After working inside your computer..........................9 Exiting Service Mode..............................9 Chapter 2: Removing and installing components................10 Recommended tools................................10 Screw list..................................... 10 Major components of Inspiron 15 5518..........................11 Base cover................................... 13 Removing the base cover............................13 Installing the base cover.............................14 Battery....................................15 Lithium-ion battery precautions..........................15 Removing the 3-cell battery............................16...
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Coin-cell battery................................36 Removing the coin-cell battery..........................36 Installing the coin-cell battery..........................36 Heat sink....................................37 Removing the heatsink............................... 37 Installing the heatsink..............................38 I/O board.....................................39 Removing the I/O board............................39 Installing the I/O board.............................. 40 Speakers....................................41 Removing the speakers...............................41 Installing the speakers..............................42 Touchpad.....................................44 Removing the touchpad.............................44 Installing the touchpad...............................
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Chapter 5: Troubleshooting......................73 Handling swollen Lithium-ion batteries........................73 Locate the Service Tag or Express Service Code of your Dell computer ..........73 Backup media and recovery options..........................74 System-diagnostic lights..............................74 SupportAssist diagnostics............................... 75 Built-in self-test (BIST)..............................75 M-BIST................................... 75 LCD Built-in Self Test (BIST)........................... 76 Recovering the operating system..........................76...
You should only perform troubleshooting and repairs as authorized or directed by the Dell technical assistance team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty. See the safety instructions that is shipped with the product or at www.dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
ESD protection is an increasing concern. Due to the increased density of semiconductors used in recent Dell products, the sensitivity to static damage is now higher than in previous Dell products. For this reason, some previously approved methods of handling parts are no longer applicable.
1. Shut down your computer and disconnect the AC adapter. 2. Hold <B> key on the keyboard and press the power button for 3 seconds or until the Dell logo appears on the screen. 3. Press any key to continue.
After working inside your computer About this task CAUTION: Leaving stray or loose screws inside your computer may severely damage your computer. Steps 1. Replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside your computer. 2. Connect any external devices, peripherals, or cables you removed before working on your computer. 3.
Removing and installing components NOTE: The images in this document may differ from your computer depending on the configuration you ordered. Recommended tools The procedures in this document may require the following tools: ● Phillips screwdriver #0 ● Plastic scribe Screw list NOTE: When removing screws from a component, it is recommended to note the screw type, the quantity of screws, and...
Power button with fingerprint M2x3 reader I/O board M2x3 Touchpad M1.6x2 Touchpad M2x1.8 Power-adapter port M2.5x4 Display hinges M2.5x4 Major components of Inspiron 15 5518 The following image shows the major components of Inspiron 15 5518. Removing and installing components...
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1. Base cover 2. Heat sink 3. System board 4. Memory 5. Battery 6. Right speaker 7. Palm-rest and keyboard assembly 8. Touchpad 9. Display assembly 10. Coin-cell battery 11. I/O board 12. M.2 2280 solid-state drive, if installed 13. Wireless card 14.
17. Power-adapter port NOTE: Dell provides a list of components and their part numbers for the original system configuration purchased. These parts are available according to warranty coverages purchased by the customer. Contact your Dell sales representative for purchase options.
Steps 1. Loosen the two (M2x7.75) captive screws that secure the base cover to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Remove the seven (M2x4) screws that secure the base cover to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 3. Using a plastic scribe, pry the base cover beside the display hinges, and then continue to work on the sides to open the base cover.
Steps 1. Place the base cover on top of the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Align the screw holes on the base cover with the screw holes on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly, and then snap the base cover into place. 3.
● If the battery gets stuck inside your computer as a result of swelling, do not try to release it as puncturing, bending, or crushing a lithium-ion battery can be dangerous. In such an instance, contact Dell technical support for assistance. See www.dell.com/contactdell.
Installing the 3-cell battery Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the location of the 3-cell (41 Wh) battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure.
Steps 1. Peel the tape that secures the battery cable to the system board. 2. Disconnect the battery cable from the system board. 3. Remove the four (M2x3) screws that secure the 4-cell battery to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 4.
Steps 1. Using the alignment posts, place the 4-cell battery on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Align the screw holes on the 4-cell battery with the screw holes on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 3. Replace the four (M2x3) screws that secure the 4-cell battery to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 4.
Steps 1. Flip the battery and remove the battery cable from the routing guides on the battery. 2. Disconnect the battery cable from the connector on the battery. 3. Lift the battery cable off the battery. Installing the battery cable Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure.
Steps 1. Align and place the battery cable on the battery. 2. Route the battery cable through the routing guides on the battery. 3. Connect the battery cable to the connector on the battery. Next steps 1. Install the 3-cell battery 4-cell battery, whichever applicable.
Steps 1. Lift the Mylar to access the memory module. 2. Use your fingertips to pull the securing clips from both sides of the memory module until the memory module pops-up. 3. Remove the memory module from the memory-module slot. NOTE: Repeat step 1 to step 3 to remove any other memory modules installed in your computer.
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Steps 1. Lift the Mylar to access the memory-module slot. 2. Align the notch on the memory module with the tab on the memory-module slot. 3. Slide the memory module firmly at an angle, into the memory-module slot. 4. Press the memory module down until it clicks into place. NOTE: If you do not hear the click, remove the memory module and reinstall it.
Solid-state drive—M.2 slot one Removing the 2230 solid-state drive from M.2 slot one Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. NOTE: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive. NOTE: To avoid data loss, do not remove the solid-state drive while the computer is in sleep or on state. 2.
About this task NOTE: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive. NOTE: Depending on the configuration ordered, your computer may support a 2230 solid-state drive, or a 2280 solid-state drive in M.2 slot one. NOTE: This procedure applies only if you are installing a 2230 solid-state drive in M.2 slot one. NOTE: Before installing your 2230 or 2280 solid-state drive, ensure that the mounting bracket is in the correct location.
2. Enter Service Mode. 3. Remove the base cover. About this task NOTE: Depending on the configuration ordered, your computer may support a 2280 solid-state drive, or a 2230 solid-state drive in M.2 slot one. NOTE: This procedure applies only to computers shipped with a 2280 solid-state drive installed in M.2 slot one. The following image indicates the location of the 2280 solid-state drive that is installed in M.2 slot one and provides a visual representation of the removal procedure.
The following image indicates the location of the 2280 solid-state drive that is installed in M.2 slot one and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1. Align the notch on the 2280 solid-state drive with the tab on the solid-state drive slot. 2.
The following image provides a visual representation of the procedure to install the solid-state drive mounting bracket when replacing M.2 2280 solid-state drive with M.2 2230 solid-state drive in M.2 slot one. Steps 1. Slide and remove the solid-state drive mounting bracket from the mounting bracket slot on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly.
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NOTE: This procedure applies only to computers shipped with a 2230 solid-state drive installed in M.2 slot two. 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. NOTE: Solid-state drives are fragile. Exercise care when handling the solid-state drive. NOTE: To avoid data loss, do not remove the solid-state drive while the computer is in sleep or on state.
Steps 1. Remove the screw (M2x3) that secures the solid-state drive thermal shield and the solid-state drive to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Slide and lift the solid-state drive thermal shield off the solid-state drive. 3. Slide and remove the solid-state drive from the M.2 slot two. Installing the 2230 solid-state drive in M.2 slot two Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure.
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Steps 1. Align the notch on the 2230 solid-state drive with the tab on M.2 slot two on the system board. 2. Slide the 2230 solid-state drive into M.2 slot two on the system board. 3. Place the solid-state drive thermal shield on the solid-state drive. 4.
Wireless card Removing the wireless card Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Enter Service Mode. 3. Remove the base cover. About this task The following images indicate the location of the wireless card and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1.
Installing the wireless card Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the location of the wireless card and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1.
2. Align the notch on the wireless card with the tab on the wireless-card slot on the system board. 3. Slide and insert the wireless card at an angle into the wireless-card slot on the system board. 4. Align the screw hole on the wireless-card bracket to the screw hole on the wireless card and system board. 5.
3. Lift the fan off the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. Installing the fan Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task The following image indicates the location of the fan and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1.
Coin-cell battery Removing the coin-cell battery Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. CAUTION: Removing the coin-cell battery resets the BIOS setup program’s settings to default. It is recommended that you note the BIOS setup program’s settings before removing the coin-cell battery. 2.
About this task The following image indicates the location of the coin-cell battery and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1. Adhere the coin-cell battery to the slot on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Connect the coin-cell battery cable to the I/O board. Next steps 1.
About this task The following images indicate the location of the heatsink and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1. In reverse sequential order (as indicated on the heat sink), loosen the four captive screws that secure the heat sink to the system board.
Steps 1. Align the screw holes on the heat sink with the screw holes on the system board. 2. In sequential order (as indicated on the heat sink), tighten the four captive screws that secure the heat sink to the system board.
Steps 1. Remove the two (M2.5x4) screws that secure the left hinge. 2. Open the display hinge at an angle of 90 degrees. 3. Open the latch, and disconnect the power button with optional fingerprint reader cable from the I/O board. 4.
Steps 1. Slide the I/O board into the slots on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Align the screw hole on the I/O board with the screw hole on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 3. Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the I/O board to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 4.
About this task The following images indicate the location of the speakers and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1. Open the latch and disconnect the keyboard backlit cable, keyboard cable, and the touchpad cable from the system board. 2.
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About this task The following image indicates the location of the speaker and provides a visual representation of the installation procedure. Steps 1. Using the alignment posts and rubber grommets, place the speakers on the slots of the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2.
Touchpad Removing the touchpad Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the battery. About this task The following images indicate the location of the touchpad and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Steps 1.
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Steps 1. Slide the touchpad into the slot on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. NOTE: Turn the computer over and open the display. Ensure that the touchpad is equally aligned along all four sides. 2. Replace the two (M2x1.8) screws that secure the touchpad to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 3.
Display assembly Removing the display assembly Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Enter Service Mode. 3. Remove the base cover. About this task The following images indicate the location of the display assembly and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure. Removing and installing components...
Steps 1. Peel the tape that secures the display cable to the system board. 2. Open the latch and disconnect the display cable from the system board. 3. Remove the two (M2.5x4) screws that secure the left-display hinge to the system board. 4.
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Steps 1. Slide the display assembly at an angle, and place the display assembly on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Using the alignment posts, close the display hinges. 3. Replace the two (M2.5x4) screws that secure the right-display hinge to the system board. 4.
Power button with optional fingerprint reader Removing the power button with optional fingerprint reader Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Enter Service Mode. 3. Remove the base cover. 4. Remove the board. About this task The following images indicate the location of the power-button with optional fingerprint reader and provide a visual representation of the removal procedure.
Steps 1. Align and place the power button with optional fingerprint reader on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Replace the screw (M2x3) that secures the power button with optional fingerprint reader to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. Next steps 1.
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3. Remove the 3-cell battery 4-cell battery, whichever applicable. 4. Remove the memory module. 5. Remove the M.2 2280 solid-state drive M.2 2230 solid-state drive from M.2 slot one, whichever applicable. 6. Remove the M.2 2230 solid-state drive from M.2 slot two, if applicable. 7.
Steps 1. Remove the three (M2.5x4) screws that secure the right display hinge to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Open the right display hinge at an angle of 90 degrees. 3. Peel the tape that secures the display cable to the system board. 4.
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NOTE: Replacing the system board removes any changes you have made to the BIOS using the BIOS setup program. You must make the appropriate changes again after you replace the system board. The following image indicates the connectors on your system board. Figure 2.
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Steps 1. Align and place the system board on the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 2. Replace the three (M2x2) screws that secure the system board to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. 3. Connect the display cable to the system board and close the latch to secure the cable. 4.
13. Connect the I/O-board cable to the system board. 14. Adhere the tape that secures the I/O-board cable to the system board. 15. Close the right display hinge. 16. Replace the three (M2.5x4) screws that secure the right display-hinge to the palm-rest and keyboard assembly. Next steps 1.
Steps 1. Remove the two (M2.5x4) screws that secure the right display-hinge to the system board. 2. Open the display hinge at an angle of 90 degrees. 3. Disconnect the power-adapter port cable from the system board. 4. Peel the tape that secures the power-adapter port cable to the system board. 5.
Palm-rest and keyboard assembly Removing the palm-rest and keyboard assembly Prerequisites 1. Follow the procedure in Before working inside your computer. 2. Remove the base cover. 3. Remove the 3-cell battery 4-cell battery, whichever applicable. 4. Remove the memory module. 5.
Installing the palm-rest and keyboard assembly Prerequisites If you are replacing a component, remove the existing component before performing the installation procedure. About this task Place the palm-rest and keyboard assembly on a flat surface. Removing and installing components...
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Next steps 1. Install the display assembly. 2. Install the touchpad. 3. Install the speakers. 4. Install the power-adapter port. 5. Install the power-button with optional fingerprint reader. 6. Install the system board. NOTE: The system board can be installed along with the heat sink. 7.
Drivers and downloads When troubleshooting, downloading or installing drivers it is recommended that you read the Dell Knowledge Based article, Drivers and Downloads FAQ 000123347. Drivers and downloads...
Boot Sequence allows you to bypass the System Setup–defined boot device order and boot directly to a specific device (for example: optical drive or hard drive). During the Power-on Self Test (POST), when the Dell logo appears, you can: ● Access System Setup by pressing F2 key...
● Bring up the one-time boot menu by pressing F12 key The one-time boot menu displays the devices that you can boot from including the diagnostic option. The boot menu options are: ● Removable Drive (if available) ● STXXXX Drive (if available) NOTE: XXX denotes the SATA drive number.
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Table 4. System setup options—System information menu (continued) Overview Health Displays the battery health. AC Adapter Displays whether an AC adapter is connected. If connected, the AC adapter type. PROCESSOR Processor Type Displays the processor type. Maximum Clock Speed Displays the maximum processor clock speed. Minimum Clock Speed Displays the minimum processor clock speed.
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Table 5. System setup options—Boot Configuration menu (continued) Boot Configuration By default, ONBOARD NIC (IPV6) is selected By default, UEFI Hard Drive is selected Secure Boot Enable Secure Boot Enables secure boot using only validated boot software. Default: OFF Secure Boot Mode Modifies the behavior of Secure Boot to allow evaluation or enforcement of UEFI driver signatures.
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Enables or disables cloud Service OS recovery if the main OS fails to boot within the number of failures equal or greater than the value specified by Dell Auto OS Recovery Threshold, and local Service does not boot, or is not installed.
Table 10. System setup options—Update,Recovery menu (continued) Update,Recovery Default: 2. Table 11. System setup options—System Management menu System Management Service Tag Displays the Service Tag of the computer. Asset Tag Creates a system Asset Tag that can be used by an IT administrator to uniquely identify a particular system.
CAUTION: The password features provide a basic level of security for the data on your computer. CAUTION: Anyone can access the data that is stored on your computer if it is not locked and left unattended. NOTE: System and setup password feature is disabled. Assigning a system setup password Prerequisites You can assign a new System or Admin Password only when the status is in Not Set.
Clearing BIOS (System Setup) and System passwords About this task To clear the system or BIOS passwords, contact Dell technical support as described at www.dell.com/contactdell. NOTE: For information on how to reset Windows or application passwords, refer to the documentation accompanying Windows or your application.
One-Time boot menu on the computer. Most of the Dell computers built after 2012 have this capability, and you can confirm by booting your computer to the F12 One-Time Boot Menu to see if BIOS FLASH UPDATE is listed as a boot option for your computer. If the option is listed, then the BIOS supports this BIOS update option.
● Using a non-Dell or incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or explosion. Replace the battery only with a compatible battery purchased from Dell that is designed to work with your Dell computer. Do not use a battery from other computers with your computer.
Backup media and recovery options It is recommended to create a recovery drive to troubleshoot and fix problems that may occur with Windows. Dell proposes multiple options for recovering Windows operating system on your Dell PC. For more information. see...
Table 15. Diagnostic-light codes (continued) Diagnostic light codes Problem description (Amber, white) BIOS recovery image not found Recovery image found but invalid Power-rail failure System BIOS Flash incomplete Management Engine (ME) error SupportAssist diagnostics About this task The SupportAssist diagnostics (previously known as ePSA diagnostics) performs a complete check of your hardware. The SupportAssist diagnostics is embedded in the BIOS and is launched by it internally.
It enables you to diagnose hardware issues, repair your computer, back up your files, or restore your computer to its factory state. You can also download it from the Dell Support website to troubleshoot and fix your computer when it fails to boot into their primary operating system due to software or hardware failures.
Real Time Clock—RTC reset The Real Time Clock (RTC) reset function allows you or the service technician to recover the recently launched model Dell Latitude and Precision systems from No POST/No Boot/No Power situations. You can initiate the RTC reset on the system from a power-off state only if it is connected to AC power.
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● Key Databases ● System Logs NOTE: The IT administrator's vPro account and password on the system will be un-provisioned. The system needs to go through the setup and configuration process again to reconnect it to the vPro server. The below items may or may not reset based on your custom BIOS setting selections: ●...
Getting help and contacting Dell Self-help resources You can get information and help on Dell products and services using these self-help resources: Table 17. Self-help resources Self-help resources Resource location Information about Dell products and services www.dell.com My Dell app...