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In the following guide I will explain how you can replace broken display hinges on Dell Latitude C640 and Latitude C540 series laptops. Replacing and removing hinges is not a difficult task if you are careful and pay attention to details. I’m not sure if you can use the same hinges for both Latitude C640 and C540 but the following removal and replacement instructions should be the same for both models.
1. Find new replacement hinges.
2. Follow the laptop disassembly instructions below.
Proceed on your own risk and do not blame me if you destroy the laptop.
Before you start, remove the laptop battery.
Remove five screws securing the keyboard. These screws are marked with a letter K stamped on the base.
Remove five screws securing the display hinges. Three screws on the left side and two screws on the right side.
Carefully lift up and remove the keyboard bezel with a flathead screwdriver or another sharp object.
Lift up and remove both hinge covers.
Lift up the keyboard from the base. Be careful, the keyboard is attached to the motherboard with a flat ribbon cable. Disconnect the keyboard cable and remove the keyboard.
The keyboard cable had been disconnected from the motherboard.
Remove four screws securing the video cable.
Carefully disconnect the video cable from the motherboard by the yellow belt on the connector.
Remove six rubber screw seals with a sharp object. Remove six screws located under these seals.
Insert your fingers between the display bezel and the LCD screen and carefully separate the bezel from the display. Keep separating the bezel from the display with your fingers until you can remove it. Remove the bezel.
Remove two screws securing the LCD screen to the display hinges. You’ll find two screws on each side of the screen.
Remove the LCD screen from the display cover. Be careful the screen is attached to the video cable.
Unplug the video cable from the LCD screen (Green Arrow).
Unplug the video cable from the inverter board (Red Arrow).
Remove the screen.
After the LCD screen had been removed you can remove two screws securing both display hinges.
Remove both hinges from the display cover. Now you can replace both hinges, or just a broken one.
September 3rd, 2012 at 8:31 am
@ Anita Bingeman,
I cannot tell if the hinges are broken or just loose without taking it apart.
Take a look at this service manual for Dell Latitude D420 laptop.
The service manual explains how to remove the display cover.
You can find new hinges or entire display cover with hinges here.
You’ll have to disassemble the laptop in order to figure out which part is broken.
September 3rd, 2012 at 8:04 am
Please can you give me directions for a Dell latitude D420? The hinges for holding the screen laptop seem to be broken, ie the laptop does not stay in place and either flops shut or flops backwards. Are these able to be repaired ?
Thanks for any help, I am due to take a 4 month trip around south America and this could not have happened at a worst time!
February 15th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
You don’t have to do half these steps, I was able to do it just by removing the screws in the back of the laptop that hold the hinge, remove the little rubber things on top of the screws, the screws that hold the screen trim piece on and the screen trim and the screws that hold the hinge to the screen. took 10 min this way.
November 14th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
@ Blue Skies,
Thank you for your donation! I’m glad my guide helped.
November 14th, 2011 at 8:14 pm
P.S. I put my money where my mouth is and just sent in a donation. i am happy to support your site. Thanks a million for sharing your knowledge.
November 14th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Just wanted to say thank you, i just replaced the hinges on my c640 with your guide and its back, baby!
October 23rd, 2011 at 12:16 am
have you tried installing windows 7 on your C640/C650? Did it work?
July 28th, 2011 at 3:49 am
Thanks a lot for keeping this article online. Your guidance worked out well just now for my old old Latitude D600 as well. – Almost like new now. Thx again, regards M.R.P.
June 23rd, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Sir I have problem regarding loose hinges of C510. I tried to fix that problem but I could not find and screws to tighten the hinges. Plz help regarding this problem.
April 1st, 2011 at 6:05 pm
DAMN IT! I followed these intructions and pulled the LCD cable off where the red arrow is and the ribbon cable pulled off the connector. Now I need a new ribbon cable.