Why my Chromebook-11 3120 or Chromebook-13 7310 will not power on?

Follow the guidelines below to troubleshoot and resolve an issue with your Dell Chromebook-11 3120 or Chromebook-13 7310 not charging or powering on.

Chromebook 3120 charging/Power Issues.

The Dell Chromebook-11 3120 or Chromebook-13 7310 systems may not charge the system battery or power on.

This issue is caused by the list of factors below:

• Certain USB devices link the +5 Volt connection and one of the other USB contact together triggering the Over Voltage Protection (OVP) to engage to protect the system from Damage.
• These USB devices that could cause this to happen:
  • USB Power Packs
  • iPhones
  • Other Cell Phones
  • Bluetooth speakers
  • Tablets
  • Any other device that has a battery that needs to be charged
• It is possible that any device that has a battery, that needs to be charged, could potently cause this issue, when plugged in to the USB 2.0 port on the right side of the system. (EG: Cell phone, Bluetooth speaker or a Tablet).

Use the workaround steps below to resolve and prevent this issue from occurring.

Workaround

So far, the issue is only seen on the right side USB port (USB 2.0) on the Chromebook-11 3120 and left side USB port (USB 2.0) on the Chromebook 7310 (Figure 1 and Figure 2).

Figure 1: Right view of Chromebook 3120 with USB port (USB 2.0)

Figure 2: Chromebook 7310 left view with USB port (USB 2.0)

Charging USB device using the USB 3.0 port is the recommended solution to this issue (Figure 3 and Figure 4).

Figure 3: Chromebook 3120 left view with USB 3.0 port

Figure 4: Chromebook 7310 right view with USB 3.0 port

Since the left USB port is BC1.2 (Battery Charge), it is designed for USB-powered portable equipment which needs a smart method for determining the appropriate amount of power to draw for both normal operation and charging.

Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance , what is it?

At home, in the car, or plugged into a computer, USB-powered portable equipment needs a smart method for determining the appropriate amount of power to draw for both normal operation and charging.

Due to the huge variety of portable devices, differences in USB ports, and complicated nature of rechargeable batteries, the USB Battery Charging Specification Revision 1.2 was developed.

It is a critical standard for establishing the proper way to charge a battery from a USB port. You can find additional information on this subject from this: USB Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance Plan .

Chromebook 3120 BC 1.2 information can be found in Table 6 of these links: http://downloads.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_chromebook/chromebook-11-3120_Reference%20Guide_en-us.pdf or http://downloads.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_chromebook/chromebook-13-7310_Setup%20Guide_en-us.pdf

Reset after over volt protection trips.

If the system has already encountered this issue and the over-volt protection has tripped, the steps below should resolve the issue:

1. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to drain the flea power to the system.
2. With the system powered off, disconnect the AC Adapter to prevent damage to the system.
3. Turn the system over on a protected surface to prevent scratches to the cover and remove the 7 screws holding the bottom cover in place. This will give you access to the system battery.
   
   
   Figure 5: Chromebook 3120 bottom view
4. Unplug battery power connection from motherboard (The connector plug moves out horizontally toward the battery). Wait 15 seconds then reconnect the battery power connection to the motherboard connector. This should restore the system to normal operating mode.
   
   
   Figure 6: Chromebook-11 3120 battery connection
   
   
   Figure 7: Chromebook-13 7310 battery connection
    
5. Re-install the bottom cover & screws.
6. Turn the system over and then re-connect the AC power adapter to the system.

To prevent the issue from re-occurring, only plug these type of USB devices into the USB 3.0 port on the side of the system.

You may also experience an issue with the Dell Chromebook not powering on if the battery is depleted. Follow the instructions in the following Dell Knowledgebase article to resolve this issue: Dell Chromebook not booting on AC adapter with battery depleted.