Busted Power Button

[spo22a]

So hoping someone can help me here

I accidently bumped my a500 on the corner of the table and it pushed the power button in.

The screen popped up with "Do you wish to shut down?" and then it powered off.. .but as the button is now still pushed in, im unable to 'push' it to power on.

So it seems as tho the button is just fixed in and i need to 'pop it out' somehow....

i've managed to take the back off following an a500 teardown on youtube. . but i've no idea what to do next :/

 

[Icebike]

Dental tools, or tiny screw drivers, or a very small knife blade, carefully wielded, should allow you to manipulate the button so that it pops back out, assuming you simply knocked button behind the bezel. This seems unlikely, and I suspect you may have broken the buttons mounting.

If you broke the button's internal mounting to the motherboard, you have to send it in.

If you are brave and handy with tools you can open it up and do surgery, but your warranty will be void.
See this site for internal images and what is involved: Cracking Open the Acer Iconia Tab A500 | TechRepublic

See picture 48 for what the power switch looks like with all the bezels removed.

 

[MrWareWolf]

I just fixed mine! I did NOT re-solder it! I disassembled it, and fixed the power button by putting it back into the proper position & glued it down with a hot-glue gun.

Initially I tried to stick a piece of plastic behind it (to keep it in place), lodged in between the switch and the vibrator, but this was too large & it wouldn't fit it all back together properly... so I peeled it all back off there (the glue I mean), and then was when I realized that the switch was not even connected at all & it just SITS in place on the board. Sure, it might have been soldered from the factory, but it really doesn't need to be. It just needs to connect well enough to function properly. How I fixed it: I just got it in the right place, using the 'feet' that are supposed to keep it lined up with the three contacts..and globbed a big glop of glue beside it, where the LED is located on the corner of the board. Let the glue dry WELL, before gently pushing the button with a toothpick, or similar item, just to be sure it will 'click'. If you are able to make it click, it will work.

IF Acer had just given a cm longer feet on each side of the button, the feet could be folded on the underside of the board, to keep it in place more permanently..THANKS for saving a penny per unit Acer! Fracker$ - anyway, back to the power-button... After assembling all the ribbon cables again, and screwing things back down (BEFORE putting the cover back on), power it on quickly to make sure it works. If so, then proceed with replacing the back cover..

Notes: It was a PAIN to get it back together properly! The rear cover is impossible/difficult to get back into place properly, be sure to pull the sd-card cover OFF while you have it apart by carefully pushing the tabs back through using your finger nail to squish them & be careful about this, you don't want to break the little clips, or the slots they fit into.. removing the door will help you decide if the card-slot is lined up properly... Only when you get it lined up properly, will you be able to put a card into it again. Once you get that right, you can snap all the other clips around the rear cover.

Once it is all re-assembled, power it on, and check again to make sure it works.. Try the camera, try the touch screen, etc. Also, be sure that you can put a card into the slot on the top. If not (it took me a couple tries), remove the back cover and try putting it back on again.. Also worth noting: I left my card-slot cover/door off entirely & put it in the box the tablet came in.. Where the books and quick-start guide are stored..

 

[GarySMaxwell]

Here are a few photos that I took while I was repairing my switch.
Photo 1 is the back side of the circuit board where the switch is.
Photo 2 is the switch side of the circuit board with the switch next to it. I turned the switch upside down so the solder connections are visible. The ruler gives you an idea just how tiny the switch is. My A500 had not been dropped but switch came completely loose. The switch was only held in place by a couple of microscopic solder connections.
Photo 3 is the completed repair. I added a couple of blobs of hot glue to help reinforce the switch.
Photo 4 is my solution of not having a solder tip small enough to get to the solder joints. The distance between the vibrator and the switch is perhaps 1/8 of an inch. I wrapped some fine wire around the tip of my soldering iron so I could reach into the gap. A strong light and a magnifying glass was necessary so I could see what I was doing.

If you are going to attempt this repair, first remove the extra memory card if you are using on. Go to YouTube to see how the case is opened (which is the easy part of the process). Open the case, then remove the battery. The screws that hold the mother board in place are marked with large copper rings around them except on one more that appears to be holding down a strip of aluminum foil. Carefully put the screws into a cup so that you don't loose them. Take only the electrical connectors off that you absolutely need to.

After you get done soldering, carefully remove any loose blobs of solder that you may have created. The tolerances are so close that even a small piece of solder can short things our.

Keep your fingers crossed, this is a very challenging repair.