Dell Inspiron 1525 Problem

[atlanticjim]

Don't you just hate it when you are all done with a job and the client calls with a problem that you (might have) caused?

Fixed a Inspiron 1525 that was not charging the battery. The battery was fine and the Dell adapter was working properly. Changed out the DC jack that was on a separate pcb and all was good. Of course I rebooted it 5 times or so just to make sure. . and booted it when it was delivered. Two days later . . this problem.

Press the power button and it begins to boot to Vista but then the screen goes blank, then comes back a bit, then the backlight is off but you can see the boot screen loading. . then the power goes off. It is not a battery problem or adapter problem. I checked them both in bios and they is ok. If I boot it to bios it is just fine. . no display problems.

So I google the problem and as I am reading I come to the conclusion that it must be the lid button that is stuck and as it boots it thinks that the lid is closed. So. . here is where I need help.. . .

1. Where is the lid button? I have disassembled everything around the hinges and found nothing.
2. How can I turn off the lid switch? Tried to boot to safe mode but I get the same behavior. There is no setting in the bios for the lid switch on or off.
3. Does anyone have another solution?

 

[hyfidel]

I couldn't find anything in the service manual or parts, but you may want to run a magnet around the display bezel and palm rest, and also check inside the hinges.

 

[atlanticjim]

I woke at 4am . . . . lying in bed trying to figure it out and I came to the same idea.Must be a "reed switch".
Sure enough . . . run a magnet over the lower left corner of the palm rest and the screen blanks.
Now to fix it or disable it.

UPDATE:
The magnetic switch is located on the "device status lights" tiny pcb attached to the underside of the palmrest. And the tiny magnet is in the opposing bezel. I checked the connector to the mobo and found that I must have borked it the last time I assembled it. Some of the contact fingers on the connector mylar tape were bent. Straightened them out, carefully reinserted them in the mobo connector and all is good. The connector is #4 in the picture below.