Question about fixing that weird laptop power issue

For the longest time, when a laptop wouldn't charge, I'd just swap the whole DC jack. Last week, a client brought in a Dell with the same problem, but I found a YouTube video from a tech in Austin showing how to check a tiny fuse on the board first. I tested it with my multimeter, found it was blown, and replaced it for $2 instead of ordering a new jack. Anyone have a go-to source for those little board-level fuse specs?

5 comments

5 Comments

phoenix_singh251mo ago

Swapping the whole jack is still the better move most of the time. Those tiny fuses are a pain to source and replace, and half the time the fuse blows because the jack itself is already worn out. You fix the fuse, it just blows again in a week when the customer wiggles the cord. The jack replacement fixes the root cause and gives the customer a reliable repair. Board-level work on cheap Dells is often more trouble than it's worth.

grant.olivia25d ago

Yeah, I learned that the hard way on my own machine. Spent an hour with a magnifier and a shaky hand replacing a fuse, only to have the new one pop the first time I plugged the charger in at a weird angle. Felt pretty silly for not just ordering the ten-dollar jack assembly.

jake74725d ago

Totally, @phoenix_singh25, that's the only real fix.

davis.olivia1mo ago

Oh man, my buddy tried the fuse fix on his old laptop and it totally fried the board a week later lol. Just swap the jack.

miller.thomas1mo ago

Fuse repairs are such a temporary band-aid, aren't they? Phoenix_singh25 is right about the worn jack being the real problem. Just swapping the whole part saves everyone a headache later.