Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series

Service Manual
Overview:

The purpose of this manual is to guide technicians through the proper procedures for servicing
the VGN-AR Series Sony VAIO Notebook systems. Utilizing this manual will assist
technicians with replacement of all major components of the system.

Table of Contents:
1. Keyboard Replacement
2. Memory Replacement
3. Hard Drive Replacement
4. Optical Drive Replacement
5. Wireless Card Replacement
6. Bottom Housing Replacement
7. Power Button Board Replacement
8. Touchpad Board & Buttons Replacement
9. Heatsink & Fan Replacement
10. Motherboard Replacement
11. Modem Replacement
12. DC Jack Replacement
13. RJ-45/RJ-11 Replacement
14. Sound Board Replacement
15. PC Card Connector Replacement
16. LCD, Inverter, & Speakers Replacement

Required Tools:
Non-marking Pry Tool
#1 Phillips Head Screwdriver
Needle Tool or Dental Pick
Anti-Static Wrist Strap
Multiple Containers for Screw Sorting

**IMPORTANT – MAKE A NOTE OF CABLE ROUTING BEFORE DISASSEMBLY

AND ASSEMBLY**

1
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

1. Keyboard Replacement

• Slide the lock release lever away from lock, hold the battery release lever and remove the
battery in the direction of the arrow.

• Remove the 3 screws under the battery.

• Remove the keyboard screw.

2
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Using the non-marking pry tool, release the button hood by gently prying up.

• Remove the button hood.

• Remove the 4 keyboard screws.

3
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Slide the keyboard cable lock to the right and remove the cable.

To install the Keyboard:

• Reinstall the ribbon cable into the connector and lock the cable in.
• Reinstall the keyboard.
• Reinstall the 4 keyboard screws.
• Snap the button hood back in place.
• Reinstall the 3 screws underneath the battery.
• Reinstall the battery.

4
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

2. Memory Replacement
• Remove the 1 screw from the Memory access panel. Slide the panel out then up.

• Pull the retaining clips to the sides to release, and remove the module.

To install the new Memory:

• Align the notch in the Memory module to the notch in the slot.
• Insert the Memory at an angle back into the slot, and press down ensuring the memory seats
completely.
• Replace the Memory access panel and retaining screw.

5
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

3. Hard Drive Replacement

• Remove the 1 screw.

• Slide the panel out then up.

• Remove the 6 screws

6
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Slide the hard drive bracket out then up

• Remove the 4 screws for one hard drive replacement, or all 8 for two hard drives.

To install the Hard Drive:

• Slide the drive into the bracket.
• Reinstall the 4 or 8 screws.
• Slide the hard drive bracket back in, making sure the hard drive connectors slide into the
connector board properly.
• Reinstall the 6 screws.
• Reinstall the access panel.
• Reinstall the screw.

7
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

4. Optical Drive Replacement

• Remove the 3 screws.
• Using the non-marking pry tool, slide the drive out.

• Remove the 4 screws that that secure the drive to the brackets.

8
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

To install the Optical Drive:

• Reinstall the 2 brackets and 4 screws.
• Slide the drive back into place.
• Reinstall the 3 screws.

9
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

5. Wireless Card Replacement

• Remove the keyboard.
• Remove the leads by carefully prying up from under the contact. Make note of the cable
configuration.

• Underneath the leads, behind the contacts are the retaining clips. Push the retaining clips in,
and the Wireless Card will pop up at an angle.
• Remove the wireless card.

To install the Wireless Card:

• Insert at an angle back into the slot, and press down until the retaining clips snap into place.
• Attach the leads to the new wireless card.
• Reinstall the keyboard.

10
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

6. Bottom Housing Replacement

• Remove the hard drive, optical drive, and memory access panel.
• Remove the remaining screws. Note: the bottom right screw is much shorter. The top left and
right screws are much wider.

• Remove the 1 screw from the hard drive connector board.

• Lift up the bottom housing, and slide the hard drive connector board through the space
provided in the bottom housing.

11
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the bottom housing.

To install the bottom housing:

• Slide the hard drive connector board back through the bottom housing.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.
• Reinstall the screws.
• Reinstall the memory access panel, hard drive, and optical drive.

12
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

7. Power Button Board Replacement

• Remove the bottom housing, and heatsink & fan.

• Remove the cable by flipping the lock up.
• Remove the 3 screws.

To install the Power Button Board:

• Reinstall the power button board.
• Reinstall the 3 screws.
• Reinstall the cable.
• Reinstall the heatsink & fan.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.

13
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

8. Touchpad Board & Buttons Replacement

• Remove the motherboard.

• Remove the 2 cables by flipping the lock connectors up.
• Remove the 2 screws.

• Remove the touchpad board.

• Remove the 2 screws from the touchpad buttons.

• Remove the touchpad buttons.

14
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

To install the Touchpad Buttons & Board.

• Reinstall the touchpad buttons.
• Reinstall the 2 screws.
• Reinstall the touchpad board.
• Reinstall the 2 screws.
• Reconnect the 2 cables.
• Reinstall the motherboard.

15
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

9. Heatsink & Fan Replacement

• Remove the bottom housing.

• Disconnect the sound board cable.
• Disconnect the fan cable.

• Remove the 6 screws for the heatsink.

• Remove the plastic exhaust vent.

16
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the heatsink.

• Remove the 3 screws to remove the fan.

To install the heatsink & fan:

• Replace the 3 thermal sheets/thermal compound.
• Reinstall the fan.
• Reinstall the heatsink.
• Reinstall the 6 screws.
• Reinstall the exhaust vent.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.

17
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

10. Motherboard Replacement

• Remove the memory, optical drive, hard drive, keyboard and the 3 cables under the palmrest,
wireless card, bottom housing, cabling from the LCD panel to the motherboard, heatsink &
fan, pc card connector, DC jack cable, sound board cable, mic cable, touchpad cable, and
hard drive connector board cable.

18
Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

19
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the 1 screw.

• Remove the processor by using a flat blade screwdriver and turning the screw lock in the
appropriate direction.
• Lift the processor out of the socket.

20
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Lift the right side of the motherboard up and towards the left, the motherboard should slide
out.
• Flip the motherboard over and remove the modem.
• Disconnect the RJ-45/RJ-11 connector from the motherboard.

To install the Motherboard:

• Match up the jumper switches in the top right corner, from the original motherboard to the
new. This motherboard is ON/OFF/ON/ON.
• Reinstall the modem.
• Reconnect the RJ-45/RJ-11 connectors to the modem and motherboard.
• Reinstall the motherboard aligning the wireless switch with the button.
• Reconnect the DC jack cable.
• Reconnect the power button board cable.
• Reconnect the touchpad cable.
• Reconnect the mic cable.
• Reinstall the 1 motherboard screw.
• Reinstall the processor.
• Reinstall the heatsink & fan.
• Reinstall the exhaust vent.
• Reinstall the PC card connector.
• Reinstall the sound board cable.
• Reinstall the hard drive connector board cable.
• Reinstall the wireless card.
• Reinstall the LCD cables.
• Reinstall the 3 cables under the palmrest.
• Reinstall the keyboard.
• Reinstall the button hood.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.
• Reinstall the memory.
• Reinstall the optical drive.
• Reinstall the hard drive.

21
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

11. Modem Replacement

• Remove the motherboard.
• Flip the motherboard over.
• Remove the 2 screws.

• Lift the modem straight up.

• Disconnect the modem cable.

To install the modem:

• Reconnect the cable.
• Align the modem contacts and push to secure.
• Reinstall the 2 screws.
• Reinstall the motherboard.

22
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

12. DC Jack Replacement

• Remove the bottom housing.
• Remove the sound board.

• Remove the 3 screws. (Support the plastic sound board cover, as the cover will fall off)

• Lift up and remove the grey DC jack retainer.

• Disconnect and remove the cable. Make a note of the cable routing.

23
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the DC jack.

To install the DC Jack:

• Reinstall the DC jack.
• Reinstall the retainer.
• Reinstall the plastic sound board cover.
• Reinstall the 3 screws.
• Reconnect the cable. Verify the cable routing is correct.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.

24
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

13. RJ-45/RJ-11 Port Replacement

• Remove the motherboard.
• Slide the RJ-45/RJ-11 connectors straight up.

• Flip the motherboard over. Remove the cable from the modem and motherboard.

To install the replacement USB/RJ-11 Port Board:

• Place the RJ-45/RJ-11 ports into the chassis.
• Reconnect the cables.
• Reinstall the motherboard.

25
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

14. Sound Board Replacement

• Remove the bottom housing.

• Remove the screw.

• Remove the sound board.

• Disconnect the cable.

To install the sound board:

• Reconnect the cable.
• Reinstall the sound board.
• Reinstall the screw.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.

26
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

15. PC Card Connector Replacement

• Remove the bottom housing.

• Remove the 2 screws.

• Lift the guide straight up.

To install the PC Card Connector:

• Align the pins and push the connector in.
• Reinstall the 2 screws.
• Reinstall the bottom housing.

27
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

16. LCD Panel, Inverter & Speakers Replacement

• Remove the 4 LCD plastic grommets from the top and bottom of the left and right sides of
the LCD bezel to expose the retaining screws.

• Remove the 4 retaining screws.

• Remove the LCD bezel by starting at the inside of the bezel, near one of the screw holes, as
there may be glue holding the bezel in place. Carefully release the clips all the way around
using the non-marking pry tool.
• Remove the 2 cables from the inverter.

28
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the 8 screws that hold the LCD panel bracket to the LCD chassis.

• Remove the LCD panel from the chassis.

• Remove the 8 screws (4 on each side) that hold the 2 LCD panel brackets to the LCD panel.

To install the LCD panel:

• Reinstall the 2 LCD panel brackets and 8 screws.
• Reinstall the LCD panel and 8 screws securing the LCD panel to the chassis.
• Reconnect the 2 connectors to the inverter board.

29
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Reinstall the bezel.

• Reinstall the 4 screws on each side of the LCD.
• Reinstall the 4 screw covers.

To remove the inverter:

• Remove the 1 screw from the logo LED board.

• Remove the 2 cables from the inverter.

• Remove the inverter by using the non marking pry tool.

To remove the speakers:

• Remove the 1 screw from the logo LED board.

• Remove the 3 screws from each speaker.

30
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the 1 screw cover and screw from the back of the left hinge.

• Remove the 3 screws from underneath the battery.

• Remove the button hood.
• Remove the speaker connector from the motherboard.

• Remove the 3 screws from the each hinge to release the LCD assembly from the system.

31
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Using the non-marking pry tool, pry apart the left plastic hinge cover that secures the LCD
harness and speaker cable. You may have to completely remove the LCD assembly from the
system, and lay it flat to release the hinge covers.

32
 Sony VAIO VGN-AR Series Service Manual

• Remove the speakers.

To install the speakers:

• Reinstall the speakers and the 6 screws.
• Route the cable behind the logo LED board, and reinstall the 1 screw.
• Route the cable through the hinge cover. Note: the speaker cable needs to go in first, to allow
it to sit on the inside channel.
• Snap the hinge cover into place.
• Connect the cable to the motherboard.
• Reinstall each hinge cover screw and cover.
• Reinstall the 6 hinge screws, securing the LCD assembly to the system.
• Reinstall the button hood.

33