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Power problem XPS M1530
Hi, I have an XPS M1530 and I'm have a power problem. The battery won't charge and the ac adapter is not being recognized by the bios or OS, however, if the ac adapter is plugged in and the battery is disconnected, the laptop will still function with no problem, only that, no battery will be detected and no ac adapter either.
I did some research and my preliminary findings suggested the DC Jack Circuit Board may be faulty, since I learnt, that it was a design fault with this model, so I purchased one and changed it, but still no change in my problem.
I had also purchased a new battery initially, since the one I had was a couple years old and I thought that the laptop had stopped charging because the battery was now totally dead.
Anyone can give me any suggestions?
DELL-Allan D
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May 31st, 2013 03:00
Hello Deochand,
I really appreciate your effort in troubleshooting the issue. However, the issue seems to be with the motherboard and needs a replacement. Does the computer have an active warranty? You can check the warranty status here. In case of expired warranty scenario, we would not be able to extend warranty entitled services. If the warranty on the computer has expired, you may contact our Expired Warranty Services (this is for US based customers).
Please write back if you have any further questions.
ejn63
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May 31st, 2013 05:00
You've pretty much isolated the problem to a bad mainboard -- on this model, that's really not worth the cost of replacement. It's time for a new system.
Deochand
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May 31st, 2013 06:00
Would there be a way to isolate the mainboard problem and fix it? Like with a circuit diagram?
DELL-Allan D
2.6K Posts
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June 3rd, 2013 05:00
Hello Deochand,
In this case, the motherboard needs to replaced completely.
Deochand
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June 3rd, 2013 11:00
This weekend, I learnt about something new.
I had previously totally ruled out my ac adapter as a possible cause because the laptop works perfectly, with it plugged in and I had tested it with a multimeter and it gives the proper rating.
What I learnt was, the thin cable/wire inside of the adapter core is a signal cable, telling the adapter that it is a Dell original adapter. If the wire for this signal cable was to become loose or broken in my original dell ac adapter, I would have the problem many generic adapter users seem to have, the laptop would not recognize or see the ac adapter, but it would still accept power and function. Since the laptop is not officially 'seeing' the adapter, the battery charging circuit is not activated.
I have a friend with a Vostro, I'll find out if his model is compatible with my XPS M1530 and use his adapter to test my theory. If I'm right, I'll have to cut open the adapter plug to fix my loose cable.
Anyone want to tell my what value I should expect to get from ground to the signal cable? Or is this too propitiatory for Dell to let out?
PS.
In my opinion, this is in very poor taste DELL!!!
If I or anyone else wants to use an after market ac adapter, they should be free to do so without limitations, since it is now MY laptop... if this was the case, the broken signal cable would not be an issue, and a broken adapter would be easier to diagnose.
I don't want to put the horse before the carriage here, before I verify if I'm right or not, but your tech here didn't even give me this option, he was adamant (and I was kind of too) that the motherboard was gone. I kind of reached a similar conclusion, but I only now learnt about the function of your signal cable. (Thanks YouTube).
I'll keep you informed when I learn if I'm right or wrong, so that someone else may benefit.
MicroTest
934 Posts
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June 3rd, 2013 13:00
I guess that the answers in this thread were given in the believe that you tried a different power adapter.One has to read your initial post twice to realize that you obviously replaced the DC power jack - just a simple misunderstanding.
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Yes - you are right with your theory.There is a control/data wire which is utilized by the BIOS to get information about the power adapter.This information is stored in a tiny memory chip.What you call a design flaw is actually an attempt of Dell to make sure that users connect properly designed power adapters to their laptops.Personally I don't need that but it surely could be a big advantage in companies who deploy hundreds of laptops with different specifications.
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Dell power adapter are completely sealed.You have to bust them open if you want to do any repairs.If you are lucky enough it's just a problem with the cable.Try a different adapter first - borrow one.
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datasheet DS2401 (memory chip inside power adapter)(webpage is in german - but datasheet is in english....
www.pollin.de/.../DS2401.html
the data sheet is just for your information - buying the chip is useless since it needs to be programmed.