A bad connection between DC-IN power jack on the system board and the system board is a very common problem with Toshiba Satellite M35X and Toshiba Satellite A70/A75 notebooks. If your laptop is out of warranty, then you can fix the problem by resoldering DC-IN jack on the system board. If it’s still under warranty, it would be fixed at no charge to you.
Problem symptoms:
- Laptop randomly shuts down without any warning.
- Power LED and battery charge LED start flickering when you wiggle the power cord or the AC adapter tip on the back or your laptop.
- The battery will not get charged.
- When you plug AC adapter, the laptop appears to be dead and there is no LED activity at all (DC-IN jack on the system board is broken).
To fix the problem, you have to take your laptop apart, remove the system board to resoleder or replace the DC-IN jack. Toshiba Satellite M35X and Toshiba Satellite A70/A75 disassembly guides will help you to remove the system board. Take a closer look at the power jack on the system board with a magnifying glass. In most cases you get the power problem because of a bad connection between the DC jack and the system board, you’ll see a crack between the DC jack connector and the system board.
Here is an example of Toshiba Satellite M35X power jack. The crack occurs between the DC jack pin and the system board.
In some cases the connection is good, but the DC jack is bad itself. You can find a new DC jack for Toshiba Satellite M35X and Toshiba Satellite A70/A75 laptops here. Search for DC jack M35X or DC jack A75.
How to resolder laptop power jack yourself.
UPDATE:
Sometimes, after you replace the jack, you can see that the system board doesn’t get power at all. The battery will not charge and the power LED will not light when you plug in the AC adapter. So, here’s a possible explanation.
When a connection between the positive pin and the motherboard breaks (cracks), the power jack gets loose. You can feel it when you plug in the adapter plug. A loose power jack can damage the trace inside the hole in the system board. Take a look at the picture.
As you see, the positive pin goes through the hole in the system board and you solder it on the top side. Right? What if the trace between the top side and the bottom side is broken somewhere inside the hole? I’ve seen it before a few times. In this case everything looks nice and clean on the top side. When you plug in the AC adapter, you get normal voltage readings between “+” and “-“ pins on the top side, but the power DOESN’T go to the motherboard at all, because there is no connection between the top and bottom sides. Test with a multimeter if there is a connection between the top and the bottom.
If the trace inside the hole is broken you still can fix it. You can run a wire to connect the top and the bottom sides. Be careful not to short something on the board.
Update:
Here’s another solution to fix the power jack problem, it shows how to relocate the power jack outside the laptop base. Check it out here: Toshiba Satellite A75 failed power jack workaround.
When you repair a loose power jack, it’s a good idea to check the jack on both sides of the motherboard. When you remove the top cover from a Toshiba Satellite A70/A75 laptop you can see only points where the jack is soldered to the motherboard as it shown on the second picture in this post, but you cannot see the jack itself as it shown on the first picture.
Removing the motherboard from Satellite A70/A75 laptop is a good idea because the jack itself might has a broken “+” pin, as it shown on the picture below. If the “+” broke off the base, you’ll have to replace the jack.
UPDATE:
Today I received another well written and well documented guide about fixing Toshiba Satellite M35X power connector issue. This guide was submitted by Stephen Macuch. Thank you Stephen for great pictures and detailed instructions.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
April 18th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Thanks for the reply, Mark…
I was able to remove the jack from the motherboard this morning…and was going to make a run to the friendly neighborhood Radio Shack ™ for some parts to see about performing the external workaround before admitting defeat.
It appears as if the DC-in jack is in good shape post-removal…all
things considered. What I was feebly attempting to describe in my previous post (pin that developed stress fracture and partially broke off) turned out to be the ve(-) pin. I feel fairly confident that it can be salvaged with some solder when the wires are soldered into place during the external workaround procedure.
However, just in case, what are the best suggestions as far as compatible Radio Shack DC-in jacks for a Satellite M35X-149? Also, I was going to use some 20 gauge speaker wire and then insulate with either shrink wrap or electrical tape…does that sound reasonable?
Or, now that I’ve successfully removed the original jack (as well as any “incriminating” evidence, should I quit while I’m ahead and surrender my laptop into the hands of the unknown?
Thanks again for your help…I’m really stressing out over this!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Conan,
In this stage I think it worth to take your laptop to Toshiba authorized repair center to get fix.. Also I think could be the mothrboard problem ( freeze up, static ) or hard drive got corrapted .. Before taking to Repair place remove your hard drive and give them just the laptop with out hard drive. Be advise , that theymayrefuse repair under warranty since you used super glue on motherboard..How ever it worth to try… If they will accept your laptop for repair and will fix it under warranty let them do it .. After you pick up repaired unit install the hard drive in the unit and see if works ..
April 18th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Hi everyone,
Let me first say that this site has saved me innumerable amounts of time, mental anguish, and money…you are to be commended!
Now…on to my problem. I have the requisite POS Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149 and have owned it for ~ 3 years. Until a few months ago, there were few major problems (at least none that required this level of help).
Now, over the course of the last week, I have had to resolder my DC-IN jack on several occasions, as solder joints didn’t hold. Each time I met with success, although short-lived, even though on one occasion, the middle (not +) pin developed a stress fracture and broke off….although continued to work without a hitch.
When I went to resolder the jack for what I hoped to be the final time yesterday, I used superglue in order to bind the jack to the motherboard more firmly to forestall the inevitable “Toshiba Syndrome”. I also redid the solder joints on top and bottom, making sure that they were nice and solid.
So, I closed it up, went to turn the PC on, and it powered up OK (i.e., Toshiba BIOS screen came up). However, once this occurs, the computer will go no further through the POST process.
Also, regardless of whether the unit is on battery power or AC power, the battery power LED glows orange instead of green.
Is this a mobo issue? Could this be a job for the evil empire at Toshiba, Inc., courtesy of the extended warranty?
This is my primary work PC, and since I am a writer (and an admittedly poor practitioner of practicing what I preach), I have not had the chance to make current backups to many of my files. So, anyone that has taken their PC into a repair shop understands my level of hesistation about entrusting my data to Toshiba or authorized rep…they have an annoying tendency to use those godforsaken “rescue disks” that lazy manufacturers/OEMS package with new PC’s. For those of you that don’t know, these disks will completely reformat your entire hard drive and return the system to the factory state (i.e., when you first got the PC).
Any suggestions, advice, help, or donations towards a Toshiba Free ™ laptop would be greatly appreciated.
April 16th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
LP Cloutier ,
The trace between the top side and the bottom side can’t be broken somewhere inside the hole if this is first time you trying to fix the jack! If the jack was before fixed , when possible this case I think.
However possible your problem is soldder needed on top of the hole to make connection with top trace.. will worth to resolder the botom connection at same time also..
Please follow the instructions on this page or just desolder of the motherboard , but be carefull not to birn the traces and to make short connection inside the hole !
Good luck !
April 15th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
” What if the trace between the top side and the bottom side is broken somewhere inside the hole? ”
Hi it is probably my problem… Id like to change my DC jack then.. How do you remove it from the Motherboard?
Thanks.
LP
April 11th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Cj2600,
This probably shows my ignorance, but what fuse?
April 8th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Bret,
Check all connectors. Make sure the CPU is seated properly and it’s locked inside the socket. Make sure the memory module is seated properly and reseat it just in case. Make sure the video cable is plugged correctly, all the way down into the connector on the motherboard.
April 8th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Davis,
Maybe the fuse is gone and needs to be replaced?
April 8th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I have a serious problem here…
One of my supervisers at work gave me his satellite M35X to look at because of this power jack problem. I figured it was an easy fix (and i was right). After putting the computer back together, It wont boot up!
Upon startup it will usually go through POST without a problem, and get to the windows loading screen, but after that the screen goes completely black. Sometimes it does this during the POST screen as well. The blue LED around the power button stays lit, but the screen goes completely black and the computer seemingly stops. any ideas? Otherwise this is going to the shop on my dollar to get it fixed. and i really dont want that.
Thanks,
Bret
April 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
just do this…connect the jack positive pin to the board by a wire. add glue to stiff it up.. mine has play but never shuts off no more.. next time i take it apart ill glue it up with apoxy…. guaranteed to work with or without glue.. Trust me!!!!!!!!!!!