Chuwi Aerobook keeps switching off as if power button is stuck

markietan · March 7, 2020, 8:26am

Backed the Aerobook on indiegogo but few days back it doesn’t want to boot. It is acting as if the power button is stuck or something. Found a way on youtube by holding the “~” tilde key and was able to boot into Windows and backup my data. However once I release the ~ key, windows will initiate shutdown and it will switch off like how it would react when one press and holds the power button and cuts the power.

When powering on without holding the ~ key, it will show boot screen for a few second and switch off again. Anyone encounter this issue? How do I get it fixed in Singapore?

i managed to get them to send me a “new” keyboard after 2 months. The keyboard arrived, with missing keycap and the cable pin has got some black patches. Tried to swap keyboard, doesn’t work…

service@chuwi.com never did reply my multiple emails. The keyboard was sent by their indiegogo rep, which i backed the laptop from. They wanted me to send the laptop but local postal just won’t take it due to li-on battery inside (dangerous goods). To send by Fedex or DHL would have cost another hundred.

US$400 down the drain, no support whatsoever.

Biosham · March 7, 2020, 12:04pm

You can find any local service that repairs laptops on component level, they will easily fix this problem .
Or you can disassembly laptop, take out battery and send laptop without battery.

markietan · March 8, 2020, 6:49am

excatly what I did when I couldn’t send it back to Chuwi. That’s why Chuwi (Indiegogoo rep) was okay with sending me a keyboard to try and let the laptop repair shop fix it. Although they sent a faulty part and it arrived 2 months after… I’m supposed to pay the laptop repair shop too for work done, but laptop still not fixed

viscocent · March 9, 2020, 5:06am

Bump same problem as of yesterday, chuwi aerobook is stuck on atempting automatic repair

edministrator · March 9, 2020, 6:22am

I registered today in this forum just to contribute a report that I encountered the same exact problem as markietan today.

kirito · July 24, 2020, 1:57pm

Bump, I also have same issue, the laptop only 1 month old, and suddenly it turning off. Tried to remove the battery, plug the charger and tried to press the power button,but still not working. I think the quality chuwi aerobook is not really good.

Anurak · August 9, 2020, 4:36am

I also have the same issue. How we can solve it. Tell me please

jollero · August 19, 2020, 11:31am

Now that I have fully read this thread, I do have the exact problem. Verified and tested with the tilde key “~”. What’s up with that and why its the only key working?

I hope someone from support notices this thread.

Anurak · August 28, 2020, 4:07pm

Can you guys fix it yet?

If you can fix it, please tell me how to fix it.

jollero · August 29, 2020, 2:40am

It’s not fixable on our side – not counting holding the tilde key and that isn’t much of a solution.

You will need to contact their service email or contact the seller of your laptop. Better if the latter.
They will probably ask you to do a video of the problem so they can see it themselves and do a little bunch of tests (involves HDMI cable and a monitor).

In my case, I’m getting ready to ship it back to them via fedex. The sending is expensive but that’s the only support we have.

ptsash · September 23, 2020, 1:48pm

I managed to repair this fault. The cause: the keyboard flex cable is somehow misaligned in the socket, causing the “power-on/off” line, which should be 3.3volts, to be pulled down to 0.2volt, unless you hold down any key on the keyboard. The solution: split the flex cable into two parts – it has 28 lines, with the lines for the power button on lines 27 and 28 (counting from the left, and looking into the socket). Lines 26 and 27 are NOT connected on the flex, so I cut between lines 26 and 27 for about 2 inches. When I reinsert the flex cable, I make sure all the lines are aligned with the pins in the socket – splitting the flex into two allows you to do that. After that, reassemble everything, and there’s no more need to hold down a key to avoid the laptop powering itself off.

manonegra222 · September 23, 2020, 9:03pm

Thanks for sharing. Can you share images of the process?

ptsash · September 24, 2020, 1:29am

I did not take photos of the steps. But I did take photos of the end result, which should be sufficient to show the alignment problem.
Note the yellow Kapton tape at the bottom of the photos – it is to prevent subsequent further accidental splicing of the flex, which can ruin the entire flex cable. You can see that lines 26 to 28 are just slightly moved away (about 0.1mm) from the rest of the flex cable, to maintain correct alignment to the pins. You will need a magnifying glass or a microscope to eyeball the alignment correctly.
Precautions: the screw sockets are very fragile, do not over-tighten the screws when you put back the casing – stop when you notice slight resistance.

ptsash · September 24, 2020, 1:08am

ptsash · November 17, 2020, 10:07am

Update to the solution of this problem:
The keyboard/power socket has 28 pins. In normal operation, the power button shorts pins 27 and 28 to do a power-on action. Pin 27 should be at 2.0 V (or 3.1V if charger is plugged in) and pin 28 is at 0V (start counting the pins from the left, while looking into the socket from the ribbon side), when the keyboard ribbon is unplugged. On my Aerobook, pin 28 is somehow pulling down pin 27 to 0V if the ribbon is plugged in, even if I am not pressing down on the power button.

My solution: pins 25 and 26 are not in use, so I cut out them out on the ribbon connector, and align the pins this way: pin 26 to wire 27 on the ribbon, pin 27 to wire 28 on the ribbon (look at the new photo). Given that pin 26 is 0V, this will allow the power button to short the 2V(or 3.1V) on pin 27 to 0V, yet avoiding the problem I have with wire 28. On the photo, you will see that pins 25 and 28 are now not connected to anything on the ribbon connector. Voila, the laptop now will power up/down reliably, without shutting down inexplicably.