Latitude 5401 Teardown removal guide for customer replaceable units (CRUs)

Summary: This article is a guide to safe removal and replacement of those parts of a Latitude 5401 notebook that Dell considers safe and easy for anyone to attempt.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

These guides will take you step by step through the safe removal of what are considered to be the Customer Replaceable Unit (CRU) parts of a Latitude 5401 notebook system. (CRUs are the parts of the system that shouldn't need an engineer to remove or replace.) The guides will also include pictures to reference what's involved.

Table of Contents:

  1. CRU Removal Guide
  2. Removal Instructions

 

Removal Guide

 

If these guides do not cover what you are looking to do, then you will want to reference your System Manual.

The article below provides information on safe practises to take into consideration before working with electrical equipment.


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Cause

 

Removal Instructions

 

SLN317526_en_US__1icon Note: Please click on the title of the section you want to open below, in order to see the contents.
 
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SLN317526_en_US__2ReqTools_E7450_BKeith_01

1 Small Phillip's head screwdriver 2 Plastic Scribe
3 Small Flat head screwdriver    
 
SLN317526_en_US__1icon Note: Be aware that using a large Phillips or Flat Head screwdriver may result in damage to the head of the screws. This would make their removal impossible without speciality tools, that aren't available to our onsite engineers.

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the Main Access Panel:

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

  2. Loosen the five (5) captive screws along the top and bottom of the base and the three (3) captive screws across the middle, that secure the cover to the chassis

SLN317526_en_US__4CRU_5401_Base_1_BK

  1. Use a plastic scribe or some other probe that won't damage the plastics to pry up the base cover along the indent point behind the right hand side hinge, then pry along the edges between the cover and the chassis to separate the cover from the computer

SLN317526_en_US__5CRU_5401_Base_2_BK

  1. Lift the base cover off of the system

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the Battery:

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

    4. Please remove the System Cover

  2. The battery is located along the bottom right hand side of the system, pull up on the tag on the battery cable to remove the cable from the connector on the motherboard

  3. Loosen the captive screw on the right hand side of the battery

SLN317526_en_US__6CRU_5401_Battery_1_BK

  1. Lift and remove the battery out of the system

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the Memory Card:

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

    4. Please remove the System Cover and Battery

  2. The memory is located in the middle of the system, pull the metal clips on either side of the dimm away from each other to have the memory pop up in the connector and pull it out of the connector

SLN317526_en_US__7CRU_5401_Memory_01_BK

  1. Repeat for any additional memory installed

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the Solid State Drive (SSD):

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

    4. Please remove the System Cover and Battery

  2. The SSD is located to the left of the battery, remove the thermal tape from the SSD module and remove the screw that secures the SSD bracket to the palmrest and remove the bracket from the system

SLN317526_en_US__8CRU_5401_SSD_1_BK

  1. The SSD card will pop up at an angle from the chassis and you can pull it out of the connector and the system

SLN317526_en_US__9CRU_5401_SSD_2_BK

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the (Optional) microSIM Card :

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

  2. Straighten out a paperclip or use the SIM card removal tool to insert into the pinhole on the left hand side of the SIM card tray [1]

  3. The card tray should partially eject from the side of the system [2]

SLN317526_en_US__10CRU_5401_SIM_01_BK

  1. Grip the tray and pull it the rest of the way out of the system [3]

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the microSD Memory Card:

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

  2. Press and release the microSD card in the slot for it to partially pop out of the side on your system [1]

SLN317526_en_US__11CRU_5401_SD_01_BK

  1. Grip the card and pull it the rest of the way out of the slot [2]

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the WLAN CARD (WiFi, Wireless):

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

    4. Please remove the System Cover and Battery

  2. The WLAN card is above the SSD and to the left of the memory,  remove the single screw that secures the WLAN card bracket to the chassis and remove the bracket from the system

SLN317526_en_US__12CRU_5401_WLAN_01_BK

  1. Disconnect the antenna cables from the card by lifting up the press stud connectors until they pop off and lift the card out of the connector and the system

SLN317526_en_US__13CRU_5401_WLAN_02_BK

 

  1. Pre-Removal Instructions Before removing the WWAN Card (3G, Cellular):

    1. During installation or removal of any hardware always ensure all data is backed up properly

    2. Disconnect any telephone, network, or USB cables from the computer

    3. Disconnect the computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets

    4. Please remove the System Cover and Battery

  2. The WWAN card is above the WLAN card, remove the single screw that secures the WWAN card bracket to the chassis and remove the bracket from the system

SLN317526_en_US__14CRU_5401_WWAN_01_BK

  1. Disconnect the antenna cables from the card by lifting up the press stud connectors until they pop off and lift the card out of the connector and the system

SLN317526_en_US__15CRU_5401_WWAN_02_BK

Resolution

 

If you require further assistance, contact Technical Support

 

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Affected Products

Latitude 5401
Article Properties
Article Number: 000137868
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 29 Sep 2023
Version:  5
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