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These instructions explain how to take apart a Sony Vaio VGN-FZ220 series laptop. I had to replace the DC-IN power jack because it was broken. The jack is soldered to the power harness and can be easily replaced if you have basic soldering skills. Use this guide on your own risk.
You can search for spare parts for Sony Vaio VGN-FZ series notebooks here.
I created these instructions while taking apart a Sony Vaio VGN-FV220E but I think you can use them for entire VGN-FV220 line.
STEP 1.
Unplug power adapter. Unlock and remove laptop battery. Remove one screw securing the memory cover and remove the cover. Remove one screw securing the hard drive cover and remove the cover.
STEP 2.
Remove three screws securing the hard drive. Slide the hard drive to the left side and disconnect it from the connector on the motherboard. Remove the hard drive. Remove both memory modules (spread latches on both side of the memory module and carefully pull it from the slot).
STEP 3.
Remove two screws securing the DVD drive. Carefully pull the DVD drive from the laptop and remove it.
STEP 4.
Remove all screws (marked red and green) from the bottom of the laptop.
If you are taking apart the whole laptop, you’ll have to remove all screws.
If you are using this guide just for removing or replacing the keyboard, you’ll have to remove just four green screws (they secure the keyboard bezel) and after that you can proceed to the steps 7-9.
Again. If you want to disassemble the whole laptop, you’ll have to remove all screws from the bottom (red and green).
STEP 5.
Carefully disengaged three latches in the battery compartment. These latches secure the keyboard bezel. Push on latches with a small flathead screwdriver until they are unlocked.
STEP 6.
Carefully unlock two more latches in the DVD drive compartment. I wasn’t careful enough and broke one latch. :)
STEP 7.
You can remove the keyboard bezel with a small flathead screwdriver.
STEP 8.
Remove two screws securing the keyboard.
STEP 9.
Carefully lift up the keyboard and place it upside down on the palm rest. The keyboard cable is connected to the motherboard.
First, unlock the connector. Remove clear tape securing the connector. After that slide the LOCK (this part of the connector secures the cable inside) about 1-2 millimeters to the left using your fingernails. This will release the keyboard cable. Now you can pull keyboard cable from the connector and remove the keyboard.
WARNING! If you break the keyboard connector you’ll be screwed big time. The keyboard will never work again (until you find a way to repair the connector or replace the whole motherboard). Be careful.
STEP 10.
Disconnect cables pointed with red arrows. Disconnect three wireless card antenna cables pointed with yellow arrows.
STEP 11.
Release all disconnected cables. Remove screws securing display hinges (three screws securing each hinge).
STEP 12.
Lift up and remove laptop display panel.
IMPORTANT! You’ll have to go through steps 10-12 only if you want to remove the display panel.
In order to remove the laptop base cover and access the power jack, it’s not necessary to remove the display panel. It occurred to me only after I removed the display panel.
Here’s what you have to do. Leave all cables mentioned in the step 10 connected to the laptop and go to the step 11. Remove only two red screws from each hinge and do not remove green screws. Now you can close the display and proceed to the step 14 (removing base assembly).
STEP 13.
The display panel has been removed. I didn’t have to remove it but I did.
STEP 14.
Turn the laptop upside down and remove the base cover.
STEP 15.
Now you can access and replace the DC-IN power jack located in the top left corner of the laptop.
Do you see the RTC (CMOS) battery? I’ll explain at the end why I mentioned the battery.
STEP 16.
The DC-IN power jack was broken in many pieces. I unsoldered the broken jack and replaced it with a new power jack.
The power jack has been replaced. Now you can assemble the laptop following steps 16-1.
IMPORTANT! After I replaced the jack, I assembled the laptop back together, plugged in the power adapter, pressed on the power button and NOTHING! The laptop was dead! There were no LED lights or any activity at all. I tested power jack continuity with a voltmeter and didn’t find any problem. The motherboard was getting power but didn’t turn on. I thought the motherboard was fried. Just in case I unplugged the RTC (CMOS) battery from the motherboard, waited for 30 seconds and plugged it back in. Tested the laptop again AND it started like new!!!!
UPDATE:
Do you have a problem with video on your Sony VGN or VGC series laptop? Keep reading!
Distorted video, random characters or blank screen issues due to failure of the NVIDIA graphics chip. More details here.
As a part of our commitment to quality, for any customer who requires repair of their VAIO computer due to the NVIDIA graphics processor issue, Sony will cover the cost of repair (parts and labor) at no charge during the first four years following the date of purchase of the models in question (see list below).
In case your model is shown in the list below, we invite you to contact VAIO Support to arrange service for your VAIO.
The following Sony laptops are affected by this issue:
• VGN-FZ11x, VGN-FZ18x, VGN-FZ21x, VGN-FZ31x, VGN-FZ38x
• VGN-AR11x, VGN-AR21x, VGN-AR31x
• VGN-C1Zx, VGN-C2Zx
• VGC-LM1xx, VGC-LM2xx
• VGC-LT1xx, VGC-LT2xx
May 31st, 2009 at 5:20 am
hey i just want to clean my laptop’s cooling fan.
so do i have to remove keyboad?
any tell me which are the required step i have to follow.
plz it’s very urgent
May 29th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I just need to replace the DC IN jack. Do I still need to remove the keyboard? Is there a way to just remove the back cover and access the DC IN jack?
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Many many thanks!!!!! With the help of this guide i can finally clean the fan of my vaio FZ11z!
Everything goes right apart from the latch in the dvd drive that i broke just like you, but theres no problem from this!:) Very thanks! best regards
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
The battery is knackered. Batteries need to be regularly discharged and recharged. Being connected to a charger all the time with no discharge will eventually kill the battery.
You can try discharging it completely and charging several times, see if the life comes back but I would say it’s new battery time.
Simon
May 13th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hi i have an FZ260E and i have kept it ON for most of its life. I shattered the DC jack and plan to replace it however the battery life seems to have about 30-40 SECONDS. So if there is any interruption of wall socket power while i am away from the laptop it turns off! Very annoying! Any idea why my battery doesnt hold a charge? Also my laptop was getting extremely hot for a very long time, so hot that the laptop would be painfully hot to the touch. I finally opened it up and cleaned out the heat sink a couple weeks ago which was completely full of dust.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am
hey
i have sony vaio fz190.
my laptop gets overheat n i want to clean it up.
so di i have to follow same process, i mean removing lcd screen n all or i just remove screws n unlock…
May 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hi, Great resource, thanks you.
I was only replacing the keyboard and found a few discrepancies. When removing the screws in step 3 you need to remove the “green” screws but also two additional screws. One is the screw to the left of the batter connector. The second is the screw in the upper left corner of the memory bay. I don;t think there is any real reason to remove the memory chips themselves or any portion of the HDD.
One question. I ordered the replacement part from Sony and they said I needed (and supplied) one piece of Kapton tape (10mm x 24mm). I didn’t remove any tape and didn’t see where this piece should be attached. Do you have any ideas? Sony could just be wrong as they sent the completely wrong keyboard he first time I ordered!
Thanks again. You saved me a lot of work.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Thank you for this awesome article. I looked everywhere for something similar and thankfully I ended up here. This seems to work with the FZ series for what i read in the other comments.
I have a FZ150FE and the instructions worked perfectly. I would like to add that if you have (like me) to remove the RTC battery you don’t need to remove the keyboard (which I did). It is indeed a very delicate move and shouldn’t be done unless you somehow want to remove the display panel… or are willing to send your laptop to the service shop (which of course you don’t since you’re already disassembling it by yourself).
Peace.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Never mind the RTC cable comment above, it just required more force than I was giving it.
But, ~30 minutes after completing the repairs my keyboard stopped working. It worked great at first but now it’s not responding at all. I think I got it hooked back in OK, otherwise I’m thinking it wouldn’t have worked in the first place. Anyone had this happen?
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Thank you so much for the instructions! Just a note though that it doesn’t look like you have to remove the keyboard to get at the back of the motherboard and replace the power jack.
Also, having trouble removing the RTC cable, any ideas?