your BIOS (hopefully not).
If you have any, make sure you write them down, and put them in a place where you can find them again!
After reinserting it, you will have to set date and time again, but that is all.

I can disassemble/assemble a complete T30 in less than an hour, I've done it 3 times now. TPs are very easy to work on. Just follow the instructions from the HMM.
Good luck.