aspire E1-531 left hinge broken?

clairesque

i have had this laptop for just over 2 years now. i can't remember when this problem started because at first it was hardly noticeable, but for at least a few months now i have been having issues with my the left hinge/corner on my laptop. apparently this is a pretty common problem among many acer models. at first it seemed as though the hinge had gotten slightly out of place and would need to kind of pop back in every once in a while as i opened or closed the lid. i wasn't worried about it until a several weeks passed and it was happening every single time i opened or closed the lid. when i turned the laptop around so i had a better look at the hinge, i saw that the 2 plastic pieces that hold the laptop together were actually splitting apart in the corner. this has only gotten worse over time--the gap between the pieces keeps getting wider and the split travels further. i think it's inevitable that pretty soon the power adapter is going to shift out of place because of this and i won't be able to charge the laptop, rendering it useless. is there anything i can do to fix this other than replacing the lid/hinges? i feel like even if i get the parts replaced, the same thing is just going to start happening again eventually. should i just go ahead and start saving for a new laptop (NOT another acer)?

Blessedmom

I have this same problem!! I went searching online and discovered that I am definitely not alone.
I would like to know how or if it it repairable and/or is Acer willing to compensate for repair service.

clairesque

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Blessedmom wrote:
I have this same problem!! I went searching online and discovered that I am definitely not alone.
I would like to know how or if it it repairable and/or is Acer willing to compensate for repair service.

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a few weeks after posting this i was finally able to contact acer's customer service (it was a complete nightmare trying to get ahold of them) and they said all they could do was have me mail in my laptop for them to examine and repair it. i don't remember the exact price they would charge but i think it was between $100 and $200. on the phone they basically said that if there was a problem with the laptop that shouldn't have made it past production, then they could "talk to me about other options," i.e., lower the repair cost. however i couldn't afford that much, especially since i could potentially be without my laptop for 10 days while they repaired it. i ended up taking it to a local computer repair shop where they simply told me that there was a screw in the bottom left corner that had fallen out without me noticing, which was causing the lid to separate. they replaced the screw for $20 and since then i haven't had any problems with it, although a piece of plastic next to my keyboard has cracked at some point.

Jan007

I have had a n Acer Aspire bought brand new and despite taking exceptionally good care of it, the hinge broke off on the left hand side. This has caused the lid to split badly and damage has been done to internal wiring.

I am disabled and rely very much on this laptop as a means of communicating. 

The first I even knew of the problem was when I heard a creaking noise upon opening the lid.

I have had this laptop for less than two years.

mtannous

Hi you all, I'm having the same problem with the same model. The left hing somehow's come loose and is popping against the case, gradually pushing it so that the case is separating. Any advice on where to find info on removing the plastic around the keyboard and investigating the problem further? Pretty with how ACER isn't systematically addresing this problem - up to this point I would have recommended their laptops, but they ought be providing support for this besides telling people to individually order parts on line and wrangle over the phone to get $100 to $200 servicing. The only way the consumer can push back is to avoid ACER products in the future and advice others to do the same. It's kind of a lose-lose for both parties.

mtannous

Hi you all, I'm having the same problem with the same model. The left hing somehow's come loose and is popping against the case, gradually pushing it so that the case is separating. Any advice on where to find info on removing the plastic around the keyboard and investigating the problem further? Pretty with how ACER isn't systematically addresing this problem - up to this point I would have recommended their laptops, but they ought be providing support for this besides telling people to individually order parts on line and wrangle over the phone to get $100 to $200 servicing. The only way the consumer can push back is to avoid ACER products in the future and advice others to do the same. It's kind of a lose-lose for both parties.

DSCHM

i have a screw out as well.

do you recall size information for the replacement screw