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 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.
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
February 8th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I never thought I could pull something like this off, but it worked!!! Thanks so much for the step-by-step!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Misha Koshelev,
Are you looking at the right manual? The Service Manual for Inspiron 600m explains how to access and remove the motherboard.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Dennis,
Yes you can. You will not damage the motherboard if you know what you are doing. Sometimes, when I’m not sure if the jack is bad or not, I test motherboards like that. I plug the AC adapter, connect my multimeter to the solder joints on the jack and start moving the plug inside the jack at the same time looking at the voltmeter. If power cuts off when I move the plug, apparently it’s either bad connection between the jack and motherboard, or the jack is bad (I assume the adapter is working properly).
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:14 am
So I’ve disassembled my inspiron 600m and soldered on a new power jack. Unfortunately the service manual did not go far enough as far as getting access to the motherboard, so I improvised, but in the process of moving parts (off my bed, ok so I thought it might not take as long as it did) I don’t think I _quite_ know which screws go where in the parts that I did after I finished following the service manual. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Misha
January 28th, 2009 at 1:37 am
I have my Dell Inspiron disassembled but there is no physical evidence that the power jack is bad, Can I plug the ac adapter into the motherboard and test voltage and continuity with the motherboard removed from the laptop without causing any damage to the motherhboard circuitry?
Thanks.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
GHETTO WAY THAT WORKS!!!!
The peg inside my computer broke, and I was about to try to replace it, but if you like do things kind of ghetto like me, I discovered an option. First take out the broken peg if it is still in the end of the power adapter, and in is place, fit in 4 pieces of 2 inch long copper wireing. Then cut them all at once, just so the copper is only slightly coming out of the end of the power adapter. Does not work perfect, and you need to wiggle sometimes, but better than getting rid of the computer, or trying to fix when you have no experience.
January 26th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Amy,
January 26th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Meg,
I don’t like how the power connector on this model is designed either, it’s very easy to break.
In a Toshiba Satellite L355D the power jack is NOT soldered to the motherboard, it’s attached to a power harness.
In your case you either broke the DC-IN jack or the mounting bracket on the base assembly where the DC-IN jack is mounted.
If it’s just the jack, it’s necessary to replace the DC-IN harness.
If it’s the mounting bracket on the base assembly, it’s necessary to replace the base assembly.
By the way, it’s likely that you broke both.
Here’s how I take this laptop apart. You can see where the DC-IN power harness mounted to the base assembly on the picture in the step 14.
Toshiba Satellite L355D is a new model but I’ve seen MANY broken jacks already.
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.