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The screws come loose by themselves...

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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre -  
 jns55 -
Hello,

I have a serious problem with my laptop, and I hope you can help me by giving me some suggestions.

I bought an Acer laptop a while ago. I purchased it new in a store.

I have never taken apart my laptop (physically speaking) to access its components (processor, fan...), but it turns out that from time to time I find a "fallen" screw from my laptop. I then screwed it back in, and to my surprise, I realized I had already lost two others. I then decided to tighten all the screws so they wouldn’t fall out.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how, but even after tightening everything, I still notice that the screws are coming loose.

What should I do to stop them from loosening? In your opinion, why are they coming loose?

Thank you in advance for your time and your response.

4 réponses

Réponse 1 / 4
flo88 Posted messages 28659 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   Ambassadeur 5 158
 
Hello

I too have noticed this phenomenon with other brands and many models.
In fact, it is due to the expansion under heating of the parts of the laptop, most are made of plastic, even though the inserts for the screws are metal in some cases, heating leads to a slow loosening.......
There’s not much to do.......
We can lock them in place by using thread locker, but that runs the risk of not being able to remove the said screw when it becomes necessary to do so..........
So, it's better to check from time to time and replace the lost ones.
*

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Hello at your place
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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
Thank you for your comment.
Do you know where I can find suitable screws to replace the ones I've already lost?
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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
I must therefore admit defeat!! What a disappointment!!
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darkleopard Posted messages 7926 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   1 184 > alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
So if you say that it tends to overheat, Flo's and my hypotheses are converging, the plastic "moves" a lot with temperature variations, somewhat like wooden furniture that creaks..

You can also put white tape on the threaded parts of the screws, I can't remember the name but it's used in plumbing, it should hold the screw I think...

And for your screws, go to Castorama, they should definitely have the model, take one with you to show them ^^
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flo88 Posted messages 28659 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 158
 
The white tape that darkleopard is talking about is Teflon, it can indeed be tried.

For the screws, you'll find what you need on specialized computer hardware sites, maybe also in large DIY stores, it’s worth checking.
Since this equipment is manufactured in Asia, I’m not sure that the thread sizes will be compatible with what’s available in Europe.
The best is this: https://www.ldlc.com/fiche/PB00180710.html
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darkleopard Posted messages 7926 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   1 184 > flo88 Posted messages 28659 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention  
 
hello Flo ;)

ah yes, here’s the Teflon simply ^^
I don't know if it can be effective, but it works well with plumbing..

ah yes, indeed, the screw kit is pretty good, it's nice to know that you can find it on LDLC :)
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Réponse 2 / 4
darkleopard Posted messages 7926 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   1 184
 
Hello.
Two rational explanations.
Either during the manufacturing of the PC, the screws were tightened too much and the screw thread is damaged, so they loosen.
Or the screws spin in place after a certain tightening.
These are the screws under the PC.??
So at the level of the hard drive, processor, and everything else.
It could also be the heat generated by the PC that expands the plastic and causes the screws to loosen over time.
This seems to me to be the most plausible, but for that, your PC needs to be really hot underneath, and since Acer is known for their overheating issues, that might explain this...
What model is your Acer.???

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Gaming is not a crime.
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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
Really fast darkleopard!
Yes, it's the screws under the PC that are coming loose.
I know the problem of over-tightening the screws, so I was careful and the screws don't turn in place. Maybe indeed the threading was damaged during the manufacturing process.
Indeed, my computer sometimes heats up a bit too much for my taste... could this heat really expand the plastic that much?
My model is Acer Aspire V3-571G
I also thought about vibrations or bumps (I often take it with me in the car) but I don't know if that's plausible.
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Phil
 

Totally agree (retired systems and networks, experience....since '91!) composite is lightweight but for durability it’s useless, manufacturers tout it for its lightness, but there are today lightweight metals that do the job in other sectors and I still don't understand why we willingly stick to composite as long as we’re not manufacturing in "passing" metal ("conductive" for user safety). Anyway, for the screws and hinges, I saw a post talking about Teflon....well! We’ll see, I have an issue with one of my laptops, so I will report back on the test if it’s conclusive or not....

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Réponse 3 / 4
georges97 Posted messages 14506 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   2 897
 
Hello,

I would speculate that vibrations (hard drive, fan) could be the cause, but I've never observed this. I even have an Acer that I disassembled/reassembled without tightening the screws all the way, and they still hold.

I would put a point of clear nail polish overflowing around the screw head to both lock it in place and make it easier to spot any spontaneous loosening.

If that doesn't suffice, I would put a small drop of glue on a point of the circumference of the screw head.

Keep us updated; this could be useful for others.

Best regards.
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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
Thank you for your comment!

I like the idea of the nail polish and I think I’ll try it soon.
I’ll keep you posted on the results.
Thank you very much.
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Réponse 4 / 4
darkleopard Posted messages 7926 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   1 184
 
yes, that's why I thought of it.
in plumbing, it helps a lot against small leaks, and you can always loosen the faucets without problems, like you said, you shouldn't put too much.
just enough to cover
a bit like that actually..

--
Gaming is not a crime.
Toshiba P870 - Dual Boot w8.1.1/w10 - i7 3630qm - 8 Go Dual Channel - Nvidia GT 630M 4 Go
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alice0911 Posted messages 7 Status Membre
 
Is that a photo of you? Or did you snag it from the internet?
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jns55
 

Hello,

Be careful with Teflon; it is designed to ensure the sealing of a water pipe, not to prevent pipes from loosening! In fact, very often the disassembly of such an assembly is done without resistance. It is meant to be used metal against metal. With a metal to plastic usage, there is a high risk of enlarging the thread hole in the plastic and worsening the problem. Personally, I would trust threadlocker more. Just don't use too much, just a tiny bit on the end of the screw thread.

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