Asus Z9200 Va

[Gianni]

My sister's laptop Asus Z9200 VA is dead, if you start it up it shut down within 10 seconds and than restarts again in an endless loop.
AFAIK it is 3 and half years old and was paid more than 1500€ but since it is out of warranty my brother-in-law bought a new laptop instead of send this one to service.
He asked me if I want to try to repair or if I want to sell it as spare parts for someone who need some pieces.

I really don't know how to start to troubleshoot it, what I see is it shuts down after 10 seconds. I don't hear the CPU fan starting while usually in laptop it starts immediately.
It has begun with problematic boot and random freezing and within 2 weeks it doesn't start at all.


Is there anybody here with experience on this laptop?
Any suggestion is really appreciated.

Ciao
Gianni

[Wizard]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Salvage it for parts. this type of notebook has heatsink that have positive pressure on the cpu. Try different memory first.

Cheers, Wizard

[kc8adu]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

does it go far enough to post/light the screen?

[zandrax]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

I found the user manual (italian version) on Asus support site: as usual, it doesn't give any useful information and service manuals are apparently unavailable. No luck.

First check the obvious: remove the hard disk just to be safe, then reseat ram sticks, clean it from dust, remove the battery and start it again.

2) Try a generic/universal psu to exclude the original one.

3) Connect a monitor to the VGA port: do you see any error or complaint?

4) If you've enough time, disassemble it: my rule of thumb is to begin with the plastic bezel between the screen and the keyboard (usually a few screws on the back and 3-4 pressure points near the keyboard: a small, flat screwdriver helps here). Remove all bottom covers (ram, hard disk, etc.), removable parts (ram, wi-fi card, other miniPCI cards), inner cables (e.g. wi-fi black and white ones), cover screws; then flip the laptop and remove screen with its cables and keyboard: be carefull, don't damage the keyboard's flat cable or you'll have to buy another keyboard. Later steps vary according to the notebook, but you'll end up removing the optical drive, detaching internal cables and flats, dividing the bottom part of the chassis from the top one. Don't lose any screw and remember their positions.

Check the clock battery and clean the heatsink: some notebooks refuse to start with a flat battery and most of them will switch off if the heatsink is clogged with dust (like mine was) and hairs or if the cpu overheats. Clean the old paste and replace the pink TIMs with true thermal paste: Artic Silver 5 is among the best ones, but any silver paste and good ceramique ones will work for Centrinos and other low power cpus since they don't heat a lot.

Good luck.

Zandrax

[ratdude747]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

maybe failed bios. my friend had a nice toshiba white screen on him.

[Gianni]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

@ Wizard: I have not spare memory of this type so I can't test them and I'm not going to buy one just to make a test.

@ kc8adu: no, the green leds "power indicator" and "Drive Activity Indicator" turn on and the CDRom runs. After 10 seconds the "Drive Activity Indicator" led and CDRom turn off and after few seconds they restart.
I don't see anything on the screen and not sound from speaker or buzzer.

@ zandrax: thanks for the manual. The Ac adaptor is ok, it charges the battery.
I don't seen anything connecting a VGA monitor.
I have removed the HD, WI-Fi module and Ram. There are 2 Ram stick, I have tried one per time and swapped but nothing change.
I have removed the CPU/HS cover but there's no much dust. What I see is the fan not spinning up and the processor gets very hot, I can't keep my finger on it.
I tried to feed the FAN with an external PSU, it doesn't run at all.
I think the FAN is dead and the processor is fried.

If I remove the processor and start the notebook, should I see something or hear something or the notebook stays completely off?

Here few pics.

Ciao
Gianni

[lucky13]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Looks like you have quick access to the CPU. Why don't you remove the heat sink and see if the CPU is fried.

I was told before that if laptop keeps re-booting before getting into Windows, good chance it is the CPU. But you will need another CPU to sub in.

I think if you remove CPU, it will loop the same....

[ratdude747]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

find another fan/cooler. if that fails, replace the cpu.

[Wizard]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Ratdude, notebook heatsink of this design is not a issue and takes 10-15 minutes to shutdown or slow down if overheating so it is not that. The problem here right now is too quick means something is really terminal.

At this point it's best to let it go if solution is not found. If you are, let me know if I can take this notebook from you minus the hard drive.

Cheers, Wizard

[ratdude747]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

find a new cpu.
maybe a local shop would have one to test with. at least replace the cooler. find one on ebay. or a "for parts" one with a cracked screen or non-cooling/cpu issue.

[Gianni]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

@ ratdude747: I don't know any shop that would lend me a CPU for a test and usually if you go there with a problem you have to leave the PC there and pay for the diagnosis. Since my brother-in-law didn't spent money on it I wouldn't either.

@ Wizard: today when I will be back at home I try to remove the CPU if it is not too hard, I want to see if there are visible signs of damage.
I think the problem is beyond my knowledge and I would not screw up parts that can be sold.
I have the original box with everything (CDRom, manual....) so I think it is better to sell it if possible, but I don't know it's value.
My sister used it very carefully so I'm sure the problem is only due to something bad from manufacturer.

Ciao
Gianni

[Toasty]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Fan - $15: http://www.pchub.com/uph/category/88...ling-Fan-.html

CPU - <$50: Check eBay
http://desc.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nk...sacat=0&_rdc=1

[digge]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Im guessing you tried this but since you didnt write it out ill write it anyways. Try with no battery connected. I have had all sort of weird problems accure with a busted battery. Especially Acer brand models behave really odd with a busted battery, also seen a few Toshibas behave odd with bad battery.

Worth a try at least since it doesnt cost anything.

Also one time had a similar issue when it turned out to be the cd-rom drive to be at fault. Seen you tried to remove everything else, did you try the cd-rom as well?

[Gianni]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

@ digge: yes I tried without battery... no luck. I have not tried to remove the CD drive because I need to open completely the notebook and at the moment I have not much time and desire.

Yesterday before I removed the CPU to have a look I measured the voltage on 2 blacks components that look like resistors:
on the first one I measured 1.34V, on the other one the voltage is almost identical on both side, it is 1.34V and 1.32V.
Afterward I removed the CPU and I measured again the voltages and they were 1.7V.
I don't know if they are correct.
Without the CPU, the notebook doesn't loop with on/off cycles, but it stays on; I can hear the HD running.
I have observed that the area between HD and CPU become quite warm, probably due to the dead FAN.

AFAIK the CPU has thermal shutdown against over temperature so it should not be fried, or am I wrong?
I'm afraid that the dead FAN has damage something else like NB or SB.

I have to ask friends if somebody has a CPU hanging around.

Ciao
Gianni

[kc8adu]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

that mobo looks like one i had here a while back.fan was bad and since it would not spin up at post the system would shut down.iirc it was a honeybee.big heavy desktop replacement.
another i saw had a bad heatpipe.it would run a few minutes and the fan would go full scream till the cpu overheated and shut down.plate over cpu very hot but the heatsink at the other end cold.

[ratdude747]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

yes, you have a bad cooler. order a new cooler first, see what that does. if no go then order the cpu. that should fix it.

[Gianni]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

@ kc8adu: in your situations were you be able to see something on the screen? I'm not expert but I think that even with the dead FAN the notebook should be able to start posting before shutting down.
The heatpipe seems good because the temperature from CPU to the heatsink seems homogeneous.

I did 2 test today: I put a CD audio into DVD drive and using the front button control I'm able to listen music. I removed the memory and tried again to play the CD but the notebook was mute.
I don't know if using this feature the CPU is involved, anyway both memory and DVD drive are good.

I removed the HD and I connected to my PC: it is good.
I have formatted it to remove my sister files.

If to play music the notebook needs the CPU, than also the Centrino 750 is good. Maybe I have to do this test without the CPU installed.

Here two pics of today's test.

Ciao
Gianni

[digge]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

I have disassembled a lot of notebooks, and i have yet to see one that you need to remove more then one or two screws to get the cd drive out. From the side where the drive is, trace inward on the backside (can also be under keyboard but rare) about 10-12 cm in should be one or more screws, just remove them and tug gently on the drive and it will pop out.

I doubt your cpu is busted. If the screen goes on and everything its like super slim chance the cpu is busted. 99.9% of the time if a cpu is broken the system wont even POST.

However it might not be a CD issue, reading more on your troubleshooting it might only be the fan as kc8adu says. Does the fan have a fan speed wire? Can you maybe hook up another fan just to give it a fan speed reading so it might not turn of? Ofc make sure you cool it with that fan if possible. Tricky part is getting a fan that reports the speed the same way though. If i remember right there are a few different kinds.

[Gianni]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

@ digge: you are right, to remove the DVD drive you must remove only 2 screws but...... to reach them you have to remove most of external screws.

I doubt your cpu is busted. If the screen goes on and everything its like super slim chance the cpu is busted. 99.9% of the time if a cpu is broken the system wont even POST.

I don't get you: the screen doesn't show anything, I see nothing even on VGA output, I hear only the DVD drive running and LED going on and off. This means no POST at all or am I wrong? If it doesn't POST the CPU is dead?

This afternoon I was alone at home so it was quiet to allow me to work in peace, I took a deep a long breath and I disassembled the notebook.
It was necessary if I want to replace the dead FAN because the screws are on the opposite side of the CPU cover.
It took me 2 hours to disassemble the notebook.

I don't see any visible sign of damage like burnt part.
Before I started to disassemble it I removed the CPU and try to play a CD audio: it doesn't work but I don't know if that means the CPU is ok.

Here some pics of the board.

Now I have to order a new FAN, for sure I need it.
I really don't not if it is worth to order also a CPU, but reading lucky13's suggestion it is a possibility.

Is there anything I can check/test on the board before I reassemble it?
It will take some days before I get a new FAN so I have time to check the board but I really don't know what to look for.

Ciao
Gianni

P.S.: thanks Toasty for the links

[digge]

Re: Asus Z9200 Va

Sorry, i think i got all confused in my head here, for some reason i thought you had picture and everything but just for a few seconds. Just forget what i wrote about the CPU Must have been tired or something.