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 are service manuals for some known laptop brands. Here are more Toshiba guides. 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 brush 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 which 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 brush 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.
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January 24th, 2009 at 5:58 am
Thanks for these instructions. In your opinion, I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop. The customer works fine, I’m not getting any error messages when using it. About two weeks my daughter knocked it off the computer table on to the back edge (where the power cord plugs in). The next day I was using it and realize that my screen had dimmed and that the power cord wasn’t being used only my battery. I continued to use the laptop for an hour or so, so I could finish up my project. Again absolutely no problems at all, internet was fast, programs loaded, etc.
In your opinion do you think this process you have provided will correct the problem?
January 21st, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I have a Toshiba Sattelite L355D and it’s a great computer but the thing thta pisses me off about it is that the DC charger is sticking out so much when you plug it into your laptop. So, yeah as I was wakling by a door entrance on wireless, I had bumped the wall with it ever so softly and it got loose. I got so upset but luckily it was anything real serious. The guide is great but I don’t think I have those things to fix it lol. I’m only 16, I’d probably murder myself with that thing by mistake. But, it looks very handy. Nice work on the guide.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:57 am
Hey, I use an Alienware Aurora m7700, and this guide really helped me fix the power problem. I would have to swivel and move the cord just to get power.
However, after I put it back together, my laptop got power, but won’t turn on. It charges, but when I hit the power button, it blinks all of the lights, and then nothing. It goes right back to charging. Any ideas?
January 19th, 2009 at 2:49 am
hey ya all, i have a dell c640 that wouldn’t power up nor charge battery while pluged … i tried my battery on a friends computer and charged just fine… connected the dc adapter and worked aswell… i assumed that i had to change the dc jack on my motherboard , so i did and i still ha the same problem… it’s so tiny it’s a serious bi**h
what do you think the blem is ?
January 17th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
On the picture where you see the pads you want to do more than just desolder and stick the new jack in. The offical Toshiba fix is to do this and then run a bead of hot melt glue around the connector. Thats a little better but will eventually work loose.
The trick to fix it so you can forget it is to scrape the entire pad free of the green coating (solder mask). Then insert the new connector and tack it in place with a small bit of solder on each pin. You do this so you get the position right. When you have it in place solder the entire pad. It will take a bit of solder but when you have it soldered you should have a smooth solder layer with the tips of three pins sticking out. Normally you don’t use anywhere near this amount of solder but in this case we are using it to provide mechanical and electrical strength. Not exactly what solder is meant for. You can also do the hot melt glue but its not required.
The problem or one of them with the Toshiba connectors was someone was a bit too tight on the solder mask around these pins. So the result is there is not much solder and the transition is too sharp from pin to pad. Normal use will crack the solder sooner or later and you know the rest. Scrape the pad and you have a bullet proof fix well until you wear out the pin ;-]
January 15th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
So my Dell Latitude D505 showed all the symptoms of a failed dc power jack; so I took it all apart down to the motherboard and then took the motherboard to a laptop repair shop to have the power jack resoldered. After putting it all back together the computer still has no power.
1. Is this b/c the battery is still completely dead?
2. Bad Motherboard?
Any suggestions from this point would be greatly appreciated.
January 12th, 2009 at 6:27 am
After following these instructons, my laptop now charges but my screen now won’t come on and the pc shuts down shortly after i turn it on. Any tips?? could it be my CPU?
January 4th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Can I use Silicone Grease instead of Thermal Grease to put on the CPU?
January 4th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Laptop dc in jack repaired many thanks, I can not get the keyboard strip back into place it is very difficult as it sits under the motherboard,
PACKARD BELL EASYNOTE
can you provide any suggestions.
thanks.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Replaced the AC Jack in my Dell Inspiron 5150 and when we plug it in the right and the left front green LED lights are flickering rapidly. The middle one does not come on. We checked the adapter and it’s sending 12 volts fine. Any suggestions?