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.
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January 28th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
i tried using a toothpick and it got most of the solder away and made sure that the toothpick could go through the hole. you might have to wither the toothpick a little so it opens up the hole while heating it up. once the solder gets soft the toothpick should be able to poke through the hole
January 24th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I have the same problem. My holes are all blocked with Solder. I tried adding more Solder but didn’t work that well. Can somebody guide me and Brad in right direction…..Much appreciated.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
cj2600,
Thanks for the quick reply! Can you please explain how adding more will clear out the holes? It seems as though each time I add, I am only picking up what I have added each time.
Do you think getting a smaller tip for my solder will hel with getting the excess that has filled the holes? Thanks……..looking forward to your help again.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Brad,
Add some fresh solder into all three holes. Do not try installing the power jack at this time, just add some solder so the hole is filled up with the solder. Now melt the solder with the soldering gun and remove it with the pump.
Repeat the same process again: add solder – melt it – remove with the pump. Do it until the hole is clean. You have to repeat the same process a few times in a row for each hole. It’s very hard to clean the hole on the first try.
Usually I add/remove solder about 5-8 times until the hole gets clean.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I have removed the power jack from the mother board successfully. I have a huge problem now……..The three holes are now filled with solder and I am having a hard time clearing them. I have tried using “wick” and I have also tried a solder pump, neither have been successful.
Does anyone have an idea as to how I can clear those holes so that I can reinsert a power jack? PLEASE help…….this site has been a life saver. Couln’t have gotten this far without it!!
January 19th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I’m about to start my third “repair effort” on my Toshiba. Couldn’t remove an F8 screw last time – had to drill into it with a small bit about the diameter of the screw threads – the screw head popped off and ran up the bit – later I was able to back the rest of the screw out of the base with needlenose pliers – I’ll replace the screw if I can get the Toshiba working. Other wise I’ll sell the whole mess cheap!
January 18th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
im trying to do this and it is going well so far, but two screws on the base will NOT come out. my hands are bruised from applying so much vertical pressure to my screwdrivers. the screwdrivers are now all stripped. how the hell can i get these two things out?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Great tutorial. I have had this problem on my toshiba m35x with battery not charging/DC jack loose contact for a long time and couple of days back it stopped charging completely, leading me to this site. I am a complete newbie wrt soldering and stuff, but I went ahead and bought all the equpiments suggested here for under 20 pounds, and it took me about six hours to dissemble the laptop again following the tutorial here, fix the soldering and put it back together. Needless to say it worked!!! Btw few variations between the instructions here and what I did
1. Didnt remove the modem card
2. Didnt remove the CPU
3. Didnt the remove the JACK completely – actually I tried but it was kind of stuck. So I just applied fresh solder on top of it.
Thanks again for putting together this tutorial. Great work!
January 18th, 2008 at 10:54 am
cj2600,
Thanks for the help and the link
January 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Harlan,
You still can solder the power jack on one of the sides, right?
If traces on both sides of the motherboard has to be connected to each other, you can connect the with a pice of wire as it shown here.
Also, take a look at the power jack workaround guide.