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Charger/Connector issue

post #1 of 13
6/20/07 at 3:52pm
Thread Starter 
It seems this problem is common on HP/Compaqs. I know of 2 other people that have the same issue as me. The connector where you plug in the charger to the laptop seems to go bad. So you plug it in and you get a light that its charging that goes right away. Seems you have to get the connector just right at some type of angle then it works to charge but if you pick up your laptop or move it, you can go back on battery.
I saw on EBAy that they sell both, chargers and the connector. For the connector I guess you have to take the laptop apart to replace it.
My question is, whats really going wrong here, is it the connector or the end of the laptop charger where it plugs in to the connector?
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post #2 of 13
6/20/07 at 5:42pm
Usually it's the jack inside the laptop. And it's a all-laptops-that-solder-the-jack-on problem, ie more than 90% of the laptops out there (currently using a laptop in the 10% :-).

A quick visual inspection should rule out the adapter, the only likely way it could fail would be if the tip were physically falling apart (had that happen). If it charges at a certain angle then it's almost certain that the adapter's fine.

Check out the damage closer before you buy anything. Usually it just gets loose and you need to solder it tight again. If the jack is busted, as in the middle pin is loose/fell off or something, then you need a new jack off Ebay. Either way it will involve soldering. I've learned to be a bit more careful after it happened to me few times...
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post #3 of 13
6/20/07 at 9:32pm
Thread Starter 
thanks, well Ill open up my laptop and take a look. i got a soldering gun and a steady hand. Having you explain it made me see the light so to speak.
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post #4 of 13
6/21/07 at 1:59am
Thread Starter 
thanks again. First thing I did when I got home was take my laptop apart...
I was worried when I saw all the screws I had to undo just to get to the connector. I still never got a clean clear view of it. But I tagged some solder on the 4 prongs and Im currently typing on my laptop right after I effortlessly plugged it in. And seems nice and solid now. The second part of your post about being carefull from now on is also helpful. Ill make sure I dont ram it in there like before. Its all about being careful now that its stable again.
Go by yourself a hotdog and a drink, its on me.
Thanks again.
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post #5 of 13
6/30/07 at 4:41am
what model hp is it?
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post #6 of 13
1/16/08 at 4:29pm
Most of the ones I fix (95%) are the connector on the board is a piece of crap. Some come unsoldered, and some physically break
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post #7 of 13
1/19/08 at 3:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Harvey View Post
Most of the ones I fix (95%) are the connector on the board is a piece of crap. Some come unsoldered, and some physically break
the solder breaks because of the power that is always flowing in it and therefore causing the solder to eventually crack/break...
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post #8 of 13
1/19/08 at 6:54pm
You are 100% wrong. I am in electronics and have been over 50 years, and I have never had soldered connections "Break because of current flow" That will only happen if it is too light and it gets hot from current flow. These jacks break from physical impact or pulls. They were designed too poorly (weak) for the average person using them. Or cold solder joints. I wire on diesel and off road trucks, and aircraft, where vibrations are the biggest problem and never have those connections to break. The wire breaks before a PROPER solder connection does.

These computers are BADLY engineered by cost cutting idiots that want them to break, so people buy new ones, so they make more money.
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post #9 of 13
1/20/08 at 1:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Harvey View Post
You are 100% wrong. I am in electronics and have been over 50 years, and I have never had soldered connections "Break because of current flow" That will only happen if it is too light and it gets hot from current flow. These jacks break from physical impact or pulls. They were designed too poorly (weak) for the average person using them. Or cold solder joints. I wire on diesel and off road trucks, and aircraft, where vibrations are the biggest problem and never have those connections to break. The wire breaks before a PROPER solder connection does. These computers are BADLY engineered by cost cutting idiots that want them to break, so people buy new ones, so they make more money.
not all jacks fail because of physical abuse. you even just said how the the current flow develops heat... lead free solder at least takes a lot hotter temps for it to break.
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post #10 of 13
1/21/08 at 2:28pm
It gets hot IF the wire/print size is too small for the amperage flowing through it. The PROPER size does not get hot.
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post #11 of 13
5/12/08 at 5:39am
I guess I should get a T shirt made saying "Friends dont let friends buy this brand, huh?
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post #12 of 13
5/12/08 at 10:20pm
I guess it is a bit relative...I have 3 different HPs and compaqs, one personal, and two work notebooks...3 different models,2 different style adapter tips, and we have a number of recent compaq notebooks at work, some 25 or so...not one has yet to suffer a charging- related issue, and they get plugged/unplugged every day.

I am not saying that it can not, or will not happen, but we run these all day on AC for the most part, so i do suspect that it is primarily a "physical" weakness, rather than caused by current flow.

It may not be the best designed jack assembly, no argument there, but I do believe that with a little care, there is no reason that you can not get a normal lifespan from it.

P.S. Don't get me wrong though...now that I said this, I am paranoid that in the next couple of days it will happen to me...
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post #13 of 13
5/13/08 at 1:45am
ALL the ones that I see (bad) have been physically broken from a drop or banging on something. NONE have got hot from small print, One that never has problems looks like a tee-pee pin arangement, and the ZV6000 has a nice big heavy one similar layout to the parallel printer Centronics design. The coaxial type ones are the weak ones
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