Coming Unhinged

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

My much loved three year old Dell Inspiron 4000 has suddenly fractured its right-hand hinge; total value of small metal part, about 50p you would think.

Ring Dell's supplier of non warranty parts in Appleton (very good; used them before) to discover (not their fault) that you must part with over £60 (!) on this model for the whole LCD lid/frame etc., just to aquire the hinge! This part is attached to the notebook base by three screws and - by the look of the diagram - to the lid, once you have got it apart, by a maximum of two screws.

Can anyone help with a source for just the hinge?

Thanks in advance.

http://docs.euro.dell.com/docs/systems/ph2o/remove99.jpg

[fobotcso]

I imagine that you must have found THIS (http://www.clonesuk.com/npla.htm) site because the cost of a new lid is in line with what you wrote. Apart from a breaker's "yard", you're most unlikely to find a hinge by itself on the market.

Personally, I'd say cut your losses and get on with it. Buy what you have to and fix it before the whole screen goes. Put it down to the "some you win, some you lose" category.