Dell Latitude E6510 Too Hot while docking

Did you ever get an answer from Dell support about this?  I am getting an E6510 with the i7 processor soon, so I would like to know what kind of "issues" to expect.

Thanks,

Sean

I am having the same issue with 3 of the E6510 laptops that we have as well.  With the lid closed while docked, the lower portion of the laptop screen gets scorching hot after a short while of use.  The approximate location on the laptop LCD screen is right above where the F8/F9 key would be when the lid is closed.  2 of the laptops already have a dark spot on the LCD screen due to the excessive heat.  I have already put in a call to have the LCD replaced.  If the lid is left open, the screen does not even get warm.  Dell techsupport says that they have no current note of this issue being a common one. 

These laptops has been in service for less than 1 month. 

Same problem here. We got 5 E6510's (i7's) on 6/17/10 and I have unboxed 2 so far and both have had this exact issue. The LCD gets blazing hot on the mid-lower portion of the screen after being docked. This causes what nearly looks like a burn hole to form on the LCD.

It appears Dell may have an issue on their hands here.

I have similar problems with E6400 dual core laptop. It only runs when I put it on an external fan, especially when it is docked. When getting hot the performance gets very sluggish, to the point of becoming unusable. Much hard drive activity for no apparent reason (nothing running). I was looking into getting an i7, but seeing the accounts here that would only acerbate the issue.

And we are having the same issue, about 20 deployed and a quarter have came back with extremely hot spots on the display, this is just a small area above the F7 key about an inch up. I have just taken one of the displays apart and found that behind that area of the display there is an IC. I beleive this is the cause. We have sent a message to Dell for their input.

Update on ours:

All 5 have been tested and all 5 have this issue. I have not yet been able to deploy mine becuase of this.  I have called Dell Support and they have sent replacement LCD's which will probably not fix this issue. I went ahead at let them send a tech out to install them, so they can see first hand what is going on. 

According to Dell Support they are still not aware of any issues with the 6510 display and have not hear of this issue. I still find this hard to believe. If anyone is having this issue please be sure to contact Dell Support so they can document it.

@JDION81: Please let us know what you hear.

It actually has nothing to do with the E-Port Dock.  The problem is with a port on the LCD controller board. The cable that runs the power etc..from the LCD and Mobo plugs into a port that is located right where that "Burn Hole" is located behind the LCD.. For whatever reason, that connection is heating up to extreme temps (fire hazard anyone).

The replacement LCD's I recieved from Dell do not have this issue at all and the LCD is noticeably cooler to the touch in that area. I had 5 E6510's with the defect straight from the box. So it would seem if you have this defect, you will find out right away.

We have just been upgraded to these laptops and have aprox. 10 that have the same issue. I spoke with Dell support today and they feel it is a bad fit for the docking station. They are sending a new lcd and a new dock on Monday. I don't believe that will permanantly fix the issue as I feel the fan is not pulling enough air. So I will get a new lcd and when the next one gets burnt I will call it in and have it replaced again. I have a 4 year NBD replace so I dont mind...

We have six new E6510s, and so far, and of four that have been deployed, three have this same issue.  There is an extemely hot spot at the same location noted above, that will ultimately result in permanent discoloration of the LCD panel.  This has been reported to Dell, so they are aware at some level, but I guess it takes a while for them to acknowledge that they have a pervasive problem with the E6510s (Ours also have the i7 processor).  Dell has repaired one of the three with a new LCD panel, and this replaced LCD also has the same problem, immediately after the repair.  That's 4 LCD panels so far...

Based on our analysis, consistent with the notes above, this is a problem with the LCD panels themselves with an overheating part/connection, that only appears to occur when the laptop is docked and operating with the lid is closed.  I wonder if there is also an issue with the LCD not properly turning off when docked and closed??

As noted above, the LCD panels do not get abnormally warm/hot when operated with the LCD in the open position.

We have had aprox. 10 of these problems arise since recieving these new units. The LCD that Dell is sending as a replacement seems to be correcting the issue. We no longer have the hot spots on the screens since they were changed out. The biggest problem was having all the correct parts and a compitent technician being sent by Dell. They were not sending the new screen bezels with the LCD panels and they tend to break easily if the technician isn't careful (which they weren't). 

I found that being up to date on the latest Bios can help with heating/cooling issues.  Most recent is A05.  What Bios are these machines running?

d

From a non-technical person with an E6510 that is overheating...how do I figure out which version of the Bios I am running? I've had the laptop for about 2 months. So far, the motherboard, fan, and heat sync(?) have been replaced by Dell technician. It's still having problems. The tech here tells me that the new motherboard "should have" the latest Bios, but I'd like to verify. How can I do that?

Thanks!

s

When you first boot the machine (very first screen), at the bottom right under the Dell logo (black and white screen).  it will show BIOS vX.X.  Currently it's 5.0.

You can download the latest from Dell Support web site.

Regards,

d

I also have a E6510 that gets extremely hot. I do not use a docking station, but notice the heat after about an hour of being on. My computer is less than 3 months old!

Update on ours:   All 5 have been tested and all 5 have this issue. I have not yet been able to deploy mine becuase of this.  I have called Dell Support and they have sent replacement LCD's which will probably not fix this issue. I went ahead at let them send a tech out to install them, so they can see first hand what is going on.  According to Dell Support they are still not aware of any issues with the 6510 display and have not hear of this issue. I still find this hard to believe. If anyone is having this issue please be sure to contact Dell Support so they can document it.   @JDION81: Please let us know what you hear.