Power Problems

Question

When I plug in my AC adapter the light does not come on indicating the battery is charging.  When I try to turn it on the leds light for about three seconds and then it shuts off.   My warranty expired 2 weeks ago.  Please help.

Tracey Beachboa · Answer

The led on the adapter is on and stays on when I plug it into the laptop.

Tracey Beachboa · Answer

When I plug the AC adapter into the notebook the charging LED does not light.  I checked the voltage on the output of the adapter and there is 19V DC.  What is the center pin for?

ejn63 · Answer

If the LED on the AC adapter is off when it's left unplugged from the notebook side, it's faulty.

If the LED is ON and then goes out when you plug in the notebook side, the mainboard in the notebook is faulty.

ejn63 · Answer

The center pin completes a logic circuit the senses the adapter and charges the battery. It sounds like the power jack in the notebook has come loose from the mainboard.

Tracey Beachboa · Answer

I'm concernd about local repair companies.  I'm sure they will claim to be able to fix the problem but I don't have confidence in them.    Are there specific ones that Dell would recommend for the repairs.  Can I send it back to Dell?   If Dell can repair can you let me know the approximate cost and how long the turn around is?   Thanks

ejn63 · Answer

The warranty starts on the date of shipment from Dell.

Tracey Beachboa · Answer

When I put in my service tag it showed the warranty expired 10/27/07.  This was received as a Christmas present on 12/25/06.  What is the policy on warranty for gifts?   Everything I'm reading sounds like the it's the power jack connection on the main board.

ejn63 · Answer

Dell (and most places) will replace the mainboard. Cost will be about $500, part and labor included.

It may be possible to have the jack replaced without the board replacement - cost about $150. This isn't trivial work, nor is it a job for a hack with a soldering iron. www.aqstech.com specializes in such repairs on all notebooks - the power jack is a common point of failure on all models, not just Dells.

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Power Problems

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