Acer Nitro 515-51 Laptop - Keyboard and trackpad not working

ferriterr
ferriterr Member Posts: 4 New User
edited December 2023 in 2020 Archives
 The keyboard of my Nitro 515-51 had a few keys that fell off and could not be replaced so I purchased an OEM keyboard and replaced the entire unit.  The keyboard now does not work to type and the trackpad will not move the mouse cursor.  Known information:       -The keyboard "tape" has been seated and re-seated multiple times without any change.     -Keyboard POWER button works to start and shut down the computer     -Backlight for the keyboard does work     -New windows 10 install has been completed     -BIOS keyboard / trackpad settings have been changed from ADVANCED to BASIC and reversed     Unknown information     -Does the old keyboard work? (Can not verify because I left it behind when I installed the new keyboard, Yes I am dumb)     -Are the ACER TPYE MODEL KEYBOARD: A52BRL and A53BRL keyboards compatible?      -Are there real ACER KEYBOARD drivers?  I am currently using a USB keyboard without any issue but I want my laptops keyboard to work agian...  If the trackpad works too awesome, if not I will be okay.  Laptop is out of Warranty timeline.  Please help if you can  -Keyboard guy.

Best Answer

  • ferriterr
    ferriterr Member Posts: 4 New User
    Answer ✓
    SOLVED:
        This worked for my laptop that had a keyboard that the QWERTY portion did not work.  I would really recommend that anyone who is not EXTREMELY confident in their ability to repair their laptop bring it to a professional.  

    REASONS THIS LIKELY WORKED:
        
    I believe that the Acer Nitro 5 has a design flaw in that the KEYPAD allows the sweat from your hand to easily get inside of the laptop motherboard area, which is coincidentally extremely close to where the keyboard ribbon cable attaches to the motherboard.  It is very likely that there was some form of CORROSION inside the port that connects the laptop cable to the MOTHERBOARD.  
        
        Using the toothbrush and 91% Isoporply alcohol would likely remove any possible corrosion inside of the port on the MOTHERBOARD.

        The electrical tape on the back of the RIBBON CABLE was added to help increase the pressure and sure up the contact point of the RIBBON CABLE and the MOTHERBOARD LIF PORT PINs.

        Finally, RIBBON CABLES have a very thing coat of metal that act as the contact points for the MOTHERBOARD LIF PORT PINs and the KEYBOARD itself.  I believe that the END of the RIBBON CABLE had become worn down and were not making enough contact for the QWERTY portion of the keyboard to properly be "connected" to the laptops MOTHERBOARD.  

        All of these steps might not be needed for others but they were needed for me to SOLVE the issue for me.  If I were to attempt these steps in some sort of order to troubleshoot a non working acer keyboard I would probably go:
    Add electrical tape to cable - try keyboard
    Clean MOTHERBOARD LIF port with 91% Isopropyl alcohol - try keyboard
    Expose new metal on the RIBBON CABLE - try keyboard

    I hope this can help ANYONE.  Will not buy from ACER ever again.

Answers

  • MaClane
    MaClane ACE Posts: 35,598 Trailblazer
    Good Morning ferriterr !

    Did you try to reset the Bios to factory settings and then reset the battery?


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  • ferriterr
    ferriterr Member Posts: 4 New User
    Yeah I have tried these options.  Here is what actually got the keyboard up and running.

    ISSUE: 
    -QWERTY portion of keyboard would not work on Acer Nitro 5 515-51 model laptop. 
    -Power button on keyboard and backlight for keyboard were functional. 
    -USB keyboards worked. 
    -Could not use laptop keyboard to boot into BIOS.

    TROUBLESHOOTING ATTEMPTS:
    -Batter reset method with paper clip [ DID NOT WORK ]
    -Uninstall and reinstall keyboard in Device Manager [ DID NOT WORK ]
    -Clean install of Windows 10 [ DID NOT WORK ]
    -Attempting to get any sort of support from Acer [ COMPLETE FAILURE ]

    SOLUTION:
        Part 1
    1. Purchased replacement keyboard from 3rd party vendor and replaced they old laptop keyboard.  Initially this did not resolve the issue, but, I went further.
    2. Guessed that the LIF port that the keyboards FFC [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexible_flat_cable ] plugged into might be the issue.
    3. Unplugged everything from the laptop, disconnected the battery and removed the keyboard FFC from the LIF port on the laptop motherboard.
    4. Used 91% isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush to "scrub" inside of the LIF keyboard connector ON THE MOTHERBOARD (sounds crazy but my laptop is fine)

        Part 2:
    1. Examined the end of the keyboard FFC that connects to the Motherboard end.  This one has the blue plastic tab.
    2. Used a razor blade to GENTLY scrape back about 1/16th of an inch or about 2mm of the black plastic covering the flat PINs.  Sounds crazy but this black plastic is just covering the metal PINs that line the entire cable, and exposing more of the pins will allow you to trim back the 1/16th of an inch or 2mm that is currently at the end of the cable.
    3. Use straight edge and utility blade to make straight cut off the last 1/16th of an inch or 2mm of the ribbon cable where the metal PINs are exposed.
        Part 3:
    1. Attach 1 piece of electrical tape to the back of the ribbon cable, making sure to trim it to the exact width of the ribbon cable.
    2. Reconnect EVERYTHING.  Keyboard cable, battery and the back of the laptop.   
    3. Turn on laptop
  • ferriterr
    ferriterr Member Posts: 4 New User
    Answer ✓
    SOLVED:
        This worked for my laptop that had a keyboard that the QWERTY portion did not work.  I would really recommend that anyone who is not EXTREMELY confident in their ability to repair their laptop bring it to a professional.  

    REASONS THIS LIKELY WORKED:
        
    I believe that the Acer Nitro 5 has a design flaw in that the KEYPAD allows the sweat from your hand to easily get inside of the laptop motherboard area, which is coincidentally extremely close to where the keyboard ribbon cable attaches to the motherboard.  It is very likely that there was some form of CORROSION inside the port that connects the laptop cable to the MOTHERBOARD.  
        
        Using the toothbrush and 91% Isoporply alcohol would likely remove any possible corrosion inside of the port on the MOTHERBOARD.

        The electrical tape on the back of the RIBBON CABLE was added to help increase the pressure and sure up the contact point of the RIBBON CABLE and the MOTHERBOARD LIF PORT PINs.

        Finally, RIBBON CABLES have a very thing coat of metal that act as the contact points for the MOTHERBOARD LIF PORT PINs and the KEYBOARD itself.  I believe that the END of the RIBBON CABLE had become worn down and were not making enough contact for the QWERTY portion of the keyboard to properly be "connected" to the laptops MOTHERBOARD.  

        All of these steps might not be needed for others but they were needed for me to SOLVE the issue for me.  If I were to attempt these steps in some sort of order to troubleshoot a non working acer keyboard I would probably go:
    Add electrical tape to cable - try keyboard
    Clean MOTHERBOARD LIF port with 91% Isopropyl alcohol - try keyboard
    Expose new metal on the RIBBON CABLE - try keyboard

    I hope this can help ANYONE.  Will not buy from ACER ever again.

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