What could cause this problem? (laptop related)

Rocky388 · 09-11-2006, 10:48 PM

the title pretty much sums up my question. here's the background info:

I recently finished installing a laptop (due to my desktop carputer system crashing a few times) and now, the laptop will randomly turn off. The other day it turned off twice, and today, once. One minute the laptop is on, and the next, nothing. It doesn't go through a shutdown or anything, just completly turns off.

The wiring from the desktop system has pretty much been completly removed, as the wiring for the laptop is alot different, so no wiring (power wise) is the same.

I have the carnetix CNX-P1900 DC-DC powersupply, which my laptop runs off of, so it's not like the laptop battery is just dying.

The only thing i can really think of is an overheating issue? Would this cause a laptop to completly just turn off?

I thought a laptop would stand up to vibration much better then a desktop system, and even so, i built a well padded mount for the laptop. Which kind of rules out vibration as a cause?

One thing i did do, is open the laptop and solder two wires off of the power button to make an external button for turn the laptop on. I triple checked my soldering job, and the wires are secure and nothing is toching. But what i did notice, is that the button turns the laptop on, but not off. I thought this was strange, but just figured that's how it is? So any problems with that wiring (which i doubt) would only really turn the laptop on, and not off..??

sorry for the long post, but i'm getting pretty frustrated. I thought the version 2 of my carputer would work much better then my first setup. It just seems like i have no luck with this, and after so much work i can't just rip it out and forget it..

oreo · 09-12-2006, 02:21 AM

Sounds like a heating issue to me sudden shutdowns are usually heat related or there may be some software / driver conflict under xp. Also since u mention that u built a well padded mount check that the padding is not covering any vent holes on the laptop. Also u may want to check if automatic restart on system faliure setting is on under xp. Btw ur install looks super cool

Rocky388 · 09-12-2006, 10:44 AM

Thanks for the reply.

I made sure when i welded up the mount for the laptop (and padded it) that no vents are being covered, but where all the heat comes out of the laptop it is pretty close to the moulding of my rear jump seat (i have a pickup). So i'm thinking that maybe there's just not enough room for ventilation. Hopefully, mounting a fan in there somewhere will help out and solve the situation..

If I have it set to turn off on system failure, would the computer completly turn off? or would it still go through it's proper shutdown? Also, it doesn't really restart, just turns off, but not back on.

Thanks! I need to get new pics of my install though, now with the laptop..I had to get rid of the comp case, it's enclosure, and the computer PSU..everything else is pretty much the same though

oreo · 09-12-2006, 11:42 AM

To check for the setting I am talking about Right click on my computer > properties> Advanced> Click Settings on Startup and shutdown> Then under system faliure see that "Automatically restart" is NOT checked. If its checked then everytime you have a BSOD the computer will restart automatically without showing any error that might be useful for debugging purposes. The default setting is that it automatically restarts. In the event of a faliure it will reboot automatically without going thru a proper shutdown cycle

cdm · 09-13-2006, 01:39 AM

ive no clue about the power supply you are using but if that doesn't provide enough watts, it will just cut out when the load gets too high...

but it's probably heat

Rocky388 · 09-17-2006, 03:17 PM

the power supply is definitly providing more then enough power..so I'm not even considering that as a problem.

But, after I changed the setting to have the laptop not automatically restart, it still did not go to an error screen, and just turned off just as it did before. I still have not installed a fan, but hopefully this will be the solution to my problem.