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Dell XPS 15, Plugged in but not charging
Hello All, I'm hoping someone can help me, I've exhausted all means I have of solving this problem.
I have a Dell XPS 15 (L502x) that has decided it doesn't want to charge anymore. When I plug the charger in, it functions to power the laptop, but it does not charge the battery. The system tray icon says, "Plugged in, not charging", I also get a warning when booting that the XPS cannot determine the wattage of the adapter.
I know the adapter is good, I've tested it on other dell laptops (I work for Dell services, so there are plenty laying around), the battery is also, good, it works fine in other laptops. I've disassembled the laptop, and the solder joins on the barrel plug looks fine, and I see no noticeable damage (burned out traces, busted caps, etc) to the motherboard.
The only thing I can think if left is that there is damage that I can't see to the voltage/amperage regulator on the motherboard. Short of replacing the motherboard (where would I get one anyway?), I don't know how to fix that.
I'm hoping someone else knows how to fix this, my laptop is recently out of warranty, so I can't contact Dell support.
DELL-Sujatha K
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January 23rd, 2013 07:00
Hi malfist,
I appreciate for all the trouble shooting steps done. I request you to do one last step that is to check the status of the ac adapter in the BIOS. To go to BIOS restart the system and at Dell logo keep taping the F2 key every two seconds. Please check the status for the ‘Ac Adapter type’. Also check if a known good Ac adapter and battery work on this system.
I also suggest you to flash BIOS to the latest version provided the battery as minimum 15% charge and Ac adapter should be connect as this step needs uninterrupted power supply. Please click on the link below to flash BIOS.
http://dell.to/S8eDLW
Please reply to this post for further assistance.
malfist
6 Posts
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January 23rd, 2013 08:00
How can I get a replacement?
malfist
6 Posts
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January 23rd, 2013 08:00
Hello Sujatha,
The AC adapter is listed as "Unknown" in the BIOS. Switching batteries or adapters does not change anything.
kirkd
5.2K Posts
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January 23rd, 2013 08:00
Most likely the adaptor socket is bad, even if it looks OK. The socket and mother board plug are easily replaced.
kirkd
5.2K Posts
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January 23rd, 2013 21:00
order one from Dell parts, or check the web. eBay sells lots of Dell parts.
malfist
6 Posts
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January 24th, 2013 06:00
Oh, whew! That should be a lot cheaper. I thought the fault would be on the motherboard's power regulator.
Do you think if I took the socket assembly out again and resoldered the wires, would that make a difference?
malfist
6 Posts
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January 24th, 2013 06:00
I don't see a motherboard listed for L502x on dell's website. Googling indicates that the part I'm looking for is DAGM6CMB8D0, but there seems to be several versions of it. How would I know which one I need?
I bought the XPS with the dedicated video card, and the i5 dual core (2.3-2.9) (I think it is i5-2410M, but I'm not near my laptop to find out.)
kirkd
5.2K Posts
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January 24th, 2013 06:00
You don't need the mother board, only the DC socket assembly: DC socket, wire and plug that connects the DC socket to the mother board. You will probably need to contact Dell Parts by phone to order the part.
kirkd
5.2K Posts
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January 24th, 2013 12:00
Don't know. It depends on how complicated the wiring is. Should be easier than when the socket is soldered to the system board. I tried to do one once and was not successful. You might want to remove the plug and socket and check the continuity of each lead to see if there is a break somewhere. If you see no problem, then the problem may be on the system board. That's a $400 repair from Dell.
malfist
6 Posts
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January 24th, 2013 13:00
I found the part on ebay for $9 shipped so I'll just wait until it gets here next week. I can get the motherboard for $198, and I won't need Dell to do the installation for me.
This seems to be a common problem with most dell laptops (they all use the same barrel plug), even the computer at work has this problem (I just charge it through the dock), and further research indicates that the DC power jack is the only thing that needs to be replaced (if it's the the adapter or the battery).