Laptop power fail

SpookSpook Regular
edited August 2010 in Tech & Games
So after about a year and a half of non-stop abuse, my faithful laptop seems to be starting to show sings of giving up the ghost. Basically whats happened is the AC input has become faulty as fuck, and only recognizes the charger when I apply pressure at an angle. Would soldering it back on to the board fix it ? It's a toss up between me doing that or forking out like 90 bucks for a 12 cell battery with AC input. I can't seem to find any info on how to open the fucker either. It's a HP DV5T if it matters.

Cheers in advance.

Comments

  • DaktologistDaktologist Global Moderator
    edited July 2010
    i would google the laptop maintenance manual (they do exist i found one for my laptop and its fucking handy to have :) ) and look for the instructions on opening the laptop then open the laptop and check to see that any connections on the input socket havent come loose and if so solder them back onto the appropriate connections on the board and check that the socket itself isnt damaged, it sounds like something may not be making contact properly. also check that the cord near plug isnt damaged as damage could have occurred from continuous plugging in and unplugging
  • SpookSpook Regular
    edited July 2010
    Ahh, thanks man, although I'm still searching for the manual, it did end up to be the AC adaptor itself. Fuck it though, I'm getting the battery so I can charge it up when it needs it instead of just keeping it plugged in. At the moment, its got a maximum of a glorious 30 minutes of charge :cool: .
  • LSA KingLSA King Regular
    edited July 2010
    Spook wrote: »
    Ahh, thanks man, although I'm still searching for the manual, it did end up to be the AC adaptor itself. Fuck it though, I'm getting the battery so I can charge it up when it needs it instead of just keeping it plugged in. At the moment, its got a maximum of a glorious 30 minutes of charge :cool: .



    Unfortunately that also happens with laptops regarding the power connector issue. My sister had a similar issue where it wouldn't even charge unless it had direct pressure on the female connector to the male connector in the computer. There are so many reasons why I will never buy a laptop again, much less one that is over $500 if I do, this being just one.

    You can also save yourself the $80-$200 that replacements cost when buying them from the manufacturer by DIY.

    http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4224

    Most batteries for laptops are just NiMH batteries stacked inside a "block" giving the illusion that it is something "special" being sold to you. If you think it's just the charger going out on your and not the connector you can simply gobble up some cheap NiMH batteries to replace the existing ones and you can even upgrade their mAH rating if they are low to a higher one and get more performance! :)

    One of those DIY projects I thought is most relevant that anyone can do and save themselves bookoo bucks for beer.
  • SpookSpook Regular
    edited July 2010
    Wicked, but I might as well still go for the upgrade from 6 cells to 12 while I'm at it. I had no idea that you could do that with laptop batteries, though. I would have thought they were all brand-specific in their design since laptop standardisation, to a degree, doesn't exist.

    But yeah, taking something that looks like that through airport security would indeed create a stressful and unhappy situation.
  • KatzenklavierKatzenklavier Regular
    edited August 2010
    Where did you get that piece of info? Laptops haven't used NiMH since nearly 2001. It's all lithium 18650's now. And batteries have "smart" protection circuits now. It could work if you put in some more 18650's, it could not. The battery may charge to only half full while the circuit thinks it's full...
  • LSA KingLSA King Regular
    edited August 2010
    Where did you get that piece of info? Laptops haven't used NiMH since nearly 2001. It's all lithium 18650's now. And batteries have "smart" protection circuits now. It could work if you put in some more 18650's, it could not. The battery may charge to only half full while the circuit thinks it's full...


    Err my bad not "NiMH" but Li-ion batteries. As far as the smart circuits go I'm not too familiar with that part. Sounds like one of those typical bullshit moves by the manufacturers of laptops to prevent you from replacing your own cells yourself and instead charging you a 3-4x mark-up price. The original article was from LifeHacker, that was just a reference to do further research if he was curious as it is still possible based off memory, but there was more to it than simple replacing the batteries and changing them out. Soldering and other parts were needed to monitor the cells and make sure they are charged. I'll try looking for the exact article tomorrow given LH's search sucks when you want something specific that was posted.
  • KatzenklavierKatzenklavier Regular
    edited August 2010
    Some computers have a "relearn" feature you can activate in the bios. Activate it and the computer drains the battery, then recharges it as much as it can. Then it sets the standards. I know my last laptop, a gateway had it, and I'm pretty sure dell doesn't.
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