Problems
Overheating
In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks which had cooling problems, causing them to overheat and damage the video card and motherboard, or to shut down automatically. Overheating in Inspiron systems is mainly caused by performance-consuming tasks and software. This problem was determined to be due to the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100 and 5150. For more information on the 5100/5150 models in particular, see the following link: Dell Inspiron 5100 Overheating Problem.
Dell acknowledged this problem and designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling with less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.
A Windows utility exists to control most Inspiron fans based on CPU temperature. Users should check the compatibility list before installing it.
On September 20 Inspiron 5150 owners in the US brought a class action against Dell. The settlement included 100% cash reimbursement for certain repairs, and an extended limited warranty to cover those types of repairs that become necessary for one year. Dell's published statement of the scope of the repairs covered appears here.
Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100 and 5160 notebooks filed a class action lawsuit against Dell, alleging misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, warranting, advertising and selling of these computers. A similar action started in Canada
The overheating problem on the Inspiron 5150 was due to the position of the fan and fan-vent and the way in which it vents air through the CPU's heatsink.[citation needed] The fan draws air from underneath the unit and vents it through the rear after passing over the heatsink. However, the unit also sucks up dust from underneath it. Over time a build-up of dust obstructs the airflow, diminishing it perceptibly and reducing cooling; a simple test is to place a hand near the fan vent; when the fan is running at high speed there should be a good flow of warm air. Heat will also build up along the top of the unit near the LCD display and left toward the optical drive. Users may notice this while typing. Performance may also suffer, with jittery game movement and slow Windows performance. Some systems may experience jerky reactions where the unit goes into an almost slow-motion phase for short periods of time. Continued operation in this condition may lead to overheating and could result in permanent damage to the computer. To remedy this the unit must be disassembled, the dust removed, and fan operation checked. An overheating machine commonly has a CPU running 15 to 20°C hotter than a normally functioning unit; a higher increase may damage the casing of the unit.
Overheating has been reduced by using compressed air duster spray. Spraying the keyboard, the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly is located under the "I" - "backspace" keys, and side air intakes, located on the far right and left sides, has been effective in reducing the running temperature from a normal operating temperature of 77-87°C to 45-55°C under average load.
Alternately some users of the Inspiron 5150 found relief by underclocking their processors.
See the following links: * Inspiron 5150 overheating problems - what to do.... * How to fix Inspiron 5150 *Removing the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly and Useful images
Motherboard
On a number of Inspiron 5150, and 100L machines, a design flaw in the positioning of a tab on the C panel on the underside of the laptop has led to problems.[citation needed] Any pressure applied to the top left hand corner of the laptop causes this tab to press against the motherboard and in particular against the "LVC14A" chip. This causes the solder between this chip and the motherboard to break. This causes sudden shut-downs of the system as a result of any movement of the laptop; in certain cases the laptop will not re-boot at all. Dell has redesigned later models of the 5150 to avoid this problem. Some models reveal cases where someone has manually snapped off the tab from the C panel by hand during the manufacturing process. Dell currently covers this fault in the USA under the Lundell Settlement, although it is not known whether Dell will fix this fault free of charge outside the USA. In January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada[citation needed], and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in the consumer programme Kassa.
This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended, but re-heating the pins can re-establish the connection and solve the power-off problem at the expense of possibly losing the use of the touch-pad mouse.
Battery recall of 2006
Dell posted notices to many of their laptop customers on August 14, 2006, saying that the Sony batteries on the following models could combust, or even explode:
Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
Inspiron: 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705
XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710
Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
Users of many of these computers purchased between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 received the recommendation that they should remove the batteries and run their computers on AC power until replacements arrived. Problematic batteries made by Sony led to recall programs at other laptop computer companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.
Power supply issues
Most Dell laptop computers have a special external power supply (PSU) which cannot be replaced by a third-party universal supply. The PSU has a chip which produces a special signal identifying the PSU as by Dell and specifying its power, and a special 3-pin connector (minus, plus, and ID). If a power supply not made by Dell is used, and the cable near the connector becomes damaged as is not infrequent after some use, the battery stops charging and the CPU runs slower, although the computer can be used indefinitely so long as it remains plugged in. If this problem is present at startup the message "The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. Your system will operate slower and the battery will not charge" is displayed. This will continue until the external PSU is replaced. A few third-party suppliers make power supplies with specific provision for Dell computers at lower prices than Dell's. It is possible to work round the slowdown, but not the battery charging, by installing a CPU clock utility. On some models (the 9100 for instance), the problem can be worked around by starting the computer without a battery installed and fitting the battery after the computer has booted.
Another problem arises after much use with the motherboard power connector; springy metal parts which contact the outside of the plug lose their springiness and fail to make contact so that power does not reach the computer. The "official" solution is to replace the connector on the motherboard, which requires partial disassembly of the computer and unsoldering of a part with several pins; many companies charge a considerable sum for the work involved. Various simple alternatives have been suggested; for example a thin "skin" of solder on the outside of the barrel of the connector on the PSU (with care not to overheat the connector's plastic parts; and this thickened connector should not be used with other, not faulty, Dells as it will stretch the springs).
These problems are discussed in detail, and solutions and workarounds suggested, in a discussion on the Tom's hardware site.
Vertical line LCD problem
Some 17" Inspiron 8600, 9200, 9300, 6000, 1750, and XPS Gen 2 notebook LCDs have a vertical line manufacturing defect. Symptoms range from individual lines to entire bars of the screen with inverted colors. Most problems showed after 2–4 years of usage. Dell has been very reluctant to replace these panels after guarantee, although there was a direct link to the defective parts from their suppliers. Even warranty customers have had difficulties to get replacement, and replaced screens often develop the defect after a short time. Other computer manufacturers have handled similar problems in ways more satisfactory to the customer. Reference:
