Magnetic sensor/switch issue on Asus G53SW-XN1 when closing the lid

[Sadozai]

I ordered my ASUS G53SW-XN1 from newegg back in August. When it arrived it worked for the first week or so and then I powered it off and didn't use it for two weeks afterwards. But then the problem occurred that it just wouldn't power up. It was practically impossible for me to RMA it because it was out of states and had to resort to some other means. For days it lay dead and I had no idea what to do with it. Scouring the internet in desperation I came to a clue that led me to the touch pad ribbon issue. I opened it up removed it form the connector and voilà! it worked. And since then a month has passed I am using it without the touch pad, status indicator LEDs and the lid closing functionality. But I got fed up and tried to make it work cuz other than the touch pad; the status LEDs and lid closing functionality are a must.

I have tried to reconnect the ribbon and it works as long as the lid is not closed. If I close the lid while it is running the system goes to sleep or whatever option is selection in the window's power options but when I resume all the lights are lit, the keyboard illuminated and the HDD working, in shot the system keeps running but the display just vanishes, its black screen. And if I power off the system it wont power up again. Now that I have come to know and I am sure of it that it was never the touch pad ribbon problem but it is the magnetic field sensor issue. Again, I started the gruelling search on the internet and yet again I stumbled upon a solution from some fella who used some mild magnet and rubbed it at the lower right area of the touch pad where the lid magnet comes in proximity when lid gets closed and it worked for him but I am still not clear how it is done. I mean how and where exactly to rub the magnet and which type and size of magnet should specifically be used to rub it and in which state on or off to rub it and for how long and in which direction etc. Too many questions I know. But I am in a dire need of help here, remember it will be a real drudgery for me to RMA it from outside the states and will have to wait for like 2 to 3 months to get it back. Not only I'll have to spend extra bucks but also have to cope with the trepidation of getting it back dysfunctional. You never know so I want to try every other safe option before RMAing it finally.

I'll be grateful and much obliged if guys who know about it or have fixed this issue, post the steps they did to make it work or any other solution that might work. Thanks in anticipation.

[JRd1st]

If every thing else resumes when you open your lid, then it's not the magnet.

Do you hook up an external monitor, ever? Look in your display driver settings and somewhere there's a setting for selecting the monitor you are using.

Actually, your post is a little confusing, what does the touchpad ribbon have to do with anything?

I'd send it in to RMA with a note saying that if they don't find the cause and a fix for each of your problems then you want a new unit.

[Sadozai]

The touch pad ribbon does multiple functions in my view. It also serves for the magnet sensor/switch signals for the lid closing and opening actions. Actually when the lid comes in proximity to the touch pad, the magnetic field sensor or switch, dont know exactly detects a lid close action but when the lid is lifted either that switch doesn't return to its normal position or the sensor doesn't change its signals to normal. It is default feature of any modern laptop to switch display off if the lid is closed no matter what you select under the lid closing action in the windows power options. If I select under the lid closing actions to "Do Nothing" and close my laptops's lid my laptop keeps running and my display shuts off but as I open the lid the display remains off no matter what I do. If I select the sleep option under the lid closing action in the windows power options the same thing happens, when I press a mouse button or any key that wakes the windows from the sleep the system resumes normally, all lights are lit, keyboard illuminated and sound of HDD working heard but the display is a black screen like its powered off.

The real problem is that if I keep the touch pad ribbon connected and power off the laptop and close the lid and then open up the lid and press the power button then I cannot get it to boot up, no matter what I do. It just wont power on. And the rationale behind this I can fathom is that the laptop thinks the lid is closed and when the lid is closed you cannot power on the laptop even if somehow you manage to press the power button which sits under the closed lid. This is actually a safety mechanism which saves the laptop from accidentally powering in while the lid is closed. This also prevents the laptop from getting burned inside the case in case it accidentally gets powered on and you may never know anything what happened. So that makes sense but it also boils down to the lid magnet sensing issue. The sensor or switch which ever be the case doesn't return to the normal state and thus making the system believe that the lid is still closed when in fact it is open. The problem gets resolved as soon as that touch pad ribbon is disconnected because now no signal is there to tell the system of the lid close or open status. I am currently running this system in this configuration and the lid close action has no effect what so ever, the display remains on even if I leave it for some time with the lid closed and if I close the lid the system cannot go to sleep even if I have chosen the sleep option under lid close action in the windows power options.

I haven't tried an external display but I will soon. The problem that the system wont boot up pressing the power button is the real hard pill to swallow. I might have to RMA it if this issue is not resolved. For me this RMA things is the very very last option when I run out of all options at my disposal. If I have to RMA it I would definitely include the note as mentioned.

[BrodyBoy]

Perhaps the G53 is constructed differently, but I'm pretty certain my Asus models don't use a powerful magnet that way. I say that because (1) the close lid action occurs before the lid is all the way closed (about 75% or so) so I don't think they work though a contact along the front edge, and (2) I've had them opened countless times and I'm quite sure I would have noticed if there was a magnet strong enough to attract any of my tools. I definitely would have noticed if there was one anywhere near the touchpad! As I said, maybe the G53 is that different, but it all sounds kind of suspect....I question whether your system's function is normal. Leaving a computer sit for a couple weeks should not affect it that way, and as you already said, a strong magnet doesn't make sense in a laptop.

It didn't make any sense to me that the TP cable would have been involved.

[Sadozai]

BrodyBoy wrote:
Perhaps the G53 is constructed differently, but I'm pretty certain my Asus models don't use a powerful magnet that way. I say that because (1) the close lid action occurs before the lid is all the way closed (about 75% or so) so I don't think they work though a contact along the front edge, and (2) I've had them opened countless times and I'm quite sure I would have noticed if there was a magnet strong enough to attract any of my tools. I definitely would have noticed if there was one anywhere near the touchpad! As I said, maybe the G53 is that different, but it all sounds kind of suspect....I question whether your system's function is normal. Leaving a computer sit for a couple weeks should not affect it that way, and as you already said, a strong magnet doesn't make sense in a laptop.

It didn't make any sense to me that the TP cable would have been involved.

I'll try to answer all your questions one by one.

First of all this case study is based only on the G53SW model. As you yourself said that perhaps G53 is constructed differently, yes it is, so if you compare your system with my observations, not all things will coincide. There are definately design and construction differences here and there.

G53 detects a lid close when the lid is down to just 1.5 to 2 inch above the palm-rest. You said your model registers a lid close action when the lid is 75% down which means that in your model most probably the lid magnet is not at the top of the lid but at the bottom just like the HP dv6. In HP dv6 the magnet lies to lower left of the LCD viewable portion, that makes it near to the base of LCD lid where LCD lid hinges are located. You can ascertain the position of magnet in your laptop by careful scanning of the LCD frame. Dangle a metal pin or paper clip across the entire LCD frame and you'll find the magnet somewhere on the bottom of your LCD lid. Since your magnet most probably is located at the lower edge of LCD lid, the magnetic field sensor/switch would then be located above the keyboard and exactly where the lid comes in contact/proximity when it is closed. The ASUS G53 has its magnet on the top edge of LCD just to the right of the camera. So the difference is there and I didn't contest that, in any of my previous posts.

Now about your questioning the strength of the magnet. I did mention a comparison between this G53SW and the dv6. And I didn't say it uses the strongest magnet in the world, but in comparison it is way too strong. Now to give you an idea of the strength of the magnet used in G53SW, when I dangle my drawer key at a distance of 1.5 to 2 inch the magnet attracts it and the key snaps and slams so hard and quickly at the lid that I get a very loud bam. And I have to check whether anything is damaged or scratched. If you haven't noticed such magnetic field with you laptop, its ok because you use a different model whose design, construction and components may vary. By the way dont expect your tools flying around by the magnetic field because tools are heavy and mostly they are placed far away from the actual position of the magnet to experience any attraction. Besides your model might be using a normal intensity/strength magnet which is a good thing.

My laptop functions are normal. It is not acting wierd at all and works the way it should. G53SW is different from many other laptops and there is no point in suspecting anything. I have figured out the casue and effect of a major problem this model faces and other G53SW owners have been raising it to date. You can go through my previous posts to see how I figured it out and solved my problem. It'll give you a better idea.

Under the effect of a strong magnetic field things can get magnetized so this may be the cause if the lid is closed and remains so for a considerable time.

Now coming to your last question where you said that, "It didn't make any sense to me that the TP cable would have been involved." In this particular model it does. First of all the sensor has to be under the palm rest near the touch pad and only the touch pad membrane assembly could host the magnetic field sensor or switch. And it only is logical that the touch pad ribbon serves for its signalling because if you tear down the system, there is no other sensor/switch in the said area nor any cable/wire/ribbon that would carry any signals to the system board. So its only logical to assume that the palm rest will have this sensor/switch and the only connection from the palm rest to the system board is the touch pad ribbon. And the strongest reason for that supposition is that when you disconnect the touch pad ribbon in G53SW you loose the lid close/open functionality altogether.

I hope I have answered all your questions.

[grungeboy2]

[JRd1st]

So, in other words, your lid sensor system is defective. I didn't know that the touchpad ribbon is part of that system.

Send it in for repairs, but in your note just list the problems in a linear fashion otherwise you'll confuse whomever reads it.

[Sadozai]

Yeah I'll make sure not to write lengthy paragraphs. Thanks for your help

[Sadozai]

By the way this is the link to the thread I was talking about:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1037926351

[Sadozai]

Well finally I have found the solution to the problem and now posting a detailed account of the the solution.

I did the same as others did, tweaking and tinkering with the touch pad ribbon but this is only a half solution to the problem and is very frustrating not to be able to close the lid. I think many more have gone through the same problem and only a few have been able to diagnose the real cause of the problem. After much gruelling search I got to the base of the problem and it has got nothing to do with the touch pad ribbon or power button.

All the problem lies in the lid closing and the real culprit is the magnetic field sensor/switch which gets activated when the lid closes and doesn't go back to the default state or doesn't send proper signal to the system when the lid opens which makes the system believe that the lid is still closed and thus the power button does not work. Removing the ribbon is a half solution that forces you to compromise on touch pad , status indicator LEDs and lid close functionality. If you put the ribbon back in the system, the laptop works fine as long as the lid is not closed. But as soon as you close the lid the same magnetic field sensor/switch fault occurs. The solution is very very simple. In fact much more simple than removing or inserting back the touch pad ribbon.

1) If you have previously removed the touch pad ribbon, all you need to do is just put the touch pad ribbon back in all the way into the connector and lock it. Now just to check the system, close the lid and then open it up, now press the power button the system wont turn on. You can skip this step if you haven't tweaked/tinkered with the touch pad ribbon earlier.

2) Keep the system off, lid should be open and the battery in. It doesn't matter if the power cord is plugged in or not but its better if it is plugged in.

3) Ok now take a paper and put it on the palm-rest to the lower right side from the touch pad. To give you an idea, this is a 2 inch x 2 inch spot under the small sticker that says "New Revision Certified Design" and lies between the touch pad and the large sticker that shows system specs and features. Furthermore this is the very spot where the magnet in the LCD lid (located to the right side of the camera) comes in contact/proximity when the lid is closed.

4) Now take a light magnet with medium intensity, shouldn't be too strong or big and rub it in circles on that 2 x 2 inch square spot where you have placed the paper. Do this for a minute or two.

5) The paper is only optional but it is recommended as it would save the palm-rest from scratches if any.

6) Press the power button and voilà! you are done.

Moving the magnet in circles over the target area neutralizes or demagnetizes the problematic material, which can be any material near the sensor/switch or the sensor/switch itself.

Now do whatever you feel like. Close the lid while running, put it to sleep while running and wake it up by opening the lid and pressing any button, the system resumes normally and the display reappears. Now you only have to press the power button once when you cold-boot it. Power off, close the lid, open the lid and power on without worrying. And no need to go through the drudgery of RMAing it. This is such a simple solution to a problem that appears so big at first. In fact this solution doesn't even require you getting into the system by removing/lifting the keyboard and tweaking with the touch pad ribbon. Just moving a magnet in cirlcles over the area where the magnetic field sensor/switch is situated somehow rectifies the problem in that sensor/switch. I have done it myself and my system is working perfectly. I am happy now because I dont need to RMA my G53SW for repair. Those of you who are experiencing this problem, should atleast give it a try and then give their feedback. Good Luck Guys