Battery plugged in, not charging?

I have had the same charging issue and followed the steps you suggested. My version of BIOS was newer than your suggested patch. I did not replace the newer version with the old, following Dell's recommendation. This leads me to think the problem is not with a BIOS patch.

I have had this problem on my  on my XPS laptop and after trying all suggested solutions I remembered that the connector is such a poor fit that it regularly falls out. So I wrapped the connector in a piece of cooking foil and lo and behold it's now charging.

I suggest this is a design fault.

Hi Gadfly Inc,

Please follow the steps mentioned below to check if the adapter is detected properly.

1. Start the computer by pressing the power button
2. Press the F2 key 2-3 times
3. You will now be on the BIOS screen
4. Under the Main Tab look for the option that says AC Adapter Type
5. If the Adapter Type says Unknown or None with the adapter plugged in.
6. Reconnect the adapter to the machine and if the status now shows as Unknown then please update the BIOS again on the system.
7. Also, please check for Battery Health status under advanced tab in the BIOS.

Also, I would suggest you update the BIOS on the system again. Please enter your service tag # on the link below, select the OS, then download the BIOS from BIOS section onto the system and install it. Then run the diagnostics again.

http://dell.to/ZaQuel

Please let me know if this helps.

As cacophis noted, the cable clamp is a poor fit. My neighbor dropped her computer (obviously not a good idea in the first place) and the cable lost electrical connection though it appeared to still be seated correctly.

The cable is thinner than the other ribbon cables used in the computer which is why the connection is a poor fit. If it happens to my neighbor's Dell again I will try small piece of paper or other shim to secure the cable.

That didn't do it for mine.  Same problem after BIOS update.

Hi RoyCross,

Please share the exact system model. Also, try releasing the residual charge from the system, here are the steps:

• Disconnect any external peripherals (flash drives, printers, external hard drives) from the computer including the battery and AC Adapter.
• Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds.
• Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter. Try to restart the computer and check.

Also, I request you to try an alternate good known AC adapter to check functionality. Hope this helps.

Please reply if you have any questions.

Thanks so much for this,,, tried everything else and didn't work... THIS WORKED!   

Hi Dianne778,

Glad to know you found the information shared on this thread helpful and it resulted in fixing the issue. Feel free to reach out to us if you need any assistance in future.

We tried to check the BIOS, it won't do anything because her computer is at 0%

Check the BIOS setup. If the AC adapter is listed as "unknown", the battery won't charge.

If that's the case, try a new Dell OEM AC adapter first.  If that doesn't solve the problem, replace the DC jack:

http://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=6444

And if that doesn't solve it, replace the mainboard.

A BIOS update will not help -- this is a hardware problem with the adapter, jack or mainboard.

My girlfriend is having issues with her Dell Inspiron 1545. Her battery won't charge. We have tried to take the battery out and clean it, we have taken the battery out to see if it will run on the charger cord and it does, we have even tried to do the BIOS update, but her battery is at 0% and so the BIOS won't allow us to update her computer. Do you have any other ideas as to what we can do to fix this? She has become very frustrated with the computer, and I don't blame her

You mentioned that it will run on AC power - is that not the case?  If it won't run on either AC or battery -- and the LED on the adapter is ON before you plug in the notebook end - that's a different situation and likely indicates a faulty system board.

As for the Dell laptop (various models), "plugged in, not charging" AC power adapter or "brick" issue:

- if you have a Dell computer (mine is a Dell N5110), Dell battery and a Dell charger - you probably have to buy a new battery or a Dell branded charger (based on what I have read on the net). There is a "Dallas chip" referenced in the Dell AC adapter in the above video and also mentioned elsewhere. The brick for my laptop is huge and heavy - 2x the size or more of any other laptop AC adapter that I have ever used on any other machine. In brief, this is how Dell screws us as consumers - there is absolutely NO OTHER REASON for doing this.

- if you have a non Dell AC adapter you are also screwed. I have also called Dell. They will tell you the problem is with the adapter. Usually they will try to convince the consumer that the Universal chargers that work for almost every laptop are simply not powerful enough to both power up and also to charge the battery. What sheer nonsense. Yes, the Dell huge brick wants to pull 50% more amps than the Universal AC adapters. The battery system used by Dell purposely requires more power than required by almost everyone else. Why - to make the consumer pay more. There is NO OTHER REASON for doing this, especially in a lower grade, non-gamer laptop. So please, respond to this by trying to buy a working brick cheap off Ebay or from a 3rd party seller / supplier - but only if they will guarantee that their brick will both power the laptop and charge up the battery back to 100%. You might want to check Apple / Mac vendors 1st, as they tend to be super nice over the phone and may be able to help you cheaply and easily.

Putting the AC plug at the back of the laptop and not using a right angle AC adapter pin was another stroke of design ineptness. This design leads to numerous problems. Just another way for Dell to make money when the plug loosens, etc.

The N5110 can be a good laptop in other areas: my build had a full set of number keys, a large HD and memory and some USB 3.0 ports. However, replacing the hard drive is a disaster - again a terrible design. The keyboard keys are not backlit and are terribly hard to see in low light - again poor design features. I paid extra for in home repair service - and in the US, this was wonderful.