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Broken screen wire near mobo on laptop

2K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  PFHappy 
#1 ·
I was putting my laptop back together after trying to fix the power fixture when the ends of the very thin black and red wires from the screen broke into pieces. Now I can't plug the wires back onto the motherboard. The piece that broke off was about 1/4" x 1/4", a little white connection piece that the very thin black and red wires were attached to.
I don't want to buy a whole new screen or whatever that part is that the red and black wires are attached to... just to connect these wires.
Do you have any suggestions? The ends of the red/black wires look like they have solder on the ends - see the picture. If I knew the name of the little white connection part, maybe I could buy a replacement part and try to make due.
Please help... don't want to buy a new screen...
Thank you very much.
 
#4 ·
If you are careful you might be able to fit the 2 wires into the plug remains, it's not solder on the ends it's small connectors that fit into the motherboard socket.
The 2 wires may be for the webcam, if so you can try powering it up but make sure the ends of those 2 wires don't touch metal, best to cover them with tape first.
A picture of the motherboard connector for those 2 wires might help.
Which model Acer Extensa laptop is it ?
 
#5 ·
Thank you Allan. Yes, the unit has a webcam. It is Acer Extensa 4620-4605. The picture shows where the little white connector (now gone) should have been plugged in. You can see the white motherboard connection that is empty to the left of the arrow. I can lay the 2 wires onto that spot but there is no way to keep them in place - even scotch tape probably won't work in the long run.
Above all, I don't even NEED the webcam if that what those wires are for. It was never used anyway. Can I just tie the wires up out of the way and forgot about connecting them?
So I tried to power up the unit and it won't power up anyway. I guess I did a poor job trying to solder the new power jack in and it just doesn't work. So I have a worse problem - trying to get power into the unit as well.
Some fellow on the web found out where the positive and negative connections were to the mobo and made a makeshift power jack extension in an entirely different albeit awkward location. I wouldn't mind that as long as I get the unit to work, I don't care how awkward it looks.
Do you know how I can solder new connections near the old power jack on the mobo and drag wires from a new point? If I can find the website where that fellow soldered a new power jack onto the mobo, I will send it to you.
Here's the mobo picture of where my wires should go attached.
Wood Flooring Gas Electrical wiring Audio equipment
 
#7 ·
Can you post a photo of the solder connections under the power socket, to show your soldering ? Was it a new socket you tried to fit ?

You may be able to copy the idea at the link but let's see how you soldering looks first, it may be fixable

Fairly sure those 2 wires are the webcam, if you look closely they should have hollow connectors at the ends which push over the pins in the motherboard socket. You can ignore them for now but cover the 2 ends with tape so they don't short out.
 
#8 ·
Wow, the ends of those black and red wires do have a hollow-like sleeve. How great of you to see that. Really fantastic.
But I will tie them up and out of the way for the moment as you suggested and cover them with tape.
Then it will take some time for me to take the innards all apart again, all the screws and all so that I can take a picture of the power jack for you. Maybe tomorrow in the PM I will tackle it all again. I really think I blew it, I really did. I did not realize how to de-solder correctly and plowed ahead blindly... I think I even used a teeny tiny drill bit to get those solder holes opened.
I'll send it to you next time around....Thank you so much again Allan. Stay tuned.
 
#10 ·
Actually, you can read the silkscreen above the connector. It appears to be the microphone input.
Desoldering a multi-layer PCB is not especially easy. Drilling is also not a good idea. You could remove the inner plating that connects a through hole to an inner layer, as is often used to distribute the power/ground.
 
#11 ·
Yes, Mark. It looks like a MIC connection. Does that have to do with an audio card or connection? Maybe I'll never use it?

Allan, I took the laptop inside apart. BTW, there is no battery for this unit. It ran on power adapter wire only, directly from a wall outlet.

I took 3 pictures of the power jack connection below. I bought the power jack new online... I matched up the holes by sight.... then made the purchase that way. Some of the ones for sale that said they were made for this unit did not seem to match the holes up correctly.... didn't look right so I took my best shot and when it arrived at home it did indeed look like I made the right choice.
I know what you're saying...what a mess that soldering job is. And frankly, who knows if I may have cooked the components too long with the soldering gun although I tried hard not to keep the heat on too long.
If you want me to dissassemble the jack and take it apart again, let me tell you, it was truly a difficult task to get those holes to line up or even get partially into place at all. I really hard to "jam" it in there in any way shape or form. I will dissassemble it if you think so.. That drill I used might have ruined it altogether.
Tell me what you think.
 
#13 ·
I found the pics below online. I think the 3 '0' shaped holes in the same direction between R3D1 and R46 are the important ones, the other 3 are to anchor the whole socket in place.
Check yours and look at the light green areas around each hole, they are copper with a layer of lacquer on top and you should be able to tell if they should be connected to each other or not, you need to make sure there are no solder bridges between points that should not be connected together.

Passive circuit component Circuit component Hardware programmer Microcontroller Electronic engineering


Circuit component Font Electronic component Rectangle Audio equipment
 
#14 ·
Ok. I have been staring at my solder connections and can't see any direct "touching" going on, can you?.... I'll send an even closer picture for you. I can't tell anything.
There are 2 slices going downward to the copper colored area - that may be my drill slipping. Probably not good there.

What I would like to do at this point, is give it another go at trying to get some electricity into the unit with the power jack as is. Can I attach just the fan to see if it will work? I mean, what I'm asking is, do I have to reassemble the entire thing or can I just plug the electrical adapter in at the power jack as a test?. Just the basics, with the motherboard sitting as is, on my kitchen table. Do I need to put the heat sink back in or what specifically do I need to install just to test this jack out? I don't need the screen attached. That's cumbersome. What about just the fan to spin? And what else must be connected without the whole plastic black case? Just to see if electricity is getting through?

And that R3D1 picture you sent what most informative. I learned a lot just by that picture and your information. Learned a lot, thank you. I can see the 3 pins, the "o" holes...... very clear, thank you.
I'll attach a close up of the soldering - I can't make heads or tails of it. And if so, let's proceed to really get the thing humming with a little juice in it somehow, minimally, as is, before I give up on the connection I made. Because I can't see a problem with it just by looking at it.
The picture I will send below will be the very closest view that I can get with my camera, and my eyes as well.
 
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