5540 1 Amber 8 White LED flashing, not listed in the list of fault codes

Question

I have a 5540 that after going to sleep/hibernation needs 10 second push on power button to start up again, and it flashes 1 Amber and 8 white LEDS as part of displaying an Error.

This is not listed under a-reference-guide-for-latitude-notebook-and-tablet-diagnostic-indicators as that list starts at 2,1 and this displays 1,8.

Anyone happens to know what this error code means?

//Lars

DELL-Nat M · Answer

Dell laptops use a combination of amber and white LED flashes to indicate specific system issues. The 1 amber and 8 white LED code has been observed across multiple models, including Latitude, XPS, and Dell Plus systems. While this code is not always listed in standard fault code references, it often points to a BIOS-related issue or, in some cases, a motherboard fault.

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

Connect the AC Adapter Directly
If your system is connected via a docking station, try powering it using a direct AC adapter. Some users have reported successful boot after switching from dock to direct power.
Perform a Power Drain
Disconnect all power sources, then press and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Reconnect the power and try turning the system on again.
Update the BIOS
If the system boots, update the BIOS to the latest version. This has resolved the issue on several models:
- Dell Plus systems
- XPS systems

Next Steps

If the issue persists after these steps, it may indicate a motherboard failure or a deeper firmware conflict. We recommend contacting our support team for further assistance.

You can use the Get Help Now chat feature located at the bottom right corner of this page.

Or, you may reach out to a trusted technician for a hands-on diagnosis.

Carson Barry · Answer

Same issue just now. Can confirm that this post is the only relevant result I found.Laptop was powered via dock. Swapped to direct power supply and was able to POST and boot.Recommend trying the same.

ccarico · Answer

Same issue here, had it on multiple devices. Powering via dock and brick didn't change anything.

Press and held the power button for 30s to discharge any remaining components. Error code stopped.

Got a "Windows failed to boot correctly" prompt initially, but a restart brought it back to normal.

Briannenicole8 · Answer

Is there a solution for this? I'm experiencing the same issue with about 10 new 5540's. It only seems to happen when charged on a docking station overnight. It powers on fine when connected to a direct power source.

WedgeTHX · Answer

I am having the same error code lights. Happens overnight on a brand new Dell 5340 connected to a Dell dock.

jminett · Answer

Same issue here. Connected to dock power. Gets in this state after sleep mode activates.

jminett · Answer

@jminett​ Dell is sending a new motherboard. No clue what the error means, but whatever it is involves a new motherboard.

AardvarkTech · Answer

@Briannenicole8​ Same here. We just deployed 20+ 5540s this month and are experiencing this same behavior with 3 of them so far. We're using Dell P2422he monitor w/ built-in dock. Please let me know if you get an answer from Dell!

WateryMilk · Answer

@AardvarkTech​ Having the exact same problem with 2 out of 5 of the 5540s. All connected to the WD19S docks. Dell has replaced both the Motherboard and Battery with nothing changing. Desperate for a fix

jasonchen · Answer

I'm also experiencing the same issue, about 2-3 of my laptops got it. had the motherboard and batteries replaced and nothing. when speaking with the pro support team it was said that it's an OS issue that Microsoft is aware of, but it does not explain what those error lights mean. I'm sending it out to Dell again to take a look.

Stewie-ZN · Answer

This just happened to me now and I'm freaking out.  Switching between Dock and Brick hasn't made a difference. Will keep trying.

E.Veloso · Answer

This just happened to me too, with a new 3540 connected to a docking WD19.

Andy.S_J · Answer

I also have this with a brand new 3540 and WD19. I think I've narrowed the issue down to occurring when the dock is connected with ethernet and then the laptop is connected and goes to sleep. When the laptop is already connected to the dock and then the ethernet is connected to the dock, I'm not seeing the issue once the laptop goes to sleep.

Can anyone else confirm this or have any solutions yet? I've tried updating drivers but no luck so far. Even though Dell has chipset update 2313.4.16.0 available online, it doesn't seem to apply it when I try installing it. The laptop still only shows version 2306.4.3.0 is installed.

AardvarkTech · Answer

@WateryMilk​ @Briannenicole8​ May have found a resolution for this, though the sample size is still small. In Device Manager, under Universal Serial Bus controllers, I opened up each Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub device and in the Power Management tab unchecked the box to 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'. I had made other changes before this, such as updating the dock firmware and disabling the above power setting on the Thunderbolt controller device, but neither of those by themselves fixed the issue. After making the above change to the SuperSpeed USB Hub devices, I have not run into the sleep issues in the past few days. These issues were occurring daily, so I'm hoping this is the fix.​

sradford09 · Answer

For anyone still needing a solution we found on the E5540s that if you go into BIOS > Power > USB PowerShare and toggle that option on that this issue is resolved completely.

The suggestion by @AardvarkTech does work great, but it has to be changed for each dock that the system is connected to so in a hoteling environment still caused issues.

UPDATE: Some of our machines are still having the issue after making this change, but it did fix it for some of them. We have just starting setting Windows to never sleep while connected to power and that resolves it completely.

Latitude

5540 1 Amber 8 White LED flashing, not listed in the list of fault codes

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

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