This guide will explain how to repair a failed or loose DC power jack on a laptop computer yourself. Here’s my previous post related to DC power jack related issues.
Disclaimer: I’ve made these instructions only for people experienced with soldering and repairing computers. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this job, please do not open the laptop or you can permanently damage your computer. Take your laptop to a professional repair shop instead.
Use this repair guide at your own risk. 
First of all, you’ll have to disassemble your laptop and remove the motherboard. Here you’ll find disassembly instructions for some major laptop brands such as IBM, Dell, HP, Compaq, Toshiba. If your laptop is not on the list, you’ll have to figure out yourself how to take it apart.
For this repair you’ll need the following tools.
1. Soldering iron or soldering station. I use Weller WES51 soldering station and for this job I set temperature to about 800-850°F.
2. I use high-tech rosin core silver-bearing solder from Radioshack with diameter 0.022″ ( Catalog #: 64-013 ). I think standard rosin core solder will work just fine.
3. Desoldering pump for removing solder around component leads. I use Edsyn Soldapullt pump, model DS 017.
4. 99% isopropyl alcohol and tooth brash for cleaning the motherboard from flux.
5. A new DC power jack, you can find a cheap one here.
Laptop DC power jack repair guide.
As you see on the following picture, the solder drop on the positive terminal looks different than on other three contacts. That’s where the problem is. The positive pin is not making a good contact with the motherboard and because of that power to the laptop cuts off when I move the power plug inside the power jack.
I’m going to desolder the power jack from the motherboard, clean contacts on both power jack and motherboard and then solder it back in place – this is the proper way fixing the power problem.
Start desoldering process with adding some new fresh solder to all three contacts. This will make old solder more flowable, easier to remove.
While heating one of the contacts, remove the solder from this contact using the desoldering pump. Repeat the same steps with all power jack contacts until you remove as much solder as possible.
Grab the power jack and carefully try removing it from the motherboard. Most likely you will not be able to remove the power jack the first time because there will be some solder bridges left between the contacts and traces on the motherboard. Carefully wiggle the power jack without applying any significant force and at the same time heat up all contacts one by one. This will help you to remove the power jack.
The DC power jack is almost removed from the motherboard.
Be careful. Inside the positive hole there is a copper sleeve witch connects the terminal on one side of the motherboard with the traces on the other side. If you are removing the power jack with force, you can pull the sleeve from the hole. You don’t want to do that.
UPDATE: If you accidentally removed the internal sleeve, check out this post: How to fortify damaged power jack connection.
So, do not apply any force and make sure the solder is melted when you are removing the power jack. I hope you understand what I’m talking about.
After the power jack is removed, clean all oxidized contacts with a knife.
Apply a fresh coat of solder to all contacts on the power jack.
The power jack terminals will look dirty because of melted flux.
You can remove the flux using the tooth brash and alcohol. It’s not necessary but it will make your job looking clean.
Apply a fresh coat of solder to all power jack terminals on both sides of the motherboard.
This side has been coated.
And this side has been coated too.
Now you can install the power jack back on the motherboard. Put something under power jack so there is no gap between the jack and the motherboard. Now you are ready to solder the jack back in place.
Solder all power jack pins.
The job is done and the laptop DC power jack is fixed. B-E-A-utiful!
Now just install the motherboard back into the laptop and you are done.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
September 13th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I need a way to source the generic connector name for the male dc power connector that plugs into a Dell Vostro 1400. I’m referring to only the actual plug on the power cord NOT the entire power cord itself.
THANK YOU very much for your assitstance
September 12th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Don,
Something is wrong. Apparently you bridged traces with solder. Take a closer at your soldering job. Do not turn on the laptop like that or you’ll fry the motherboard.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I resoldered my jack as explained, but with a meter I read continuity between the center pin (I assume the +) and one of the other pins (the outermost pin). Is this normal or do I have a direct short? I obviously don’t want to fry anything! Thanks!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
elizabeth white,
How can I help if I don’t even know what was wrong with your laptop and what you did?
September 9th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Alan,
Not sure what could be wrong. Are you trying to turn hinges with your fingers? It’s not easy!!!
First, install the screen back into the place. Second, rotate the screen so you can access screw holes. It’s way easier to rotate the hinges when the display assembly is installed and both hinges are secured in the laptop base.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
James Bayliss,
Just recently I built a photo frame from my old Toshiba Satellite 3005. Here’s how I did it:
How to make a digital picture-photo frame from an old laptop.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Stew,
Usually it makes contact with both sides. There is a sleeve inside the hole for the positive pin and this sleeve connects traces on both sides of the motherboard. You should solder the positive pin on one side of the motherboard but traces on both sides are connected by the sleeve inside the whole.
From my experience, Toshiba laptops has only one layer of tracing on each side of the motherboard.
Maybe you should try resoldering the power jack.
So the laptop actually gets power but will not start? That could be memory problem. Did you test memory in second working laptop?
September 9th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Hi there, already done youre step by step instructions and the laptop still wont charge or even switch on. I really am stuck now! Please help!
September 6th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hello, thanks to your instructions I have managed to fix my wife’s ibm thinkpad 1200 which I dropped 2 years ago! Unfortunately during the soldering I broke off a component which looked like a resistor and it pinged across the room, never to be found. I think that it was part of the battery charging because the battery doesn’t charge now but it wasn’t any good anyway so it will be used like a dsktop.
Thanks again for posting all this useful stuff, I might have a go at the photo frame next with an ancient laptop of mine!
September 6th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Hi
Followed your instructions for taking the Toshiba apart and fixing a new power socket everything has gone well until I have tried to re screw on the screen, the hinges seem not to want to turn so I can’t re screw in. Its a Toshiba Equium A60-181 and I was following the guide from the Sat A65 which as near as I could find.
Very frustrating not being able to complete rebuilding to check out my handwork Can you help please. Cant see why the hinges will not turn logic says they must!!!!
Regards