Repair DC Power Jack Problem on Laptop Using Modem Port
Intro: Repair DC Power Jack Problem on Laptop Using Modem Port
I fixed the laptop power jack once with non-destructive method.
Yes, I fixed it.
After three months, I heard some noise from behind the laptop.
Oh my.... again?
When I wiggled the connector, it sometimes worked.
As before, it finally stopped working.
I had to open and re-solder the power plug.
That happened .... at least 5 times.
Finally I was fed up with the re-soldering.
The problem is coming from two facts.
1) DC power jack is fixed on the mother board not to the exoskeleton of the laptop. Therefore any shock to the power connector is directly transduced to the soldering between the power jack and the mother board.
2) Joint between the power jack and mother board is highly oxidized and always ends up in un-clean solder. Even a small shock on the power jack makes the soldering connection cold.
For the solution
Fix the DC power jack on the outer case not on the mother board so that the soldering at the mother board is isolated from any external shock.
How can I do it?
"Ring-ring!!!"
Yes, I fixed it.
After three months, I heard some noise from behind the laptop.
Oh my.... again?
When I wiggled the connector, it sometimes worked.
As before, it finally stopped working.
I had to open and re-solder the power plug.
That happened .... at least 5 times.
Finally I was fed up with the re-soldering.
The problem is coming from two facts.
1) DC power jack is fixed on the mother board not to the exoskeleton of the laptop. Therefore any shock to the power connector is directly transduced to the soldering between the power jack and the mother board.
2) Joint between the power jack and mother board is highly oxidized and always ends up in un-clean solder. Even a small shock on the power jack makes the soldering connection cold.
For the solution
Fix the DC power jack on the outer case not on the mother board so that the soldering at the mother board is isolated from any external shock.
How can I do it?
"Ring-ring!!!"
STEP 1: Modem Jack Removal
There is a Perfect Hole.
It's usually unused in modern computing unless you have dial-up.
In order to reach the modem port, you have to follow this Instructable to the step 9 and remove the modem jack.
It's usually unused in modern computing unless you have dial-up.
In order to reach the modem port, you have to follow this Instructable to the step 9 and remove the modem jack.
STEP 2: Power Jack Preparation
As in the other Instructable, the power jack was removed from the mother board.
Then the jack is soldered to the electric cords.
The power cord is from an adapter for my old telephone. It could be any power cord.
However, it should be thick enough to support the electric current needed for laptop.
Therefore the use of those audio cable, phone cable etc. are not recommended.
Then the jack is soldered to the electric cords.
The power cord is from an adapter for my old telephone. It could be any power cord.
However, it should be thick enough to support the electric current needed for laptop.
Therefore the use of those audio cable, phone cable etc. are not recommended.
STEP 3: Fix It On
As you see in the figure, I glued the power jack to the space where the modem jack was originally using hot glue (I got from a $1 shop). The other end of the cords were soldered onto the mother board where the power jack was originally.
You can put the PC board back on.
You can put the PC board back on.
STEP 4: Re-assemble
You can reassemble your machine following my previous intructable.
Now you can see the empty hole which was occupied with power jack before.
And the modem port now occupied with power jack.
Now you can see the empty hole which was occupied with power jack before.
And the modem port now occupied with power jack.
STEP 5: Prevention
In order to reduce any stress to the newly fixed power jack, I made a restrainer that keeps any shock away from the power jack by transducing the shock to the ethernet jack.
Just cut a piece of ethernet cable and tape it back to the cable for making a small loop. Attache a rubber band to the loop in order to absorb any excessive shock. Attache the rubber band to the power cord.
Even if you pull the power cord abruptly, the rubber band absorb the most of the shock and the ethernet cable pulls the computer gently.
It certainly looks cosmetically worse than before but it works!
Just cut a piece of ethernet cable and tape it back to the cable for making a small loop. Attache a rubber band to the loop in order to absorb any excessive shock. Attache the rubber band to the power cord.
Even if you pull the power cord abruptly, the rubber band absorb the most of the shock and the ethernet cable pulls the computer gently.
It certainly looks cosmetically worse than before but it works!
32 Comments
limpach 15 years ago
IBRAHIM FAGGEI 11 months ago
munchman 15 years ago
ReCreate 15 years ago
bigt4616 15 years ago
digitaldr 11 years ago
What type of soldering iron did you use?
Do you think I'd get away with not desoldering the old jack first?
Why do you need 3 wires? My jack has 3 sets of brass pins on the board but I'm assuming that the inner ones are positive and the outer 2 are negative. Is this a safe assumption or am I better using 3 wires.
Would it be a good idea to put a ferrite ring around the wires?
How durable has the hot glue been?
Thanks
IBRAHIM FAGGEI 11 months ago
digitaldr 11 years ago
teatimest 11 years ago
digitaldr 11 years ago
Since my DC jack seems to be firmly attached to the board (the problem is within the jack itself) I'm planning to cut it off with a mini snips and just soldering direct to what's left of it so won't need to do any desoldering after all.
Also I don't think I'll be able to squeeze in a ferrite ring. The modem port is on the other side of the laptop so I hope I don't run into interference issues.
IBRAHIM FAGGEI 11 months ago
videogame57 9 years ago
That's a nice laptop, made in Japan. You don't see stuff like that anymore.
orionsfather 13 years ago
treerey 9 years ago
That same idea immediately sprung into my mind. Glad to know that's how repair centers fix that issue. Even though I'm looking at this page three years later;Thanks 'orionsfather'.
And a Big Thanks to 'teatimest' for your instructable, as well.
red7media 10 years ago
What I do is a hot wire trace fix, similar to this Instructable but a bit neater
Also you can use a DC Jack such as a Toshiba case mount as you have
more surface area if you need to glue it to the bottom case, but you will need
to use another charger or solder a toshiba male plug onto your Sony Adapter.
I have some photos of these repairs in My Gallery @ http://repairmydcjack.com/
powerjackrepair 10 years ago
khenry78 13 years ago
zack247 14 years ago
TForward 14 years ago
teatimest 14 years ago