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In this guide I explain how to take apart a Dell Studio 1537 laptop.
I think this guide might work for all laptops in Dell Studio 15 model line. If it works for you, please mention the model number in comments after this post.
I will cover the following disassembly steps:
1. Removing laptop memory and hard drive. Steps 1-7.
2. Remove laptop fan assembly which includes the cooling fan and heatsink. Steps 8-12.
3. Cleaning the heatsink assembly and and taking apart the cooling fan. Step 13-14.
4. Removing and replacing laptop keyboard. Steps 15-21.
Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off.
STEP 1.
Remove seven screws securing the bottom cover.
STEP 2.
Lift up and remove the bottom cover.
When the bottom cover is removed you can access the hard drive, wireless card, both memory modules, CMOS battery and fan assembly.
STEP 3.
Remove four screws securing the hard drive.
Disconnect the hard drive cable from the motherboard.
In order to disconnect the hard drive cable, simply lift it up by the blue tab.
STEP 4.
Remove the hard drive assembly.
STEP 5.
Remove four screws securing the hard drive to caddy.
STEP 6.
Disconnect the hard drive cable.
Now you can replace the hard drive with a new one if needed. It’s a regular 2.5″ notebook SATA hard drive.
STEP 7.
Both memory modules located under the same bottom cover.
In order to remove the memory module, spread latches on both sides of the slot and after the memory module pops up at a 30 degree angle pull it from the slot by the edges.
Dell Studio 1537 can take up to 8GB RAM total. You can install up to 4GB RAM module into each slot.
You should use DDR2 PC2-6400 SODIMM memory modules.
STEP 8.
Loosen four (red) screws securing the heatsink.
Remove one (yellow) screw securing the cooling fan.
Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.
STEP 9.
Carefully lift up the cooling fan assembly and separate it from chips on the motherboard.
STEP 10.
Remove the fan assembly.
If thermal grease on the processor looks dried out, you can clean it up with a paper towel soaked in alcohol and apply new thermal grease.
STEP 11.
Remove three screws securing cooling fan to the heatsink.
Remove old thermal grease from the heatsink if needed.
STEP 12.
Separate cooling fan from the heatsink assembly.
You can see it’s possible to replace just the cooling fan without replacing the whole fan assembly.
Need a new cooling fan for your Dell Studio 1537 laptop? Find a new replacement fan here.
STEP 13.
When the cooling fan removed you can take a closer look inside the heatsink.
In my case the heatsink was clogged with dust. My customer complained that his laptop shuts down while running games and now I know why.
The laptop was shutting down because of overheating. Cleaning the heatsink will fix this problem.
STEP 14.
If your cooling fan makes noise, you can take it apart and apply a small drop of multi-purpose oil.
This might help to fix the fan noise. If not, you’ll have to replace the fan.
In the following steps I’ll show how to remove the keyboard.
If you just replacing the keyboard, it’s not necessary to go though all previous steps.
STEP 15.
Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 16.
Lift up the switch board cover.
Be careful, the switch board still connected to the motherboard.
Ideally, you have to remove the cover without disconnecting the cable.
STEP 17.
Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
Carefully remove the keyboard bezel.
The keyboard bezel removed.
STEP 18.
Lift up the keyboard and place it upside down on the palm rest.
Now you can access two keyboard cables connected to the motherboard.
In order to remove the keyboard you’ll have to unlock both connectors and release both cables.
We’ll start with the wide cable.
STEP 19.
On the following picture the big connector shown in the locked position.
The white lock opens at a 90 degree angle.
On the following picture the connector is shown in the unlocked position (the keyboard cable already removed).
STEP 20.
The small connector opens up exactly the same way.
On the following picture the small connector shown in the unlocked position. Now you can pull the cable.
STEP 21.
After both connectors unlocked and cables released, you can remove the keyboard and replace it with a new on if needed.
You can buy a new replacement keyboard for Dell Studio 1537 here.
Alternatively you can search for a new keyboard by the Dell part number.
In my case the keyboard part number is 0KR766.
August 13th, 2012 at 10:18 am
@ Roy Machin,
If the laptop doesn’t charge a brand new battery with brand new AC adapter, most likely this is motherboard related failure. The battery charging circuit integrated into the motherboard and the battery connected directly to the motherboard. There is not much you can do about it besides replacing the entire motherboard.
Also, there is a chance of the DC jack failure. Maybe the jack is broken and has to be replaced.
Here’s Dell Studio 1537 service manual.
I don’t remember off the top of my head, but I believe you’ll have to disassemble the whole laptop in order to access the DC jack harness. The service manual has complete laptop disassembly instructions.
New DC jack is available here.
Again. If the laptop doesn’t recognize the battery, most likely this is the motherboard related failure.
August 13th, 2012 at 9:43 am
the battery on my studio will not charge (new charger and battery). it tells me it does not reconize
battery or charger although both are Dell. How do I get in to check problem.
Thanks, Roy
May 21st, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Hi,
Great instructions. My issue is that I have a faulty magnetic lid switch on my Dell Studio 1555 laptop. The switch gets stuck in the off position after the laptop is turned off. When I turn the laptop on, the screen usually won’t come on unless I hit the mouse pad area several times before turning it on.
Do you have instructions on how to replace the magnetic lid switch?
Thanks!
Bryan
May 18th, 2012 at 10:06 am
@ Simone,
Here’s official Dell Studio 1537 service manual.
The manual has instructions for removing the optical drive. I think you should be able to remove the coin if you remove the cover from the optical drive.
May 18th, 2012 at 5:30 am
My little cousin got a coin stuck in my cd slot of my 1537 and now my laptop has a virus, but when I try to put my reinstalling cd in it the slot ejects the cd because the coin is in there… How do u take aprlart the cd rom part
March 14th, 2012 at 11:58 am
@ marcos,
I don’t have this laptop anymore and cannot tell you the order.
By the way, the power button/wireless button cable is relatively inexpensive.
You can buy a new power button cable here and replace it.
March 12th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
i have a problem with pawer botton it disolded then now i dont know what the coorrect order
of the 3 wires and the left hand there is the wifi botton and i have the same problem
but there are 4 wires could you help me what is the correct order
March 9th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
@ john vermeeren,
The on/off switch located on the right side of the display panel. Correct?
In order to access the power switch board you’ll have to disassemble the display panel. After that take a closer look to find out which part is broken. Is it the power button itself or the plastic cover?
Here’s service manual for Dell Studio 1555. I hope it’s similar to 1550.
Click on the Power Button Board link to see how the on/off switch mounted inside the display.
March 9th, 2012 at 7:03 am
we have a dell studio 1550.
I have problems with the on /of switch.
Is it easy to be replaced? open complete laptop?
which dell part would it be?
February 24th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
@ john,
I have no idea. Maybe falling screws shorting the motherboard? Just a guess.