problem with AC adapter in Spain

Question

My daughter took her Dell Latitude D600 to Spain for a study abroad program where she needs a computer. Before she left I was told that the cord already had a converter in the box and that all she needed to do was plug it in with the right type of adapter. So, she plugged the computer in through a 3-prong adapter into the Spanish outlet and it worked great for a week. Today she called at $.99 a minute saying that the light on the cord that plugs into laptop does not light up anymore and the computer is not coming on. Should I just send her a new battery and electrical cord assuming that must be the problem or what do you think? I spent 2 hours trying to get an answer through DELL to no avail. She is going to be there for 6 months so charging the battery is necessary. Thanks

speedstep · Answer

Electricity in Spain is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second.
Most Dell Laptop Adaptors say 100 to 240volts 50/60hz on them. All the ones that I own have a Green Lamp on them indicating power.

If the power brick doesnt show that green light when plugged into the wall then perhaps the adaptor is blown. New battery should not be necessary to run the unit if its relatively new. Have her remove the battery and see if the unit comes on. I have seen batterys that short in such a way as to prevent the unit from coming on.

Having the battery in should not be necessary for operation from the mains.

mzener · Answer

I really appreciate your help. You are right on about the green light on the converter (box on cord) that does not come on. It did for 7-8 days and does not now so that probably means that something is burned out (do you think it's the battery or the converter?). I did not understand what you meant about taking out the battery. Are you thinking that the computer may work with the converter if the battery is taken out (because it blew instead of the converter box on the cord)? Thanks again for all your help.

mzener

mzener · Answer

I was checking the DELL website to purchase an AC Adapter. They come in 2 sizes: a 60 watt or a 90 watt AC Adapter. I am assuming the 90 watt is the one I should send her if she has blown out the other one. What do you think?

speedstep · Answer

Getting the lower wattage makes some dells run in power save mode. You want the 90 watter so that it runs full speed and with max brightness on the screen. I dont know how to explain otherwise. The unit should run with the battery removed if the power brick is ok. In rare cases the battery shorts out and keeps the system from coming on. In that case you need a replacement battery. Also some dell batterys explode and catch fire. There is a battery recall for specific models and parts. I dont remember where this is but its buried in the forum somewhere. Message Edited by SpeedStep on 01-17-2006 10:22 AM

mzener · Answer

Thanks for all your help. When she took out the battery, the green light on the converter came on and she can now use the computer. No lights were on in the battery, so it must be bad. I will send her a new battery.

speedstep · Answer

Glad to hear it worked out. Yours is a case where a bad battery makes the whole thing dead. You should see if its one of the 'recalled' batterys. If it is you can get a free replacement.

Art · Answer

Battery Pack Recall ProgramHOME If you wish to read the text in another language other than English, please select the preferred language from the below list. 简体中文 | Deutsch | English | Español | Francais | 日本語 | Português Dear Dell Customer,In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dell is voluntarily recalling and offering free replacements for certain notebook batteries that were sold for use with some models of Dell Latitude TM, Dell Precision TM and Dell Inspiron TM notebook computers. It is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire.Potentially affected batteries were sold with the following models of Dell notebook computers or separately as secondary batteries: * Latitude D410, D505, D510, D600, D610, D800, D810 * Inspiron 510M, 600M, 6000, 8600, 9200, 9300, XPS Gen 2 * Precision M20, M70In addition, these batteries may have also been provided in response to service calls. The batteries were shipped to customers between October 5, 2004 and October 13th 2005. The words 'DELL' and 'Made in Japan' or 'Made in China' are printed on the back of the batteries.There is a two (2) step process to identify if your battery is affected: 1. Check if your battery model MAY be affected. If your battery is not listed, you are not affected. 2. Check if your specific battery PPID (Dell Part Piece Identification) is affected. This step is necessary to identify if your battery is affected. Only some batteries within each model are affected. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form.Step 1: Is your battery model affected?The following battery models, only, may be subject to recall:3K590 C5340 X5308F5132 U5882 U58676P922 C5446 C2603These part numbers are printed on the back of the battery packs as illustrated below. Click above to open the Dell Site.

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problem with AC adapter in Spain

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