Lenovo Flex 6-14IKB 81EM keyboard issues

[timeshifter]

Customer brought me a Lenovo Flex 6-14IKB 81EM that is having keyboard issues. It's intermittent. Sometimes keys won't work. Other times they work fine. Other times they'll repeat.

An external keyboard works fine in my testing
Booted from a WinPE disk and see the same behavior.

I'm thinking replacing the keyboard has a pretty good chance at resolving the problem. However, I also noticed that the touchscreen doesn't work at all. It's not disabled in the Device Manager. I somewhat expected a bad touchscreen early on before I fully understood the problem. But I'm worried that the touchscreen not working might be a symptom of deeper problems.

What would you do, order a keyboard and give it a shot?

 

[Larry Sabo]

I'd check the KB and touch-pad connectors for liquid spill/poor connection first. If none, I'd let the customer decide if he wants to risk it and accept that it may not fix the issue. Many palmrest assembly sellers don't accept returns, so it's not an easy decision.

 

[HCHTech]

Did you crack it open to see if there was any evidence of a liquid spill? Plus, those flip designs always seemed to me to have a higher than normal failure rate on the video cable. I appreciate that our sample size is small and that we only see the broken ones, but still. Intermittent keyboard issues almost sounds like a dodgy cable connection, too.

Edit: Great minds @Larry Sabo !

 

[timeshifter]

I'd check the KB and touch-pad connectors for liquid spill/poor connection first.

Did you crack it open to see if there was any evidence of a liquid spill?

Looks pretty clean inside, doesn't look like any liquid's ever gotten in.

New replacement keyboards are only about $20 bucks. They all ship out of China and take a while.

Have yet to find any clear instructions on how to replace it. Visually, I don't see a way to replace the keyboard without taking the entire machine apart, removing the motherboard, etc. Ugh.

edit: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles_pub/flex6_14ikb_flex6_14arr_hmm_20200316.pdf

 

[Larry Sabo]

That unit has a palmrest+KB assembly so you can't change just the KB without busting rivets, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[timeshifter]

That unit has a palmrest+KB assembly so you can't change just the KB without busting rivets, if I'm not mistaken.

That's correct. I found the part numbers in that service manual I linked. Only part numbers for the full top case assembly which includes the keyboard. No instructions for how to replace a keyboard. Guess it could be done but the manufacturer doesn't have a procedure.

Weird...

It seems to be working OK now. Might be too early to celebrate.

I opened the machine up and removed the battery. Blew out a tiny bit of crumbs. Put it all back together. So far I haven't seen any misfires from the keyboard.

One workaround I saw on Lenovo's forum was to unplug the AC adapter and hold the power button for 30 seconds, which didn't work. But maybe letting the system totally drain by unplugging the battery did the trick?

 

[timeshifter]

Still working 8 hours later. Haven't been able to replicate the original problem after removing the bottom cover and battery.

How do you explain that?

 

[Larry Sabo]

How do you explain that?

It's called a frozen BIOS. Happens with a lot of computers. Remove all power sources, including CMOS battery if it has one, wait a minute, reconnect and fixed.

 

[nlinecomputers]

That's correct. I found the part numbers in that service manual I linked. Only part numbers for the full top case assembly which includes the keyboard. No instructions for how to replace a keyboard. Guess it could be done but the manufacturer doesn't have a procedure.

That's because there isn't one. That's why the only parts are in china as the keyboard is sold to Lenovo then they plastic weld/plastic rivet it to the case. If you are just getting the keyboard you will have to MacGyver a way to melt the plastic rivets and melt/glue them back together.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I've done a few, you use snips to cut the plastic heat stakes, then when installing the new one a soldering iron to melt the remains of the stake to hold the keyboard. Not ideal but when the chips are down, I guess it helps.