a faulty t40 (2373 91u) and talking to a wall (lenovo)

[mr_gollihue]

good evening, all.

i traded my x40 for a t40 not long ago on these forums to jargoone. great trade, was absolutely positive that i was getting a good deal, not a problem. still, in my opinion, after finding out the laptop was still under warranty, it was a great deal.

however, this laptop apparently has seen its share of trouble before i had it, and now after i've had it a few months.

back in june, there was a hard drive failure, to which lenovo responded by shipping out a new hdd to the owner at the time. then, the mobo went bad as a result of failing video, and the mobo was replaced. i knew this after i got the laptop.

had no trouble for me until early november, when i had a problem with the usb ports not working...at all. they sent out a tech, they replaced the mobo, no worries.

but now, the video is failing on this yet again, and they want to send out another tech with another mobo so my thinkpad will work another couple months, with any luck.

here is my issue. while the fact that they're more than willing to throw another mobo at every problem i'm having is admirable, it's a real pain in my posterior. to send out a tech means i have to stay home from work, a severe pain in my side. and the time i am without a working notebook is time i am quite frankly never getting back. i don't have seven other TP's lying around (if only i were so fortunate...lol) to choose from as a backup, so it cuts drastically into my productivity.

what i'd like from the forum? i would like to know what one should do in this instance. i feel like there should be some other option at this point for me. three mobos in less than six months sounds like a bad joke. if i am to believe that this response is par for the course, it looks like i'm going to keep alternating between mobos until june (when the warranty expires). i just don't understand it. i had a 600 series for years, and it never failed me. and my IBM Selectric II is much older than even my 600 was...still functions flawlessly. how can this laptop be so faulty?

to date, i've made three calls to lenovo on this one matter. one time i didn't get past initial customer service, the other two times i was transferred to technical support primates who believed that everything i said was a moronic comment and i was missing their point (they kept repeating, like some sort of mantra, that everything is attached to the motherboard and they have to replace the motherboard if something goes wrong), even though i told them that i knew that, and i want to see what other options are if they keep repairing similar issues and i am still having problems.

any responses, suggestions, or tips would be greatly appreciated. i've bragged about the indestructibility of IBM for years. i say, with a saddened heart, that i am wrong. i would like very much to be right again, but i just don't see how that's going to be possible...if i am unable to fix this problem, i just don't see how buying another thinkpad is going to be something in my future...

thanks in advance.


bill

[sktn77a]

Well, I understand your frustration but it sounds like you've just had a string of really sh_tty luck! Replacing the motherboard should cure just about any ill other than the video. They might have had a string of bad motherboards (sounds like the graphics chip/solder problem for the most part). I would ask them about this - it has plagued many older T4x series motherboards and if they are simply replacing the motherboard with older, refurbished T40 motherboards, you may run into the same problem again if the solder joints are giving out.

You could ask them for a NEW motherboard (?) this time, in light of this issue with older ones.

Keith

[rocky01]

Agreed. Some owners here have experience getting results after series of repeated failures by getting upper levels of IBM involved. I would think this still apllies with Lenovo in charge. Thank your lucky stars it's still under warranty and do take advantage of it and get it resolved to your satisfaction. The alternative is having no warranty left (like others here) and futzing with parts and assembly yourself after tracking down part numbers, or paying through the nose, out-of-pocket and still possibly getting refurbished parts, or worse IMO, living with non-working parts. The USB ports not working and/or taking out the systemboard is a known issue. I would ask for new parts now and escalate it up the food chain if and when it ever malfunctions again since it may well indicate use of other than new parts. What good is the warranty if the thing isn't fixed right? You deserve them making good on the promise, inconvenience and PIA though it may be. Have you thought about having warranty service done locally?

[mr_gollihue]

i'd gladly do that...but i live in the sticks. no decent people around here to do it, unfortunately. there are a couple of shops around here, but i'd really worry about one of them messing it up, since i know them all. nobody around here works on IBM...i'm pretty sure the guys they send actually travel an hour or so.

demanding new parts hasn't seemed to be even a consideration at this point, and their reasoning for such is the fact that my computer's not new, so why should i expect a new computer? at this point, i'd gladly settle for functional. having to use my roommate's desktop to type replies to a thread about crappy tech support service really is bollocks.

so...assuming one had come to the conclusion that taking it to the next level might be the correct idea...how would one go about doing that? i actually thought about typing out a letter to an executive on my selectric since i don't have anything that can talk to a printer at this point...pointing out that the selectric has nearly forty years on my thinkpad...and why can't it work just as well? but maybe that's just whimsy at this point.

[SlamX]

Well you are doing everything right it seems. Next call, ask to be bumped up to higher tech manager. re-explain problem and hope they will try a new motherboard or ask for a complete unit swap out and keep your hd if it has all your data on it. Could also be a fault in the chassis perhaps shorting out something.

You should get at least a few good years of reliable performance on that Thinkpad.

[sktn77a]

demanding new parts hasn't seemed to be even a consideration at this point, and their reasoning for such is the fact that my computer's not new, so why should i expect a new computer? at this point, i'd gladly settle for functional.

Well, given that they hopefully cured the bad solder joint problem with their last runs of motherboards, you have a much better chance of getting a longlasting motherboards with a new one than with an old one which is either destined to be come intermittent or (as in your case) is already doing so!

[mr_gollihue]

thanks...i'll try demanding a new motherboard. if the problems continue...what would be a good course of action then?

[mr_gollihue]

because...to be truthful...at this point, i'm a little less than optimistic that i'll have a working laptop after all is said and done.

[underclocker]

Sorry to hear about all the trouble. I'd say it's just bad luck.

While there are potential weak spots with the T4x series (maybe other series, too), it's probably more common for people to have these units for years without any issues at all.

That is actually my experience. I've had T40's for years without any issues at all. The only time I've run across the GPU issue is when I bought one that way.

That being said, since IBM service replaces motherboards with used units, it is quite possible to experience multiple failures, as you did.

The advice to request a new motherboard is very good. The newest models of the mobo's definitely have an improved method of holding the GPU to the mobo. IBM recognized the issue during the production cycle and reportedly made modifications.

Good luck. Hopefully, your faith in ThinkPads can be restored.

[mr_gollihue]

well...one call to lenovo later, and the tech says that he can request a new motherboard but in all reality most likely won't get it.

and at least they're sending a different tech this time. the last guy lost screws...i told the lenovo guy to send a screw kit if at all possible.