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!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Ryan,
Does it mean that you soldered the jack without the copper sleeve?
On some motherboards traces on both sides are connected to each other through the copper sleeve inside the hole on the “+” terminal. If you soldered the jack without this sleeve, those traces are not connected anymore and that could be your problem. This is just a guess because I don’t know what motherboard you have.
Take a closer look at the “+” terminal on the motherboard. If it looks like the copper sleeve has to connect traces, you car run a jumper cable or use this technique: http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....in-laptop/
Again, this is just a guess. Be careful. If you short something, you can fry the motherboard. Proceed on your own risk.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Hey I followed this guide to the dot, couldn’t replace the copper sleeve on the “+” terminal, but decided to go through with it anyway. So the computer turns on and runs off AC power beautifully, so thank you very much for the guide! But the battery doesn’t work. In Windows XP, it says the battery is charged 100%, but when the laptop is unplugged it just shuts off. Can’t turn it on without AC power connected. Basically the battery doesn’t work. Is this a software or hardware problem? Or do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Ryan
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:11 pm
wow hey i found a solution to the power problem, i took the laptop apart and did the dc jack fix but didnt work… then searched forums all day and found 3-4 people who have fixed this problem like so:
its the earth on the ac jack. just wrap some tin foil around the outside of the jack and then plug it in, bingo!!! fixed toshiba laptop A75, so far its running on AC and charging battery as normal for the first time in over a year! yeehaaaaaaaa!!!
so for some people the problem isnt the board or dc socket, its the connection from the plug to the socket, the way its designed it doesnt make a good earth connection, there is no tension when u plug it in unless u make it tighter with some tin foil or tin tape would be better, then it would stay on the plug when u unplug it and would not require wrapping it every time u plug it in.
Im amazed I found a solution finally!!! dont have to send it in for repair or take apart laptop again, yaaaaaaaay :] im a happy plopper!
December 25th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I have a laptop that I won in a local contest and it suddenly stopped charging.. and I noticed over time the the AC thing, the cord, was falling out and would not stay in the DC hole jack thing. So I looked and I think that metal stick part has been pushed back. Is this something I can fix by myself? PLEASE HELP !!
December 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I have most of the solder removed from the underside of the jack but there seems to be solder on the other side of the jack holding it in place
How do I go about removing that? It will cause some damage if I just try the rip it off as the jack won’t budge at all
For people having trouble getting the solder to melt, the jack itself can act like a large heatsink, drawing all the heat away from the joint, so it can take a bit of time for the solder to melt, far longer than the 1-2 seconds some sites suggest it will
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
What do think of using Artic Silver Epoxy to fix power jacks?
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:15 am
[...] part of the the mother board, not a separate board. However, if you are on the lucky end of unlucky resoldering the power jack will fix the common power supply [...]
November 29th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Dalton!
Find a voltmeter and test the AC adapter. If there is no power, change the adapter.
In most cases, power jacks do not fail overnight.
I think it’s either bad AC adapter or fried motherboard.
November 28th, 2009 at 6:44 am
rustyk123
Agree that the jack probably doesnt need removing but its not the solder joints on the underside of this that I believe the problem is, as I explained there is a black plastic object with a gold copper / iron coil rapped around that was connected inside the back of the jack that I believe was also solder to the board, however I have never ever seen this kind of setup before and it looks different from any of your diagrams or any others i have found on the internet.
I really need to show you the pictures I have taken for you too see yourself, if you have a link of somewhere I can upload photo`s for you to see and a mail address I can send the pics to it would be a great help, I wish it was as straightforward as the setup in the instructions above as I would never of needed to ask otherwise.
Regards
Kev
November 27th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
hey kev,
from reading your post it sounds as if you are saying some of the solder points are lose. When i notice this i will follow the step listed up until you will remove the jack. As the jack is still good there is no need to completely remove it you will just remove the solder and replace the solder. This should fix that problem. But I do notice that the power supply for your laptop is one that commonly goes bad. If you are still having trouble with it powering on, just hook it up to a voltmeter and check to make sure it is putting out 18-20 volts. Hope this is the answer you are looking for