Dell XPS 15 9550 Battery & Fans

[davidemarciano]

I am starting having several problems with my XPS 15 9550 (late 2016).  First of all, I am really surprised that Dell Customer Service does not exist anylonger as soon as you finish the warranty period. For top gamma laptop like this I would have expected more. In addition, I am in Italy and there is no physical in-store support, it's even more difficult to receive support from here.  I have always had problems with fans and hyperventilation, but lately sometims it gets really hot that it can be even dangerous. Sometimes, the fans keep running even after I close it, and if I shut down it happens that it turns itself on again with max fans. Morover, battery life is ridicolous and now it's really become a problem, it clearly lost its laptop utility since it needs to be conncected to the charger all the time. Plus, I noticed my trackpad started swelling and it's more difficult to click on it. What can I do with it? Dell seems not to help (and they lost a client + will tell anybody not to buy from them). Of course before throwing a 2k device off I would like to find the best turnaround possible to keep using my laptop as long as I can. Let me know if you have the same problems and how you solved them. Cheers.

[samos1111]

> First of all, I am really surprised that Dell Customer Service does not exist anylonger as soon as you finish the warranty period. For top gamma laptop like this I would have expected more. Agreed. Try a local computer repair shop, might be cheaper. > I have always had problems with fans and hyperventilation, but lately sometims it gets really hot that it can be even dangerous. Hard to tell like this, maybe you have fans clogged with dust or bad thermal paste? > I noticed my trackpad started swelling and it's more difficult to click on it. It is a swollen battery underneath, not the trackpad. You likely won't be able to get a genuine replacement from Dell (welcome to the Dell customer irritation programme), so try looking up a compatible (rather than "genuine") online, preferably from a seller with good user feedback. There are often issues with replacement batteries, and one mostly can't mail them back in case of problems. Swelling may damage the trackpad etc and is an increased fire risk. IMMEDIATELY, drain the battery slowly (laptop idling), and then get the battery out carefully, following the online service manual. The laptop should work on AC without the battery. If you can't get it out immediately, set max charge level to zero in BIOS in or using Dell Command | Power Manager.

[DELL-Jesse L]

davidemarciano,

Unfortunately, based on the service tag number, the warranty has expired. You can wait for a reply from other community members or contact the Dell Out of Warranty Support Team by clicking the link below.

https://dell.to/2MU3yWn

[davidemarciano]

It seems that this link is not bringing me anywhere. Is there an email address or something?

I find it quite absurd that even if my device is out of warranty (and probably with some factory issues I was not aware of) I can't receive proper support. I am trying to see if there is a Dell support center in Malaga, Spain (where I am currently working) to solve my issues.

P.S. I also have audio crackling issue from the right speaker... just to add to the list of things.

[NotTooHappy2]

Battery swelling is a known fault causing the trackpad dysfunction. Dell had a program to send replacement batteries to all concerned for free. I have no idea how you would best contact them though.

The audio cracking from the right speaker is a blown speaker. I extended my warranty for one year and am currently on my third set of speakers.

There is a VRM over-heating issue with many XPS models. Google it and you'll find tons of information. There is a fix, which involves re-pasting the CPU and GPU and then adding a thermal bridge between the VRM chips and the aluminium base using layers of thermal conductive pad.

This laptop is a dog. I'll never buy Dell again.