Lenovo 300e 2nd Gen MTK - spectacular failure rate

[DavR]

Anyone else finding a very high failure rate with these devices? Specifically the MTK version coded 81QC. We have the AMD ones too, but they've only just gone into service.

 

We got a these on a deal a few years ago, and I've just called in another one for repair - our current failure rate sits at a whopping 38% over two years! Mainly keyboard failures, which can in part be put down to COVID over-cleaning, but I'm starting to see more mainboard failures too.

 

I was at least wise enough to buy into the three year warranty deal, but it's still a faff sending them off for repair, which can take a week or two at a time. Could get very expensive very quickly when the warranty runs out on these.

[Sanchez]

We've had couple of hundred of these in our school for the last two years. I'm not seeing anything like your failure rate. Most of our damage is from dropped devices (screens primarily), very little in the way of hardware faults.

 

Ours are part of a one to one scheme so aren't cleaned in the same way as shared devices, maybe a link there? Or possibly a bad batch.

[gh5000]

Had 3 keyboard failures out of 40 in one school. Don't think it's as bad in our 1:1.

 

Taken about a year to get money back on the 3 keyboard failures that they couldn't repair due to lack of keyboard stock.

[BlueFoxSystems]

We are having the same issue with the 100e aswell as the 300e also across multiple schools, Having trouble sourcing replacement parts without going direct to Lenovo if anyone can assist?

[DavR]

Ours are part of a one to one scheme so aren't cleaned in the same way as shared devices, maybe a link there? Or possibly a bad batch.

 

Bit of both I think, we were already seeing a very high failure rate on keyboards before the cleaning regime kicked in. Cleaning definitely did for some of them.

 

Be interesting to see what the deal is on parts when we have to start doing our own repairs. My main recent experience has been with Dells, where I've been able to get good value parts on eBay, but a quick look hasn't shown the same availability for this unit.

[TronXP]

We have approx 370 300e MTK 81QC Chromebooks. We bought them in 2 batches, failures started to occur in the second year of ownership (lucky we upgraded to 3 year warranty). Looking at our records I can say we have sent back 34 for repair so far. In our case, the main issue seems to be something to do with the storage chips one day they are working, the next day no operating system and the only fix is a new mainboard. My suspicion is that more will fail the longer people use them. Some have had touch screen failure and 2 or 3 with trackpads not working but so far keyboards have been fine.

[DavR]

We have approx 370 300e MTK 81QC Chromebooks. We bought them in 2 batches, failures started to occur in the second year of ownership (lucky we upgraded to 3 year warranty). Looking at our records I can say we have sent back 34 for repair so far. In our case, the main issue seems to be something to do with the storage chips one day they are working, the next day no operating system and the only fix is a new mainboard. My suspicion is that more will fail the longer people use them. Some have had touch screen failure and 2 or 3 with trackpads not working but so far keyboards have been fine.

Yes, I think we've got the same error with storage chips, and when you try and reimage from a pen drive, it just black screens out on us. Error code on the Chrome OS is damaged screen is "0x26 EC software sync error updating EC".

 

Just a minor nuisance under warranty, but probably an end of life failure when they're out of warranty, unless good price spares start popping up.

[BlueFoxSystems]

Does anyone have a supplier of Lenovo out of warranty parts they would recommend?

[PotNoodleTech]

This is worrying reading given that we had nearly 400 x 81MB earlier in the year.

 

Only had a few issues so far bit of damage etc.

[dhicks]

Anyone else finding a very high failure rate with these devices?

 

We went for the 500e - 45 1:1 devices, assigned to specific pupils, no reports of any issues so far after about half a term or so. Another school we know has the 300e, I'll check there.

[PrimaryNetMan]

Had a couple of 1st Gen 500e and 300e with mainboard failure in the second year. Both times cost of a mainboard was more than the original cost of the unit! utter madness.

[Katy]

We've got 40 of the 300e 1st gen (Celeron), keyboard failures so far have been (we suspect) from over cleaning (pressing down with the wipes rather than a light wipe, so all the fluid is coming out and soaking the electronics behind the keyboard). Struggling to get hold of keyboards for the 1st gen.

 

We've had 1 where the storage died, we found that putting an nvme stick in (as there's a slot for this) solved the issue. Probably made the thing faster than using the onboard chip too!

[DavR]

We've had 1 where the storage died, we found that putting an nvme stick in (as there's a slot for this) solved the issue. Probably made the thing faster than using the onboard chip too!

This could a top tip when it comes to doing our own repairs after warranty, thanks @Katy!

[TronXP]

2nd Gen 300e Chromebooks don't have a nvme slot unless I am completely blind!

[Katy]

2nd Gen 300e Chromebooks don't have a nvme slot unless I am completely blind!

 

Mine were Winbooks, and 1st gen. So I guess either something they removed for 2nd gen, or something they removed for the chromebook version

[PrimaryNetMan]

Yes just checked my 1st Gen 300e Chromebook, no nvme slot.

[DavR]

Just popped the case on one of our 300e 2nd Gen Chromebooks, and also no NVME slot. At least, not one that I could see.

 

Shame, that would have been quite a neat little fix.

[DavR]

Related but not related..... the inevitable has happened and we've got a smashed screen on one of these now.

 

Anyone tracked down any good spares suppliers? I've got the screen and digitizer on Amazon for £99 but would value a real supplier and/or better price!

[CKSIT]

We got around 170 of these (81QC) going on three years ago. We did not get an extended mfg warranty, only a 3yr accidental damage warranty. While I've had to send several off for damage repairs (mainly screens and hinges, a few popped keys on keyboards, and a few damaged trackpads), I did have to retire more than a handful because of out-of-warranty mainboard failures ("missing/corrupt OS" where recovery wouldn't work), mainly in the 2nd year of use. At present, nearing the end of our third year of use, I've had an acceleration of touchscreens going bad: touch completely not working; some regions of the screen not responding to touch; or, more prevalent lately (eight within the last week or so), phantom touches/clicks -just let the device sit idle, and watch the show.

 

I have cannibalized parts (top-cover/screen assemblies, batteries, keyboard/trackpad assemblies, and even hinges) from devices with failed mainboards, and used those to perform out-of-warranty repairs myself. I've been surprised that screen assemblies, that were working fine when salvaged, ended up developing the phantom-touch problem within a month or two after being deployed to repair another device. It seems like that touchscreen issue is destined to arise (NB, though: these are assigned to middle schoolers in our 1:1 take-home program).

 

One last comment I'll make is about the long-term durability of the build, or manufacturing defects. I've had to replace screws on the bottom cover of a great number of these units; the screws just come loose and fall out. On top of that, in a number of spots the anchors, into which screws go to secure things, are fragile and break easily.

 

[Chris_Cook]

We've got chromebook spares from HAAC recently. But so far they have only found screens and keyboards for the Lenovo's.

 

The lenovo website does have listings for most parts, service manuals and diagrams for their chromebooks, but only a few parts seem available to actually buy direct. I've been meaning to email them to see what we have to do to buy the other parts they have listed. I'm hoping their is some sort of training program. It might be if you get the part numbers from lenovo, then you can find something via google. This is all available from the lenovo support site.

 

There is also an interesting student chromebook repair program started in america. It would be great if that ever came to the UK. Students can get a qualification in it, and work supervised by staff.

 

If screws are falling out, you could try getting some loctite threadlocker (medium strength blue). It might be a bit tricky to put it on such small screws though.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LOCTITE-1960969-Strength-Thread-Locker/dp/B00DVHAAV8/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B00DVHAAV8&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017UDHKL6/

[CKSIT]

I'm in the U.S. I have purchased some parts from https://www.chromebookparts.com (mainly daughterboards and trackpads); their mainboards are too expensive, given the relative value of the units. I have purchased replacement LCD screens and mainboards from eBay before, and I toyed with the idea purchasing replacement mainboards through Aliexpress, but I just couldn't bring myself to trust those vendors enough to pull the trigger.

Thanks for the Loctite suggestion. At this point, we'll probably going to relegate these 300e devices to being spares, as we are scheduled for a new Chromebook fleet for middle school this year. Going to try the Dell 2-in-1, including 3yr extended warranty and accidental damage coverage.

[Oaktech]

We are having the same issue with the 100e aswell as the 300e also across multiple schools, Having trouble sourcing replacement parts without going direct to Lenovo if anyone can assist?

 

I've got a batch of 30 100e Chromebooks from the DfE where 20 of them have needed replacement keyboards straight out of the box. The symptom for us has been they all start up unable to click on anything because multiple keys are registering a press simultaneously. Mashing the hell out of the keyboard seems to fix it temporarily, but it returns after a few minutes and after a restart.

[andyt57]

In one of my schools we have 5 dead 100e 2nd Gen MTK Chromebooks. The symptom is that they initially show the ChromeOS is missing or damaged error screen and then just die. They won't take a charge and won't start up. In one of my other schools one device in a class set of 30 has just done the same aftter about 3 months of use.

 

We have some old Dell 11 Chromebooks that are time expired so have GalliumOS installed on them and are still going fine after about 5 years.

 

I'm not too impressed with Lenovo at the moment.

[mikes]

Wow We have over 200 100e 2nd gen and every single one has worked flawlessly. I'm having massive problems with the Windows laptops the e590's USB-C charging port has failed on over 10 of them (in under 3 years of use) meaning the motherboard needs replacing. Also E14's 5 out of 30 had faulty keyboards out of the box

[DavR]

I thought I'd just update this thread, now that we're out of the extended warranty period that we'd bought on these Lenovo 300e devices.

 

I say update, I think I mean howl into the void. Since September, I've had three of these, out of a stock of 31, fail with the 0x26 storage error. My usual supplier has the replacement motherboards on their books at £152 each plus p&p, but, currently can't get stock. So it looks like I'll be scrapping and replacing these now, as and when they die.

 

According to my records, we're now at a 52% failure rate over three years on this batch of devices (excluding accidental damage).