Guide to fixing a laptop power jack. A Do-it-yourselfer
Fixing a DC power jack on your (or someone else’s) laptop can be difficult. Not knowing what you are up against is a sure sign that you won’t ever get it back together. However with the proper steps, repairing a DC Jack can be accomplished with little headache.
This is by no means an official super user manual. This write up is a check list and a general guide to help you replace a DC jack without having to purchase a new motherboard or a new laptop.
Disclaimer: I claim NO RESPONSIBILITY for anyone who fails in their attempt to replace a DC jack or any damage laptops can receive following this guide. I am just trying to inform others from the steps I have taken for DC replacement and the blunders I have performed myself.
0) As step zero, it is important to make sure that you identify a bad DC jack. If a laptop isn’t charging when it’s plugged in combined with a very loose power jack port usually indicates you have a bad DC jack. I have also seen DC Jacks that are just fine, however when looked inside, you see it has been physically destroyed on the rear end of the jack itself. Each case is mostly different, but you will run across 3 possible scenerios.
a) The DC jack has cold solders and it just needs to be resoldered (the most common).
b) The DC jack has been broken in unseen areas of the jack itself (common diagnosis is the wiggling of the jack with the adapter).
c) There is nothing wrong with the DC Jack and it’s an issue with something else onboard (uncommon, but it happens).
1) Do your research.
So you conclude that you have a bad jack. Find out what style or sort of power jack you need for the laptop. You don’t need to open the laptop to find out what type of power jack you need. Go to ebay and search for model laptop + dc jack. For example, if you have a Dell Inspiron 2300, search ebay for “inspiron 2300 jack”. You will be greeted with some useful results. Not only will it give you results for DC Jacks but they they look like in general. It would suck if you ordered a random DC jack that doesn’t even fit inside the notebook.
At this time, it would be best to check to see if the laptop powers on. If here is enough battery juice left, turn it on to ensure that the laptop works fine. It will be essential after reassembly which I will explain later
Some models like Toshiba Satellites will have a DC jack with different pin sizes. The pin in the middle of the jack will be a different gauge or different size. It’s crucial that you check to ensure that you get the correct jack size. Failure to do so will ensure you some problems when you plug in your Power adapter (ie: it won’t fit). When you receive your DC jack in the mail, fit it on the power adapter that goes the notebook to make sure that you received the right DC jack.
2) Prepare and gather the tools you need. Make sure you have the right tools for the job.
– Screw Drivers (different sizes and shapes)
– Paper
– Pen or Pencil
– Packaging Tape
– Soldering Iron (and soldering essentials)
– Volt meter (to check continuity)
– Basic electronics and soldering knowledge
Make sure you have different types of phillips screw drivers, flat headed screw drivers, hex screw drivers, torque screw drivers, etc. If you have never been inside your laptop, then you don’t know what to expect.
3) Visual overview and time to get to know your laptop. This one is I consider an important step, but it can easily be missed.. Before I am ready to disassemble a laptop, I always look at every single screw hole, removable piece and potential issues. It’s just a practice that I myself perform to help me remember where the nooks and corners are. Take about 5 minutes to sit down and rotate the laptop around and look at it in more detail.
Time to get started…
4) Remove the external devices. By external devices, I am talking about the Hard Drive, Battery, PCMCIA devices if you have any, etc. When you remove these devices, you will see screws in new places and it will obviously make it easier to access the laptop when disassembly occurs. The CD ROM from a laptop, most of the time, cannot be removed at this point. When you start removing screws, it may be easier to remove the CDROM later but not in the beginning.
5) Disassembly and documentation of your steps. This is where the paper and pencil come in. The super duper most important tactic you need to perform during the disassembly process is the documentation. I cannot emphasize enough the need to document where every single screw location and size.
The most general place to start disassembly is on the bottom of the laptop. It has the most accessible screws. Generally what you want to do is draw on a piece of paper a rough diagram of one laptop. Draw one side of the laptop per page. On the diagram, label where screws are located on the laptop. Be as descriptive as possible about the location of the screws and their location. Here is a general example of a diagram.
When you remove screws, use the tape to stick them near the hole where they came from. In case the tape fails, the diagram you draw will assist you in putting them back where they belong. Document the order in which pieces are removed. Another solution (and what I personally do) is to collect all the screws from a section, tape them in a little bundle and stick them in a notable location.
Some laptops have only 2-3 sizes of different screws. There are many laptops that have many different sized screws. Take the time and document where each screw comes from. IBM Thinkpads are nice. They actually have a sticker that shows the label of screws and screw sizes. It comes in handy. Some Toshibas also have a label next to screw holes and give you unique identifiers.
Once again, it’s essential that you document each step you take during the disassembly of the laptop!
6) Handle with care. The Plate connector beneath the LCD is the most fragile piece of the laptop disassembly. That’s why I gave it it’s own mini-section.
It’s the most fragile because if you force to plate too hard, you will snap or damage it. Some models have it just tied down by a few screws underneath the laptop. Most models have a snap action to it. It comes in handy to use a very super duper thin flat head screw driver to probe the plate. If the screw driver bends too much, then it’s time to probe in a different section. Please be cautious when doing this. A good place to probe is on the hinges where the plate overlaps next to the LCD hinge. When you start pulling up on the hinge from the corners, it will start exposing the parts underneath it.
(Note: The LCD display will not have to be disassembled fully. Just the cord and hinges can be removed alone. You do not have to get into the insides of the LCD.)
7) Motherboard access review. You’ve disassembled the laptop and you have the motherboard in your hands. Look at the DC jack and it’s connection to the motherboard. The most common issue I see with DC jack failure is cold soldering or failure in the solder itself. Most of the time, the jack can be repaired by re-soldering the current DC jack in place. Some of the time, the DC Jack itself is damaged and needs to be replaced.
8 ) Replace / Repair the DC Jack. If the DC Jack needs to be replaced, use your soldering iron to heat up the solder from the DC jack and remove the old jack. If you have a DC jack with hooks or curves in the connector, good luck. I know how much it sucks removing this type of DC Jack, but with some patience and persistence, it can be done. When the DC Jack is removed, go ahead and solder in the new DC Jack into it’s slot.
Warning: Some motherboards have very thin rings around the DC Jack connectors themselves. The older sony Vaio laptops have them. If you heat the solder too hot or too long, these rings come off. When that happens, you might as well call it game over. These rings connect the DC Jack to the motherboard using extremely thin connections. The rings are vital to the DC Jack connection to the motherboard.
When you get the new DC Jack in the slot, you have the option of putting hot glue around the corners of the new DC Jack. It’s an option to prevent the DC jack from getting bumped and pushed too much from the AC Adapter. It’s just added strength. Just don’t over-do it if you decide to put some on.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE CHIPS AND ELECTRONICS AROUND THE DC JACK!
I have destroyed chips on laptops because I was not careful when I was de-soldering and soldering. A sharper soldering iron is a better tool than a blunt rounded soldering iron. Trust me on that.
9) Test your continuity. It sounds impossible, but you can test to make sure that you connected your DC Jack correctly. Most volt meters have a continuity checker on them. Check to make sure the grounded section of the DC jack properly grounds, and if possible, check to ensure that the positive pin on the DC Jack is properly connected to the motherboard. You can do this by touching some of the diodes on the motherboard close to the jack. You will know if it registers.
10) Reassembly with a little faith. This is the moment of truth. If you documented your disassembly well, then it will be your roadmap to reassembling the laptop. Start reassembling the laptop in the reverse order in which you disassembled it. Make sure you plug in every little cord, and ribbon back into your laptop. Disassembling the laptop again because you forgot a wire or ribbon is just annoying to the max.
11) Testing the laptop. Test the battery first to make sure that the laptop turns on without the DC Jack. There have been a few laptops that I have worked on that didn’t turn on after I reassembled it. It sucks, but it does happen. Sometimes you damage something during the whole process, but with caution it can be avoided.
Once you verified the laptop turns on with battery, then go ahead and plug in the DC Jack. First sign it works is the “Battery charging” light turns on and you know you have a successful replacement. At this point you can turn on the laptop and your job is complete. If your laptop doesn’t turn on .. well.. go back to step 4 and 5 and go from there. It can happen, but I haven’t seen it too often unless there are more problems with the laptop than originally thought.
I hope this gives you a general idea on how to replace a DC jack on a laptop. It’s not a perfect guide and I will edit it as necessary to clear the rough edges up.
Leave a Reply
Twitter
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
I’ve recently had to replace two DC adaptors in the same week for friends. Just found your guide via Digg.com, and have to say it’s brilliant. I wish I had read it before opening the first laptop!
I started my documentation and then got lazy as I got further and further into the “surgery”. Ended up having two screws extra and a random black cable going to nowhere!
If people take one thing away with them from your guide, it’s to document EVERYTHING they do in the process!
I agree with you 100%. Documentation is key. Even still I end up with extra or too few screws from time to time. It does happen. *shrug*
My boss gave me his laptop to repair this same problem, but unfortunately, it seems that the power connections inside the motherboard were damaged, so it won’t take power from the AC adapter. Is there anyway that you can run power into the battery socket? I understand that there are a number of connections, but there must be a + and a – in there somewhere. My boss is insistant that I get this laptop working again, but I’m not confident. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
If the power jack is broken and you cannot replace/resolder it, you can try allocating the jack outside the laptop case. Here’s a guide witch shows how to do that: Broken laptop power jack workaround
This is instructions for a Toshiba laptop but I don’t think it will be much different for any other notebook PC.
Hi, my laptop’s power jack was broken I guess. I can use the battery to run laptop but not the Ac adapter, and I used my Ac adaptor on other dell laptops, they all work well.
So, what kind of soldering iron should I use, mine soldering gun is 100 w, not hot enough to melt the pinpoint on mainboard.
Could you recommend some tool for me? Thanks
Robon,
I use Weller’s digital soldering station (WESD51), here’s a picture: http://www.action-electronics.com/grc/wewesd51.jpg
You also need a solder sucker when you are removing the jack, something like this: http://www.mainelectronics.com/imag/ds017.JPG
I set temperature to the maximum – 850F, it’s hot enough to replace the power jack.
I just did this on my Acer Travelmate 4060. Saved me loads of £££
Thanks!
The information given by you is very good and I am going to try this power jack removal process soon. Its a hp laptop and needs the jask replaced.
Thank you
Thanks! We just replaced our dc jack in our Gateway notebook ourselves. I’m sure that the universal power adapter we bought about 6 months ago caused the problem. I won’t make that mistake again. We used a solder wick to remove the old solder, instead of a sucker and set our gun at 30W. Our total cost including the soldering materials was only about $30.00. I was quoted about $400.00 to have it sent out and repaired! Thanks for taking the time to share this info with us.
I have a Gateway laptop (MT6821) too, with the same problem. How did you remove the back cover to expose the DC jack? I removed a lot od screws last night, but was not able to remove the back plastic cover.
Glad it worked out.
Hi there , we have replaced our DC jack but the screen didn’ t turn on, Do you think that I have damaged the plate conector beneth the LCD???
I just got my laptop back from a company called laptopjacks.com, they were recommended by HP. The laptop seems to be working fine again. I was unable to disassemble it all the way so I decided to have it fixed by pros.
one of the hooks from the old jack is stuck in the motherboard, and i can’t get it out. what now?
I have an Acer Aspire 3000 with the model number 3004WLMi. I have went to ebay’s websites, contacted Acer America, and to DCJacks.com. I have ordered three jacks, all of which have been too small. Do you have any suggestions on how to determine which dc jack would work? The computer repair shops will not order the piece for me since they are not going to repair the laptop themselves. Thank you for any assistance.
Linda
On a ARIMA W720-K8M laptop the center pin in the power jack has broken out and one of two little devices with a minute cable between has come off the board. I think I’ll recomend to owners to BUY a new laptop. I’ve got a photo of it but don’t seen to be able to add it here
That is most helpful really simple instructions to fellow
Thank you
Byron
i cant wait to try this, thanks for this post.
i want to send you a donation.
please email me.
I am also attempting to repair my laptop’s power jack however I have decided to use the method shown here http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/05/27/failed-laptop-power-jack-workaround/ so that I don’t experience the same problem in another year or so…
Can anyone tell me what type of wire that I need to purchase…
750 Watts to work on a mother board? I would be scared to death to work with something that hot on a computer mother board. 30 Watts max
I think he means 750 degrees not 750 watts.
Nice guide.
Several laptop manufacturers have published full maintenance manuals on the web which cover step-by-step disassembly and reassembly, effectively saving you the trouble of documenting everything yourself. The Dell manuals in particular are excellent – they even include a printable screw classification sheet to place your screws onto when you remove them from the computer!
Regarding soldering irons, a 30W iron should be enough most of the time, although we did have a Dell with some “magic solder” once that needed 50W to desolder. A question to those who are struggling to melt solder with 100W+ irons: You are tinning your irons, aren’t you? You don’t need a very high temperature for this kind of work. Using excessive heat while soldering will (1) burn your flux and (2) risk cooking nearby ICs on the motherboard – neither of which is desirable.
Good Guide & advice
This might help some of you. Make your screw location diagram and as you take the screws out push them through the paper diagram in their proper locations.
Terry
I like this guide, but there is one problem that I am having that wasn’t adressed. In the process of de-soldering and soldering, after removing the old jack there is old solder that isn’t alowing me to insert the new jack. I have tried for a long time to get the old solder out of the holes but it just remelts or goes to the other side of the circuit board. Is there something that I can do to remove the old solder?
They sell what is called desolder braid and it will suck up any remaining solder and also go along ways towards removing any remaining pins that are possibly left after removing the old jack. clean area well with alcohol and then insert new jack and re-solder. Hope this helps anyone that might be having problems, also if you find you can not get the old jack’s solder to heat up enough for removal, this may be due to the MB having a coating on it, that is primarily used to protect it from moisture or the possibility of getting wet. To rectify the dolution, don’t add more heat, just flow some high quality solder with the factory solder and it should start to melt together, as they begin mixing together and soon the joint will be soften enough to remove the old jack! If you are looking for any other hints or tips, contact me by email, thanks.
Jason
WISH I HAD FOUND THIS GUIDE SOONER. I fixed both of our laptops….Slow tedious careful work without someone else having already done the heavy lifting. One thing I found was that the constant tugging and pulling on the cable seemed to be the culprit. As such I bought a couple of (weird name) jerkstoppers to keep the tension off the poorly designed and pitifully fragile connection. SOURCE: http://www.jerkstopper.com I think!
I’m having similar problems with my Compaq Presario M2000 notebook too. I had to wiggle the adapter to the power connector of the notebook or my laptop battery won’t charge and won’t turn on if it doesnt have it’s battery on. That metal thing which I plug into the DC gets extremely hot very quickly in matter of minutes also.
I’ve been looking for information on how to dismantle my notebook to get access to the DC power jack but looks like there’s too much risk involved. Too many screws to look out for and thin wires in the way. Almost made me feel like Im defusing a bomb or something. Im a college student living on college budget and couldn’t afford to buy a new laptop and the warranty is already up. I bought the laptop only 2 years ago.
I would really really appreciate it if anybody could give me a guide on how to dismantle my laptop and get access to the DC power jack. I’s gonna cost me $120 if I were to send it to the shop to repair. My email address is hafiz_felix2000@yahoo.com or Instant Message me at hafiz_alone2006@hotmail.com
It’s hard to go to sleep without knowing what’s to come
A couple of weeks ago I saw the mention about a cable retention device (Jerk stopper) in the comments. I ordered two for our laptops…..Wow, it really works well. I wish I had these before I paid Sony to fix the power pin on my old 505ZSK. Repairs were worth more than the system I think.
thanks for your how-to-guide. u do a very good job explaining the concepts.
i have this problem and don`t know what to do
thanks for the guide, took apart laptop and thought i fixed problem, took apart again to investigate better because it did not work first time. still got problem. going to order jack and replace this time. as for documentating, if you have one of the all in one printer scanner copier machines– try and make a photo copy and place screws on to that when removing. beats drawing it.
Hi, Wondering if you can help. I did the repairs but must have done something wrong. Could you tell me or show me, (by diagram) what the pos+ jack post should read continuity from and the neg- When I solder the jack in I get a pos+ continuity reading when I touch the pos+ and the neg- (with continuity tester) please help me, this is all I have left to do. Thank you, Thank you
I replaced the jack on my gateway but now when I boot up it will only run on the battery. If I remove the battery it runs fine on AC power. The battery does not charge unless the laptop is off. Any suggestions? Thank you
the link is dead m8. i had a go repairing my acer aspire 9300 with no luck on replacing jack. the solder wouldnt melt at all, so i soldered wires to the + and – points (if anyone wants to know, + is directly behind the black plastic pin that hold jack in place and – is the 2 pins close together to the right of the +). soldered te wires to the + and – on nw jcak then superglued it to outside case. the jobs a good un. thanks for the guide tho, it really helped when having a go
Hello
I have a Gateway MX8711 laptop. I left it working fine ysterday morning, battery dead so I plugged it in. Got home, wouldn’t turn on. Had the adapter checked and it’s fine. Best Buy Geek Squad said it’s probably the mother board. This computer is less than a year and a half old, is only used for personal stuff and doesn’t travel (also, no kids or pets). Two months ago I had to install a new hard drive. Gateway tried to tell me hard drives only last a year. Insane, I have an old compaq presario going strong after 5 years. Anyway, is there a way to determine if it’s the d/c jack or the motherboard? Honestly, I don’t know or trust any repair shops around here, Tampa. My husband has done some easier things with our computers, like replacing hard drives, cd roms, adding memory etc. Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.
Hello,
Did you ever get to know what was wrong with your Gateway MX8711? I have the same laptop and the DC jack just went dead. I know the adapter is fine. Just wondering if you solved your problem by changing the DC jack or if there was another problem. Thanks
This is an excellent guide for replacing the jack in a laptop. Unfortunately it was a little late for me. I did have a good experience with the company that I chose for DC jack repair. I sent my HP ZE4200 to Comprehensive Computing in Virginia ( http://comprehensivecomputing.net/laptop_power_jack_repair.htm ) and they did a good job for about 100 bucks. But, if I had found this earlier, I might have taken a stab at it myself! haha
I took my laptop in to have the DC jack resoldered. When I got it back the computer turned on (but booted slow) so I assumed it was fixed. The battery had been charged and I think, in retrospect, this is why my computer powered up. When it was on and running I checked 2 of my e mail accounts, took the battery out (while it was plugged in) and it lost all power. I tried to turn it back on with the battery out and it would come on for a second then die. I put the battery back in there and turned it on but, it would not re-boot. I had power (with the battery in) but could not get my computer to load windows and go to my homescreen. The service tech I spoke with assured me that the computer was just “repairing” itself and to leave it running and try to boot. I did as instructed, took a nap and woke up to a computer with NO power (battery and all). I am far from a computer expert but, I thought maybe 1. they didn’t fix what I paid them 180.00 to fix at Renissance Computer in Columbus, OH. and/or 2.0They may have done somehting to the motherboard when poking around or attempting to resolder my dc jack. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
Computers usually don’t “repair themselves”…take it back to the shop and have them take a look, they should guarantee their work.
Read all of the helpful posts and I’d like to add another one. Now that just about everyone has a digital camera, one should not hesitate to take plenty of photos during each step during the disassembly of the laptop. Then when you’re finished with the repair and unsure of how something goes back together you can just review the photos you had taken earlier.
i have a compaq 700 laptop the dc jack finialy broke loose,unable to pay the $100 or so to fix it since my work has slowed down, i decited to try it myself. i am not a computer tech. but i have a lot of common sence and know enough to ask for help and study the net for information.after a weak of takeing my laptop apart slowly and cautiously i was able to get to the dc jack.it was broke loose and you can see where it has been burnt.im planning on putting a diferent type plug on it but im not sure where to sauder the wires at.i see the neg but im not sure about the pos. side can you please help me maybe with a picture, ive got this far i dont want to mess it up now. thanks robert cobb.
Thank you for the nice procedures. This worked well for me. I just changed out the DC jack on my Gateway MX3210. There were no visible signs of damage to my old jack so the problem must have been inside the jack. After following your steps I was able to disassemble, de-solder old jack, then solder on the new. Now it works perfectly. Your advice to draw the screw configuration on a piece of paper (step 5) is a good one. I even scotch taped the screws to my drawing…nothing got lost! One other step I did was I set up a video camera to record the entire disassembly, in case I messed up. Thanks!
Usually if anyone has any questions, I attempt to contact them personally through email. (Which is why you never see any responses). However I will say that I believe this comment from Jeff is the first time anyone has mentioned any success from the procedure. I want to personally thank Jeff for posting his success response. There have been minor tweeks to the post to make it easier, however I am glad someone was able to get through the DC Jack procedure and save tons of money. Thanks Jeff.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WIHT A DC JACK I REPLACE IT BUT STILL DOING THE SAMETHING . THE COMPUTER WILL TURN ON BUT IF I MOVED IT. IT SHUTDOWN. HEL PLEASE
loking for tools to remove caddy from 2.5 hd a very fine hexagonal
driver i have got the other drivers but if it comes in a set good!
In trying to locate a replacement power jack for a Presario M2000, I was told I can only replace the motherboard at this point. I have checked the HP site, GeekSquad, compUSA. Any such thing as black market products. Also, I am unable to pull off the back with all viewable screws removed. Where are the latched or whatever that I am missing. The hangup is near the middle about where the battery cradle begins.
You won’t be able to pull off the back just from unscrewing the bottom. It doesn’t work that way. It’s literally a full disassembly process before you can get to the DC Jack. It’s almost always the last component you reach after the laptop is fully disassembled.
I received a laptop Compaq Presario M2000 the pin was bad Hp wanted $399.00 to fix it inc.power cord and battery.other places wanted at least $130.00,fixed it myself for $3.85,plus $3.99 s/h
make that diagram that some digital pics helps too,check the internet for repairing your computer to get diagrams and specs,It is easy with a lot of slow going,I have never taken one apart before .DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING!!!
I accidentally broke off the pins on the jack, all but one. How the heck do I get them out. I have been trying to remove the solder with a braid copper wire and heat it up, but no luck in the pins loosening. What can I try to get the pins out? Any ideas would be appreciated!!! I am using a Weller SP23L maybe it is not hot enough?
any news on how you fixed the problem
HOW DO YOU JUST SECURE A WOBLY POWER PIN?
If you really want to get the solder out of the holes, and are a “live on the edge” type of person, you can use a trick I’ve used before. Heat the hole enough to melt the solder. Then take a can of duster air and blast away at the hole while removing the iron. You are likely to get a little hot solder flying about but its less frustrating than a bridged hole. I take no responsibility for accidents.
My dad is having this prob on a HP laptop, about 3 years old. He just went out and bought a new toshiba, and is giving me the HP. said if I can fix it, I can have it.
This guide will be great. Will be trying it sat night/sunday.
Have gateway m505b2 laptop.
dc power jack is defective.
can’t get to dc jack because I cant remove the bottom cover.
Need a sevice manual or detailed insructions.
I removed all screws and still can’t remove cover.
Need help!
Kent sacramento,ca
GHETTO WAY THAT WORKS!!!!
The peg inside my computer broke, and I was about to try to replace it, but if you like do things kind of ghetto like me, I discovered an option. First take out the brokenm peg if it is still in the end of the power adapter, and in is place, fit in 4 pieces of long copper wireing. Then cut them all at once, just so the copper is only slightly coming out of the end of the power adapter. Does not work perfect, and you need to wiggle sometimes, but better than getting rid of the computer, or trying to fix when you have no experience.
I don’t want to invest the money to fix the piece of junk Gateway that I have that is only 18 months old but I want my files and photos. It won’t power on AT ALL now after a few months of jiggling the cord just so. Is there anyway that I can just get the stuff of my computer? I have already bought a new Dell.
jus take out da harddisk
Please E-mail me alabamapcrepair@yahoo.com if anyone needs pc support or see my website.
home.rr.com/alabamapcrepair
I can get you data off if you mail me the laptop. I will remove hard drive and mail you the hard drive and a dvd with all of your data.
Thanks.
Josh
Fantastic article used the write up to fix my Dell Inspiron 1300 thanks for taking the trouble to write it up. The only comment i will make is that you relly do need a good quality thin tipped soldering iron to help make the soldering an easy operation.
Wanted to leave a positive comment for you. I read through your general instructions and, along with a service manual pdf from Dell, changed out a power plug in a Dell Inspiron 1300. took a couple of hours, switched it out and it is working fine. Thanks for a great article.
I just replaced my plug in my Toshiba Tecra. Ya!!!! Excellent instructions. I did not need anything but a screwdriver because I bought a new plug for $30 on laptop jack inc. I thought I was going to have to replace the motherboard but this worked great!!!!
I have an Inspiron 1300. I noticed the power jack has six posts and one post has no solder on it. Is this normal or do I solder all six posts?
thought I had a powerjack problem. turns out its fine. trouble apparantly is one of the diodes on the motherboard closes when AC is on. laptop runs fine on battery. just can’t charge battery via laptop, and of course laptop won’t run on AC. Have you ever seen an external battery charging source, or figured out a way to make one?
Hi i have issue with Charging the Battery on my laptop. i bought the Battery Brand new, but still would not Charge
any sugestion of what might be the problem?
i realy thank you for the steps by step power Jack fix. that is good. let me know if have any idea about my battery not charging?
thank you
sounds very good, my son has a gateway mt66824b laptop that just wont charge, the plug used to have to be wiggled very hard to get to charge (apparantly!!) have tried resoldering the connectors, but to no avail, i have checked the earth part of the jack is connected to the motherboard, but i cannot seem to confirm that the centre jack/pin is connecting ok, (all my meter tests fail) does anyone have any diagrams or schematics of the power path and where i can test to, or alternativly solder a jumper wire to from the centre pin directly, (as i think it is not makign contact with the motherboard correctly.
any help would be great as my son is without his laptop and i cant afford to buy him a new one at the moment!! thanks. Kevin.
Hello guys
This article is great 
I am considering doing it myself. However, i was wondering if anyone could tell me if it would be possible to replace my current size jack (a smaller one that is difficult to find) with a slightly larger one that is really common, because it is so expensive to replace the chargers that fit my current jack D:
I would really appreciate it if anyone could let me know their opinions
Thanks very much
Mia
Mia, did anyone help you out with this? I’m having the same problem..and need to find a way to make the male end of the power cord larger to couple better with the socket in the laptop. thanks!
I replaced one of my Dell’s receptacle with a locking “RF” (radio antenna connector) style connection. Now you can pick it up by the power cord, and swing it around in the air with not a worry..
Why they do not sell them this way is a complete mystery….
my acer power pin has broken!!
wat to do??
its urgent!!
plse help!!
email me!!
Hey – great guide – thanks!
My Dell XPS Gen 1 laptop has had power problems that are well documented on the net – regarding a message that states the AC power adapter type could not be determined doring startup.
Due to this apparently, the battery won’t charge, and the laptop will not run on battery power.
It runs fine on AC power, and it recognizes when the battery is in, but it will not charge it.
Does this behavior indicate that the power jack is the source of the problem?
The majority of cases i’ve read about have resulted in dell replacing motherboards for computers under warranty.
I used my meter to test the AC adapter, and it’s putting out the correct amount of power – it’s not the adapter (certified dell AC adapter).
Thanks!
Thank you so much for ur guide, i followed exactly as u said on my Travelmate 2480. Documentation was not a problem for me as i found a disassembly and reassembly video on youtube. da hardest part was the soldering. My soldering iron was not hot enough to melt the old solder so I had to borrow a more powerful soldering iron from my friend. I did pretty bad on da soldering but still manage to turn on da notebook afterall. I’ve learnt many from dis guide and again thank you so much!!
all u dumb fools should jus get a Mac, no power pin problems!!
Any port that requires something to be plugged into and unplugged from eventually wears out–laptops and apple notebooks alike. If papa wants to treat, I’m sure we’ll all be happy to switch to Macs…lmao!
Macs are expensive, papa, and I’d rather fix the thing I’ve got (if possible) than buy a brand new one.
Taking laptops apart is really not that hard but I have no soldering iron thing so I am not sure what I am going to do yet. But this is my exact problem so thanks for posting the instructions and some really good ideas about how to not forget what you did to take it apart in the first place.
I used Comprehensive Computing and it cost about $125 with shipping. But after six months, I have a loose connection again. Their new warranty allows a free repair if it is their fault. Anyway, for about $4 (US) you can get a plastic C-Clamp that will allow you to clamp the power cord to the monitor or base once your battery indicator shows that you are connected (charging). Of course the downside is that you must ALWAYS have your system plugged in. I purchased mine at Orchard Supply Hardware.
Hi,
I’m trying to replace the DC jack in my Acer 4620, but can’t seen to get inside to access the DC jack. I removed the external battery, all screws from the bottom of the laptop, CD rom drive, but can’t open the laptop. What am I missing?
Thanks in advance,
Rooibos
I’m looking for an exploded view that shows how to disassemble an Acer 4620 laptop.
I seem to have fixed my broken DC Power Jack after reading only the first part of your guide about looking at the jack.
Everything looked fine, no cracks, but the plug was loose and wobbled from side to side. It was due to the jack being a bit larger than the plug by design. Well, it seems that the 4 prongs of the jack (that make contact with the metal outer cylinder of the plug) were not protruding much (if at all) into the plug. I took a tiny screwdriver, put it into the jack and slipped in under one of the above mentioned prongs, thereby bending the prong. Did this to a second prong also. Then I plugged in the power plug and it pushed in about 3 times as hard as normal due to the bent prongs, but the problem of intermittant contacts and erratic switching to battery power is FIXED. Suggest that you mention the possibility of limp prongs in your guide. It took longer to write this than to fix the problem.
I managed to open my Fujitsu c1020 laptop and replace the dc power jack with a new one i bought from a seller on ebay. After managing to put all the pieces back together i was anxious to see if my laptop would turn on. I plugged the dc cord and suddenly i saw the red light of the battery, only problem is that the laptop doesn’t have a battery and therefore it doesn’t turn on. Anyone know what the problem might be
Successful repair/replacement of power jack on Inspiron 8600. As others have noted, jack exhibited no external or otherwise noticeable signs of damage/looseness/shorting. Per my experience and based on what I’ve read, however, odds were on the power jack given the symptoms. Quoted cost of repair (if successful) from the only reputable shop in town: $264.00 with preliminary diagnostic, $200.00 if they simply did what I asked and replaced the power jack (no diagnostic). The last thing they heard before the click of disconnection was me chuckling sarcastically. My actual do-it-myself cost of repair: $33.00. $24.00 at Radio Shack for a 25-watt soldering iron, desoldering braid (copper) and 60/40 rosin-core solder. And $6.99 for the new replacement jack from http://www.notebookworks.net shipped first class for an additional $1.99. Truly impressed with the seller/shipper I just mentioned. And I get to keep the soldering iron…already used it again to repair a long-ago broken spare car remote (compared to $150.00 for a new one). Anyway, this guide was genuinely helpful. As a couple of other posters have mentioned, I would reiterate the wisdom and benefit of cleaning (gingerly) the desoldered area with isopropyl alcohol BEFORE seating and soldering the new jack. A tightly folded corner of cotton cloth worked well for me. This neatly cleans the solder points and removes any residues that might impede conductivity of the newly soldered contacts. Cheers.
I’m working on a gateway ma7 Do you know where to jumper the + pin on the dc jack back to the motherboard. When the jack solder joint came loose it lifted the small soldering ring that connects it to the motherboard. Im looking to jumper from the pin to the next spot electrically to the motherboard. any ideas?
Hi where can I buy the dc plug for this acer laptop
Thats an tutorial. thx a lot
I have a Dell Inspiron 8500. The battery I had was not holding a charge. Since it was the original battery I assumed that it had died. The battery charge light on the laptop would flash yellow three time, then once green, then repeat the process over and over. I bought a new battery, but now I am not getting any activity out of the charge light, and after doing some checking have determined that the battery is not being charged. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks for your sharing with us my friend
Thanks. I just replaced the jack to MSI S420 laptop with your tutorial.
Went smooth, except the original jack that came out only after a serious struggle.
Glad you got it
Hi
Jason, couldnt get your email but i am having a nightmare with acer 5680 power jack in respect of the 5 pins that were soldered on (looks rather a dirty colour), by the manufacturer – just wont budge
i have loosened and now the jack is off but simply cannot remove the 5 points with solder. They dont even loosen when heat is on them, just a tiny amount of an impression from my iron, yet my iron turns the new solder in a second so i image it gets hot enough? its a 40 watt
is this normal to not even able to move the old stuf in the 5 holes??
many thanks
steve
Hi,
I have a problem with my Dell D620. It suddenly turned off, and now wont turn back on. No lights come on either. The battery is charged, but nothing happens when I press the POWER ON button. In addition, when I try to connect the AC adapter to the laptop, the light on the AC adapter goes off as well. This might indicate a short in my laptop. Will fixing the laptop power jack help or is this is a bigger problem? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks for your sharing my friend
It is very helpful for freshman ,such as me
Hi great website. I am tryig this on my laptop, its a “no brand” so Im having trouble finding any docs on it. I tried desoldering it but it would not melt the solder. I am using a 25W and 30W Solder Iron. I have seen videos on other laptops and it seems to melt with ease. Do I need more wattage? If so how much? Thanks!
Hello from Germany! May i quote a post a translated part of your blog with a link to you? I’ve tried to contact you for the topic Guide to fixing a laptop power jack. A Do-it-yourselfer « this is my defective kit., but i got no answer, please reply when you have a moment, thanks, Spruch
On an HP zd7000 I’ve done all that, now I want to test the power jack before re-intalling all peripherals back.
How to connect the leads from the volt meter to the power jack?
Power should be on and connected to charger and AC on the wall?
I get continuity among the three holes when power jack not installed, is it supposed to?.
The upper side of the m/b where the jack goes, has like a white square the size of the jack, should I solder the pins up there also?
Kindly, notify me when there is an answer.
On previous message I forgot to mention that this is my second attempt and power jack on the same motherboard. The first one had a clicking short that went “puff and sparks” when I wiggled the charger plug connected.
Now I just need to check the voltage before re-installing.
All I can say is “Thank you!” Having performed laptop power jack repairs WITHOUT having read your blog, I can confirm all the caveats mentioned! Happily, God must preserve the simple. For all my repairs have worked wonderfully despite not previously having had access to your insightful advice.
The only thing I would add is the TREMENDOUS difficulty I have had removing the old parts and cleaning-clearing out the circuit board holes for insertion of the new parts!
Any advice or “tricks” on that one?
I am using an expensive QUALITY solder iron (with a solder wetted tip), have solder wick, have a solder sucker. But the combined force of those tools-aids just doesn’t seem to get it done. I invariably have had to use a sharp tool to open up the eyelets after almost having to pry the old parts off the board. (Obviously, I am on dangerous ground resorting to such brute force.)
Am I fighting conductive glue (not solder)? Something. I have worked on older audio components for years and have never encountered the problems described above.
Anyway, thanks for the light you have shed on this topic.
Cheers!
The problem is that there’s lots of copper in the motherboard that connects to the socket pins, and this conducts the heat from the soldering iron away. I work in electronics, and here’s some tips:
- The solder used by the manufacturer is probably lead-free, which has a higher melting point than lead-based solder. Try “diluting” down this solder by flooding it with lower melting-point (eg tin/lead) solder, and removing it with a solder sucker or solder braid. Repeat a few times to “dilute” the original solder further.
- Solder on as much extra solder onto the socket pins that you can – it may sound counter-productive, but it helps to get more heat in, and the extra mass helps to keep the solder molten for longer so that you can get solder melted on all the pins simultaneously.
- Use more than one soldering iron (and more than one person to use them) to help get the solder on all of the pins molten simultaneously.
- If you cannot get the solder on all of the pins molten simultaneously and the socket needs to be scrapped, cut off all the pins that are accessible with wire cutters, then you have fewer pins left on the socket where you need to melt the solder simultaneously. After you’ve removed the socket, individually desolder the cut off pins.
- If solder is stuck in the holes, try using two soldering irons (and two people) one on top of the board and one underneath to melt the solder – this makes it more likely that you’ll melt the solder all the way through. It might be best to add extra solder at first, which helps to get the heat in. Then, remove one iron and quickly use a solder sucker to remove as much solder as you can. If that doesn’t work, repeat, but this time, remove one iron and quickly poke through the hole a drill bit (or something else that’s round and isn’t made of something that can be easily soldered to) which is slightly smaller than the hole – hopefully it will push the solder out. If I’m very desperate, I sometimes drill the solder out with a drill bit, with the solder cold. This always gets the solder out, but you can damage the copper plating within the hole, so only do this if all else fails.
I have a HP Pavilion DV5 laptop, the pin from the adapter has broken in the power jack socket of the laptop itself (just wear and tear I think). Does anyone have any ideas on how to remove the single pin out from the socket as its broken just below the surface level. I have a new adapter read to plug in but can’t remove the old pin! Help is much appreciated.
This is some very helpful information. I recently havea technician come replace the power port and well he screwed up my computer. It worked just fine, except that the power port was loose and well after he left the screen went crazy so i powered it off and when i turned it on it went straight into beep code. Now i have to wait for another technician because they are blaming it on the memory. Like I said the tech must have damaged something in the process because everything worked fine before he came over.
For what it’s worth…I just got my laptop back from one of these places which specializes in power-jack repair. They did a good job and I’m happy with the results, but I thought I would post two items from an information sheet they enclosed with the repaired computer.
1) 90% of the computers they get don’t actually have problems with the power jack, but instead it’s the AC adapter (or it’s connection plug) itself which is bad. Wish I realized that before I sent mine in for repair.
2) Not all adapters are created equal. They said it’s very important to match the specs on the bottom of your computer to the specs of any new adapter you are purchasing. Cheap Chinese ones are a frequent problem. The mismatched power output ends up causing trouble. They said good / certified / original AC adapters may be obtained for only $10 on eBay.
Hope that helps someone.
I am so frustrated with all the laptop manufacturers that sell poor designed machines. I had the same power jack/socket wire problem with a Dell Inspiron (2005 production) and Lenovo N500 (2009 made). Why in the world they don’t create this part to be more reliable, is one of the most exposed to wear. It is unacceptable to buy a new laptop only because the power adapter brakes down so easily. For now I know that I will not buy Dell or Lenovo until they don’t come up with good quality laptops. I was looking at an Apple Powerbook, how they designed the wire socket; the plug is magnetic, has a good contact but if you trip by accident in the wire, it gets off without breaking anything. And also they should make the wire thicker; my Lenovo AC power wire got shot because it is very thin. We should do something about it, we are the customers, we should flood them with complaints to clean up their act and sell quality, reliable products.
If you broke the central pin of the power jack in your favorite Asus netbook like my Seashell – don’t despond.
You can do something like this:
http://sites.google.com/site/emerghelp/
im stuck on the dell 1150 insprion it seems to have some kind of communication
circut that can tell if im using the right ac adptor, can someone tell me how to work my way around it
Nasty little think Dell does, that 3rd center wire tells the bios you have an official DELL charger or not. It’s simply a tiny little IC disguised (Dell is sooooo evil!!) as a transistor. Open the old charger with whatever you like, (a chisel and a hammer is particularly quick) and then see where that center wire goes, the first component will be the the culprit, usually purposely disguised as a transistor (transistors are black cylinders shapes with a small flat side to it and 3 legs (wires). You will notice one leg goes to ground, one goes to the third wire and the other is fake and soldered to an unconnected hole.
Unsolder it remembering which leg was ground, and which went to the wire and cut the phony one off just because… You can either mount it on the motherboard as I did or solder the appropriate legs to the center pin of the jack and connect the other one to ground. The motherboard sends a query down the center wire upon powerup, and the secret circuit returns a “official DELL, OK to use” signal back to the MB.
You can also change it in BIOS, turn off the message, but it still wont charge the battery. But if you feel comfy writing BIOS that would be a lot easier, in my case this was easier.
Another nasty thing they like to do is hid screws such as between the lid hinges under the LCD lid, they are set in very thin plastic and if you dont know they are there you may pull them through the plastic when removing the cover, which tells dell technicians some un-Dell person has voided the warranty by opening the case.
Never a Dell again!
In contrast, My iPhone broke 3 days out of warranty and the Apple store just handed me a brand new one with a new charger, earphones and full 1 year warranty and said have a nice day… Now I buy nothing but Apple products because that’s how you are supposed to treat your customers. The tech even warned me before he looked at the phone. “If you have jail broken or unlocked the phone and I discover this I will have to note it and it will void your warranty, so are you sure you want to hand it to me, or do you need to come back in a little while”, which was a really considerate (although unnecessary) thing to do.
Contact me if you still have Q’s
Karen
karenagmcc@yahoo.com
If the plug that connects into the computer from the AC power adapter gets very hot, does that indicate a bad or faulty power jack or faulty AC power adapter? The transformer does not get hot, so it is my guess that the power jack on side of computer needs replaced or possibly resoldered. Any suggestions or comments? I have a Sony Vaio laptop. Also seems bottom back where power jack is located is hot also. Very hot. So much so I am afraid to use it any more and it needs fixed immediately before more damage is done. Appreciate any and all comments, especially from Charlie.
I attemped to change the power socket folling the instructions but found,of course, that you could not resolder it from the top, of on my HP laptop. The socket was intertmittent from the first so maybe it was unsoldered. I’ll take it apart later. The computer went back for repair three times within the first six months and it would not keep the operating system operating until I pulled the HP Market Research files out of the registry!In the meanwile I’ll buy another brand and operate on this victim when I have an operating computer. I couldn’t imagine doing the repair from the top. I might not want to use a computer socket because everyone seems to complain about them breaking. Can you recommend a better connector that will fit? – Thanks, Louis
I’ve had to repair dc jacks and power supply plugs on numerous occasions. They are definitely the laptops most weakest point. When I haven’t been able to find a compatible jack I’ve just cut the end off the power lead with the jack plug on and wired it directly to the motherboard (after removing all traces of the old and broken jack). OK, the laptop isn’t quite as portable, with a permanent power lead wired in, but perfectly usable and trouble free!
So, I’ve always been a tech person and recently my friend asked me to take a look at his laptop’s DC jack. I feel confident in my ability to replace this if needed, but on a scale of 1-10 how would you guys rate the difficulty on this project? My sodering skills are a bit rusty, so I’ll probably touch those up before going at it. Thanks in advance!
I foun d the back end of my DC jack had broke off so i glued it back together but now i doesn’t charge at all could the glue have damaged the board?
Brandon,
I’m doing it right now. I can tell you that the most difficult part is de-solder the old jack. Sometimes it has too many pads and it’s very difficult to heat and loose all at once. It’s easier with a dc jack with 2-3 pads connected to the motherboard.
Alun,
If you glued it, that’s the reason why isn’t working anymore the glue is working as a island for the connection. You will have to to the job of desolder and resolder it back or a new one.
I have a toshiba p200 and the power plug in the PC is acting up. i need to pull the power lead to one side to get power on. how do i get a new power jack for PC???
Anyone have any idea how to get the case off of an ACER ASPIRE 7736Z-4088 ? I’ve removed the battery, hard drive, memory, wireless, processor cooler, and all screws I can find. Case still won’t budge. Ideas?
Hi Jim – here’s the service manual http://www.tim.id.au/blog/tims-laptop-service-manuals/#toc-acer (I’m assuming that the 7736Z one is yours). See it that helps.
Some times under case lips where it hugs the inside are plastic conneters you press in and slowly push them in the holes then pop each out until u have them all a flat screw driver helps pressure them
I was thinking about replacing my DC jack but the process seemed a little out of my expertise. Instead I just bought a brand new charger from alphachargers.com and it seemed to do the trick
Hi
Very good and informative, but liked to have seen pics of the dc jack
Being fitted, and the exact location where to solder!
Thanks
Hi, I have a acer aspire 6530 and I can’t get the power jack out. I’ve taken the computer apart, however the jack is on the left side of the computer right by the hinge. I bought a power jack harness, however I can’t get the pj out.
Help please
I would like to know how to repair my Hp Dv 6 the charger is not responding its not powering.
Will you help me with videos on areas that i should look on And how to test it.
Verry helpful thanks.I never considered the diagram that you displayed for documentation. Verry verry clever.
Great guide im using it right now I have a felt card table and i use the chip holes for part placedment identifycatation and cup holes for screws and felt keeps screws from rolling off hope i help add this procedure table to your System.
Done some DC jack repairs before, but this certainly gave me a few more ideas to improve my process, especially about documenting everything