eMachines Hinge Cracked?

http://www.amdboard.com/athlon_64_notebook.html

 

^^^^^
DITTO

 

i mean what is going on the Crack is starting to Widen AGAIN! Someone call the BBB and complain maybe get some lawyers involved this has gone far enough. This is my 5th Emachine laptop and possibly my last.

 

Here's a cosmetic "fix" to the cracked hinge on an otherwise beautiful machine. Applied a black tape to the crack. I don't think it will strengthen or prevent any new cracks but at least it hides the hideous crack. Learn it from this website.

http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=30503

Unfortunately you have to register to see the photos but it is free. Don't know how to post photos on this forum.

As long as Emachines don't listen to their customers and put the blame on us, STOP BUYING FROM EMACHINES.

Don't pay the extra $50 to get an upgrade to M6811... the hinge will cracked just like AJVETT's. They have lousy support and can't even issue an official statement regarding this problem. It's big corporation cheating the little guys.

 

i may not get another Emachine Replacement when i go back to bestbuy i might get an HP, but i will miss the Athlon 64 hmmm i dont know what i should do

 

Well,
I've got a cracking hinge, and the reply from emachines doesn't lead me to believe any of us will see them repaired under warranty.

Here's my favorite part of thier response:
"I could relate to how frustrating situations like this can be and I know how you must feel. eMachines replaces the notebooks if it was received with cracks upon purchase. However, product exterior cosmetic damage, including without limitation, cracked, scratched, broken or modified parts (e.g., exterior housing, LCD panels, etc.) are not covered by the warranty. In this regard, the cracks on the hinges of the notebooks that transpire after the purchase is not is not a part of the warranty coverage."

Boy, makes me feel like Clinton has a side job in customer service.
"I feel your pain. . ."

Guess this is my last emachines/gateway purchase.
Somebody go ahead and start the class action suit!
I normally HATE people who start such actions, but when the company refuses to correct a known problem, we are left with few options. . .

 

One option would be to contact some of the mags that gave emachines such rave reviews. The ironic thing is that emachines has a sticker on the new computers with a quote from PC World claiming that emachines was on of the top rated in customer service and satisfaction. They may want to withdraw that statement. They may also want to reconsider the 4 star top 5 ranking. If all the mags know about emachines lack of customer support and their not standing behind their products, maybe it could affect the sales of their computers.
Also, let every Best Buy know about the hinge problem and maybe they can help in pressuring emachines to do something. Emachines does not have that many distributors willing to carry their line, so, if Best Buy continues to have problems, the thought of them dropping this line will definitely be a wake up call for emachines. If enough of this pressure is applied, I think emachines may reconsider their position on the hinge issue.

 

One option would be to contact some of the mags that gave emachines such rave reviews. The ironic thing is that emachines has a sticker on the new computers with a quote from PC World claiming that emachines was on of the top rated in customer service and satisfaction. They may want to withdraw that statement. They may also want to reconsider the 4 star top 5 ranking. If all the mags know about emachines lack of customer support and their not standing behind their products, maybe it could affect the sales of their computers.
Also, let every Best Buy know about the hinge problem and maybe they can help in pressuring emachines to do something. Emachines does not have that many distributors willing to carry their line, so, if Best Buy continues to have problems, the though of them dropping this kine will definitely be a wake up call for emachines. If enough of this pressure is applied, I think emachines may reconsider their position on the hinge issue.

 

Hi guys! Guess who called me today and offered to repair my cracked hinge? DING DING DING!!!! That’s right, Emachines’ customer service! They’ll be sending a shipping box and such. Anyone else get a call?

 

I got the same call. The lady was very nice on the phone and I'm expecting a FedEX box either tomorrow or the next day. Should have my unit fixed and back in my hands in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.

HOWEVER, even if the new "fix" cracks, I'll "fix" it myself. I'm not getting rid of this notebook, I LOVE IT!

eMachines is doing the right thing.

Tony

 

Sending your Notebook in for a new LCD is not a Fix its a nice gesture but it still doesnt solve anything and there still avoiding the problem at hand. Maybe if enough people send there notebooks in it will send a wake up call. and it may even Crack again with a new shell same casing/shell as before.

 

Ok I had to change my vote as now my 6809 has a cracked right hinge. I think I'll wait until eMachines comes up with a known good fix. I've got the 3 years Best Buy warrenty, so why waste it now.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by gmenfan

 

My 6809 is three weks old and the hinges are cracked!!!!AAHHH Tried to exchange it for another brand but Best Buy said no!

 

I got the same machine at the end of June and my hinges are not cracked. They are definitely not thick enough but I guess you got it cracked when you close the screen (lid) of your laptop by pulling it down by its corner. So if you do it then the screen will get skewed thus causing significant pressure on one of the hinges, as a result it may crack. So the obvious solution would be closing the lid by its top without applying any pressure on it. Be nice and tender to it as if it is your gf and your hinges won't split.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Wyrm

 

as of 2 days ago i left Emachines as a customer and i bought an HP5280 and ive been very happy with it so far, the screen is Way better then the Emachines 68xx Series and the Speakers absolutly Destroy the The ones offered on the Emachines. theres none better then Harmon/Kardon. Speed is great the machine came with 1GB ram and a 80GB 4200 RPM HD, i might change it out and the Redeon 9600 128 mb is also better. I can recommand HP to any of the Disstatisfied Emachine Customers. I will never buy an Emachine Laptop again untill they get there problems sorted out.

 

Until today, I felt pretty lucky to own a three month old 6809 without cracked hinges. I have been using this as a desktop replacement, and have used (open/closed lid) it only intermittently. That all changed today when I too noticed cracks on both the left and right hinges.

Brandon from emachines customer service admitted that this problem is being addressed and an answer/remedy will be forthcoming.

As me if I feel any better?!?!?!?![xx(]

Newbie_One

 

Good for you Ajvett! How much did the HP cost you? I might be a HP convert too. Could you explain a little more on how you get it changed? I don't have any extended warranty from Best Buy or Emachines. Just the one year limited warranty. Can I still change my 2 month old M6809 for something else? Thanks.

 

in only 2 weeks time, my m6805 developed a crack on the left hinge. the right one did not have a crack but there were signs that it was developing one because i could see it making an imprent of a line across the hinge. i then went to best buy to get them to fix this for me. i have a 3 year extended warrenty from them. at first the guy was like i can't do anything because this is only a cosmetic problem and it does not affect the performance of the machine. i then kept talking to him about this. finally he offered he offered to replace my laptop with a brand new m6805, so that's what ended up happending. the only bad thing about that is that you will have to reconfigure the notebook and download all the updates all over again which is a pain because they wont let you swap out the hard drives. "so far" i've not had any problem with the hinge. i'll wait and see what happens with this one.

 

i paid a difference of 600$ for the HP5280 the specs are

3.2 Ghz P4
1GB RAM pc2700
80GB HD
128MB 9600
XP home
BriteView screen its amazing
its relativly quiet and the fans kick on when im gaming i can Barely hear them all in all its a great machine!

hmm kane bestbuy may let u exchange it, i got the 3 year extended warrenty and after 5 replacements i just got fed up with Emachines and went HP, all i had to do was transfer the warrenty. and pay the 600$ difference and i was on my way.

 

Well I was feeling pretty blessed since there were no cracked hinges since I bought this notebook a month ago. A few minutes ago I checked the hinges as I routinely do after closing it and there was a crack on the right hinge. Ergo, I need to change my vote. I've looked around the internet and it appears that this problem is extremely widespread. Whether or not I would ever buy or recommend an Emachine or Gateway product will depend on how they hanldle this problem.

Emachine M6805

 

I contacted Emachine today and was pleasantly surprised to speak to a tech after being "on hold" for less than 30 seconds. I was told my name will be placed in a data base and they will call me when they have the parts to fix the hinges. Then they'll make arrangements for me to send them my notebook. The techs have been told they expect the repair parts to arrive in 3 weeks. Considering their initial position on this problem, there now appears to be some fairly positive news.
HOPE IS ON THE WAY!!

Emachine M6805

 

I've had my M6809 for about 4 months and still no cracks. I've used the heck out of this thing including flying over 30,000 miles with it, using it in Singapore, Wash DC, Chicago, Michigan (Holland), Miami, Jamaica (in some horrible conditions), floating in the straits of Singapore (which caused the screen to rock constantly) for about 8 hours. I've had it cramped in and out of coach luggage slots and stuffed into Jamaican "taxi" buses (mini-van with about 40 people in it) If i get any cracks now, it'll be because a kryptonite meteorite strikes the back of my m6809. Standbye, let me check for a crack now that i've said all this

 

That's quite a testimonial for the overall durability of Emachine notebooks Mook1e. You're really lucky to be without hinge cracks. From my understanding it has been mostly the newer M68xx models that have the inferior hinge components, the earlier production runs may not have had this problem. May you forever remain "crackless".

Emachine M6805

 

I got online purposely tonight to find out how prevalent the cracked hinge problem is. I bought my M6805 in March (the end, I think). I've had two friends who have bought the same model and they both had cracked hinge problems right away. I felt fortunate, but now I've developed a crack on the left side. Otherwise I love my notebook.

Patti

 

I purchased a M2350 for basic surfing and web developement tinkering mostly hobby. My machine has sat in one spot except one time. I open and close the lid from the center and being careful not to use force. After 3 weeks I noticed a crack on the left side. So I took it back on the BB extended warranty they swapped it with a new one in late june. Just three weeks ago the swapped one has cracks again on the left hinge. This is diffenatly a design flaw.

The first 5digits of serials was

1st N4043
2nd N4044

What I haven't concluded is if this is really cosmetic or if the lid will eventually not stay open. Flopping around liek some stories I heard about a compaq model......

P.S.
Maybe should have spent extra $2K went with a MAC with Alum case LOL

 

According to other posts, eMachines calls it a manufacturing defect. You can give them a call. They will add your name to the list. When the new lcd shells come in they will notify you.

 

To update yes I found out emachines does claim it to be a defect and put myself on their list however. Couple days ago I traded for a 6811 and so far think the machine performs great and has all the nicer features over M235X such as media reader and DVD/RW. I think as long as it doesn't get terrible or to where the lid won't stay open, I will keep it for a little while. I have purchased extended warranty so think everything is OK regardless of how emachiens handles it. Seems problem still exist even on 6811 but so far other than this little problem is a great machine for the price.

I still would like to know if this is jsut a plastic cover or will result in total hinge failure in the near future.


Read on some post that battery life may be shorter however I noticed about 15min more on 100% over M2350. Proccessor clock ranges from 779~> on battery to <~2.2 on AC.

 

What is the return policy with best buy (meaning how many days) and what about with emac. if the screen breaks or the book dies becuase of software issue.

how long will they fix it?

thexbox.blogspot.com

 

I am on my second one. I have had it for 2 days and it has a crack. Will the screen stand up if the hinges brake? Is emachines addressing the problem?

 

the return period is 14 days if u bought it with the 3 year Extended warrenty they will just keep replacing it, other wise if u want it fixed they would need to send it out. or u could call Emachines and set up an RMA. to get it repaired, but i would just rather get it replaced.

 

Well as far as screen falling off been trying to figure this out for about 1 month. Mine is on 3 weeks with cracked left hinge seems to be staying on ok.

I guess time will tell if the screen will fall off. unless somebody has encounter this already.

emacs I heard of a flaw on their hinges as well the screws have to much stress on them and essentially stripout. Somebody claimed might be due to the design how it pertrudes.

Other than hinges has anyones machine gave any other problems. I curious how well everything will hold up for the long haul. I'll be relocating overseas wonder how well the BB extended warranty will cover things. Hope I'm not in for to big of a suprise LOL...

 

I too had the hinge crack. I took it back to Best Buy where they informed me I'd be smart to exchange it because it was a common problem. I ended up trading it for a Compaq R3240US and am relatively happy. At first I was leary because it was a Compaq and because of the color. I traded off the Radeon 9600 for an NVIDIA mx 440 but it actually plays Doom 3 better. But I believe this is common because NVIDIA's chips seem to be more compatible with that engine that ATI's. Also, I got a DVD burner but it only burns cd's at 16x so i was a little T'd at that. Hopefully I can find some firmware to fix that. Lastly it only has a 5-in-1 card reader, it's missing the Compact Flash slot. But, as of right now I only use the SD anyway. I believe the screens are the same but it doesn't say it's TFT whatever that is like the Emachines. It is WXGA though and has the Athlon 64 as well. All in all not bad for the same money and the silver color is growing on me, it looks classier than the other notebook, but i like black w/blue LED's for some reason better than silver. Speakers are better as well.

Previous owner of E-machines M6810
but had the dreaded
hinge crack.

Now I own a Compaq R3240US.

 

I'm pretty upset - my wife has a 6805 and I have a 6810. Hers has a crack on one hinge, and mine has a crack on both hinges. Neither laptop has been abused, and in fact both have only left the house once. They sit on a table all the time, and have the screens closed when not in use. No, we haven't closed them with pencils in them, nor have we picked them up by the screens. I'm on hold with emachines right now.

Yes, I realize that it's not affecting function, but that's not the point - the point is I bought a machine that was brand new, and expected it to look brand new for a couple years, not crack in less than 2 weeks on mine, and 3 weeks on my wife's.

Linux User #332499

Microsoft Windows: The world's most prolific computer virus

http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/palladium/palladium.boycott.xhtml

 

Well, off the phone with emachines, and they're sending me a couple boxes. They said 2 weeks, tho - I hope my experience is more like what some of you have reported, with the 3 and 4 day turnarounds.

BTW - my emachine replaces an HP that I bought in April and has been homesick enough that it went back to HP twice already with a flickering screen.....

Linux User #332499

Microsoft Windows: The world's most prolific computer virus

http://www.nyfairuse.org/action/palladium/palladium.boycott.xhtml

 

I just noticed that one of the hinges on my M6805 is cracked. I called e-machines support and without any questions they're going to send me a box to return the notebook and it'll be repaired for free! (They even promised I have my notebook back in about a week!) It seems that they acknowledge the problem and take action to resolve it. Hopefully the new hinge will be a bit more sturdy!

So far, so good......

 

hi guys, i from bombay/india
had bought my emachine m6805 a few months back from bestbuy and was quite happy when i came back to india, used it for a week and i had a crack on my left hinge, had a chat with the emachines live help with some guy called jaeson he really helped me out by guiding me right.
but i had to send it back to the usa from india at my own cost, emachines din't charge me anything and they kinda repaired it...said sorry for the inconvienance....and gave me an assurance it won't happen again, got it back here in bombay after a month, now i have the same problem again at the same very place after just using it again for a month and this time jaeson was not around and a new guy bert was not up to the mark, sorry bert.
i have come to a conclusion that emachines was a bad choice for me, and i should have stuck to IBM which i still use it and it's there with me for 5 years now without any problems.
i will keep an update on this issue , this time i want emachines to run around and ask fedex or dhl to take the laptop from me to them and return it back with a new one.
i am going to write a letter to the corporate office as well as the customer service and will post what they have to say this time.
guys we all have to stand and fight for our cause and the reason the company is giving is all flase.

 

I have the m6809 and have had horrible luck with the crack problem. I first bought it at Best Buy in May and I had to exchange it immidiately because the modem was defective.

So, after my 14 day period expired, I noticed the cracks. I did not buy the extended warranty so I had to do an RMA with eMachines. They sent me a new laptop.

This is my third unit. Shortly after I received it, I noticed cracks on it! They said they must have sent me a unit that hadn't been fixed of the problem. I sent it back in to be repaired.

Then, a few days ago, I noticed that it is again cracked. For the third time. What the hell good does it do to send it in? How many times will I have to do this? I can't return this to Best Buy. There is nothing I can do but go without a computer, which is almost impossible because of how much I use it for school, and hope that it doesn't crack for a fourth time.

I didn't pay $1600 to have a computer sometimes, I payed to have one all the time. This is absolutely ridiculous and we as consumers have practically no recourse.

 

[ ] Im glad I found this place. I was worried I was the only one. Ive had this laptop (Emachine M2352) for about three months. It is my first laptop and I have taken very good care of it. I have not shut pencils in it, picked it up by the screen, twisted the screen etc. I noticed one hinge cracked only days after purchase. I am new to this. What if anything will be done. Thanks.

 

Call up eMachines Tech Support. Since you are still under the 1 yr warrantly, they will replace the defective LCD shell which includes the hinge cover with one that is supposedly free from this known manufacturing defect. Not a big deal, just an inconvenience while your notebook is at the shop. The turn around time from eMachines is fairly quick, however.

 

Hi everyone.

Not surpsisingly, I have that problem too. I want to find out 3 things, anyone who knows anything, might contribute to us all.

1. How do these cracks affect the functionality? And I mean not the CPU or RAM functionality, but the LCD case. Does it fall off or anything else ?

2. Did domeone try to fix it I mean GLUE it or anything else ? I wanna try to do that because except that hinge issue everything else is superb. The only thing is that I'm afraid of that while I will be trying to glue it, I will glue the parts and the screen won't close/open...

3. Does anyone know how that hinges sistem works? I mean inside. I need that information to know if there is a danger while glueing the crack to glue the screen so it won't move.

Thank you all for your responces.
Max.

 

I tried to glue it, and it did not help. The best bet is to get it replaced as soon as possible, however I did that twice and both repairs ended up cracking.

Former owner of the eMachines M6809 until the hinges cracked on three seperate occasions.

 

What glue did you use, and what do you mean it did not help ? It has cracked again ? What about glueing the screen to the base ? I'm afraid that I will glue not only the hinges but also the screen itself [8D], and that something I don't wanna do [ ] hehe...

 

The best fix I've seen is to use heating duct tape, the shiney stuff, to cover the hinges. The guy took his time to do a neat job and it turned out great.



Plug it in, go fast.

 

I’ve found this info it maybe useful….


Kaaos
I recently bought a m6810 and after a week both hinges cracked over very regular usage. Tomorrow is the last day I can bring it back and exchange it so if anyone here purchased theirs and doesnt have cracked hinge(s). what is your serial number. I was wondering since people say a newer serial number of 4400 or higher doesnt have the defect. but was wondering if i got a new one at best buy if theres a possibility of getting a non defective older serial number cause thats all they have. Because if i dont have to wait a week cause i need it for college that would be so cool. My return date ends tomorrow if its 14 days which i believe it is.

Thunder_PC
The serial numbers are located on the outside of the box, so you will know if you have one out of the defective batch immediately. Do a search for Anaconda's posts. He is an eMachines rep and posted several times the exact serial number batches that had the problem. I don't know if the newer stock has even filtered to Best Buy yet due to their huge quantities, but you will be able to see before you actually accept it.

The Anaconda

It's in the first five digits of the serial number. Specifially the fourth and fifth digits. If those two digits are 43,44,45,46, or 47, then it is in the affected stock. That may or may not mean yours will for sure crack, but it does mean it was pulled from the stock that had the problem.

There you go.

 

Excellent post erouckus. It should be stickied and post locked so it doesn't get buried (hint hint admin).

Plug it in, go fast.

 

Well folks, I guess I'm in the club too. I am currently waiting for my box from eMachines to have a nice right-hinge crack fixed on my M6805. Unbelievable that a large company could have dropped the ball so badly. The tech was very kind over the phone though and sounded genuinely sorry. I hope the repair doesn't crack as well. (I'm a little despirited about eMachines).
Also thinking that a little shot of superglue in just the right spot might have to do the trick after warranty expires.

 

Posted while back on functionality of screen.

For example staying on, or becoming loose to where it will not finction normally.


I did the carefully crafted duck tape idea about 2 months ago and it did postpone one side for about month and half. It's also barely noticeble if you can find a close color like I did. But finally it gave out also.

So if anybody had a screen become unfunctional from these cracks, be interested in hearing about this. Besides having ducktape I'm fine with notebook and have spent 2 months cstumizing a linux setup for it so really am not interested in trading it in. Providing the notebook screen will be usebal 6 months to 2 years from now......

Peace out!!!!

 

Uh-oh ... I have an M6809 and just discovered the cracks on both hinges today. I have DEFINITELY never mistreated it; I basically use it 90% of the time as a desktop, and the few times I've traveled with it it's been in a well-padded Targus case.

Anyway, doing a Google search led me to your great forum. I was able to determine that I do have one of the "bad" serial numbers (mine is N3044). I purchased my computer at Best Buy in May. I did purchase the extended warranty. Should I just take it back to them? If so, and they choose to replace it with a different model (like a Gateway), will I be able to swap my hard drive and battery? (since I've already purchased a spare battery)

Thanks for your help!