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79908
April 18th, 2012 01:00
DESIGN FLAW: Vostro V130 and V13 Hard Drive Ribbon Cable
The Vostro V130 and Vostro V13 HDD ribbon cables fail repeatedly - despite the rave reviews for this laptop, the internal design is C RAP. I own 2 Vostro V13 and 2 Vostro V130 laptops - ALL have had the same problem. The HDD cable sits at the front right (below the right side palm rest and internal audio board). When the laptop is picked up from this point, or too much pressure is put on the right palm rest, the case flexes and pinches the unprotected HDD cable. Over time, the cable gets damaged, resulting in an "Operating System Not Found", "Media Check Failure", etc.
I have complained to Dell Tech Support about this problem multiple times. (For youre reference, this video illustrates the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k8ZaP0i4Ps&feature=related)
The HDD ribbon failed on my V13s twice each - once within warranty and once without warranty. I purchased the replacement cables and replaced the cables myself. I have even ordered multiple sets of cables knowing that these will fail again eventually.
Now my V130s have the same problem and they are both outside of the warranty period. I managed to source one used HDD cable and replaced it in one of the V130 - it works. That leaves me with one V130 collecting dust. No doubt, the replacement cable will fail again.
I spent 8 hours with Dell Tech Support in the US (where I am based) and they (1) cannot supply the replacement cable (2) cannot even figure out the Part Number for me to source it from a 3rd party supplier.
I spoke to Dell Tech Support in Singapore (where I am currently on assignment). They want me to send the laptops in for expensive repairs - all I need is a replacement part. Basically, UNHELPFUL.
Failed hardware components from the manufacturer are common to all computer sellers - I attribute the blame to the manufacturers' quality control. But a failed hardware component due to a design flaw is not acceptable. Even worse, the V13 was released a full year before the V130. There was plenty of time for Dell to figure out the solution before releasing the V130 to market.
I currently own more than 25 Dell laptops and have been a loyal Dell Customer for 8 years. My small business runs only on Dell. This is the last straw for me and we will switch to another company that cares.
TechBajan
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3 Posts
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July 22nd, 2012 02:00
Hi, where were you able to source the ribbon cables from? A friend's V13 has just started exhibiting the same problem.
cmptrkemist
2 Posts
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July 22nd, 2012 07:00
Hi,
Dell should be able to resolve this if your laptop is still under warranty. If it is no longer under warranty, you can purchase the replacement V13 HDD ribbon from Dell or from an an aftermarket supplier and follow the YouTube video link in my previous post to replace the cable yourself. To find a supplier, do a Google search for "Vostro V13 hdd cable".) The price range is $30-$75 depending on the supplier.
Please note that there are a number of different issues that would cause the same error message. Make sure you eliminate all other possibilities before replacing the ribbon. You should also inspect the ribbon for any obvious damage (e.g. pinched or bent sections on the ribbon). If the HDD ribbon is the cause, then I recommend that you purchase a spare ribbon. In our case, the replacement ribbons in both of our V13s were damaged again after a few months of use.
TechBajan
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3 Posts
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July 22nd, 2012 08:00
Yea, I'm pretty sure it's the cable. I took out her hard drive and it works fine in another machine. Plus, I put another drive that I know is working fine and it's not being detected. I managed to find the cable for about £16, which I'll replace the original one with since her machine is out of warranty. Thx tho.
Indellible
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July 12th, 2013 11:00
Hi I have a Vostro 13 and a Lattitude 13 which both eventually exhibited the symptom of not finding the hard disk. The ribbon cable to the disk actually looks burnt.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zemn8ncehcsldbe/20130712_190128.jpg
Dell support (Paris, France) was great and came to my house with the replacement part. In fact I hardly finished describing the problem on the phone and they were on it. They also brought a hard disk (just in case). For my machine the Dell part number was D P/N: 42WW9 and the tiny numbers on the ribbon cable read LT13TL-6035B0061001-FPC-A01
Happy hunting.
kariboo92
16 Posts
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June 12th, 2014 12:00
Design flaw or design conception in order to reduce life cycle of product ? Who knows ?
In order to avoid the cable to brake, I have cut the plastic piece that is hurting the cable :