I'm new here so hey to everoyne...i searched for this topic but could not find it so im hoping that doesnt mean im the only one ever with this problem. I have had my HP Pavilion zv5000 since last july and i love it. Just recently i have been having problems with the connection of the AC Adapter into the lap top. I will plug it in and about anywhere from 2 seconds-1 minute after it goes to not charging again. I tried for a while bending some pins out to make connection again and that worked for a bit, but recently that has stopped working. Has anyone ever encountered this? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Sounds like a bad solder joint for the DC connector.. Theyre not too bad to repair on this model.

I've been kinda curling it so it stayed in a good position to keep power and that works for now, but it wont work forever, thanks for the idea on what it might be

Requires board removal and the resoldering of the jack on the board. If you are not able to do we can help. usually 89.00 plus the return ship fee.
www.ikenfixit.com

I’m facing with the same problem. As it seems to me the issue is in the power jack, I still have warranty but I can not afford to ship my machine back to US. The local HP center will not repair it, because I did not buy from them.
I was thinking to give some company and they will fix it, but I’m not aware how serious my problem is. Is my problem can be solved by changing power jack or I have to deal with something else??? Any ideas/suggestions????

If you are in the UK we have a guy that can help.. Let us know... www.ikenfixit.com

Unfortunately I’m not, I’m in BG now. Have any idea how much it will cost in the Sates and where I can find the company which can deal with this kind of issue? Thanks in advance

Check with Postal, UPS, and DHL to ship to zipcode 49720. (Thats where we are located).. If shipping the whole unit is too much and you are capable of tearing it down and re-assembling you could send us the systemboard in an antistatic bag.
www.ikenfixit.com

I wish to get clarification Teknicolor?

Are you saying the machine still works but just the battery charge light goes out?

Does the machine work when battery is removed and the AC adapter/charge light is exhibiting this behavior?

I personally caution against bending anything to make it work except for diagnosos and maybe an emergency use so be careful or you will be buying even more parts.

If your machine runs but its just the battery charge light going on and off then the diagnosis is not so simple as a bad AC jack. Its a good place to start looking since this is a design shorcoming in notebooks, with all that stress of the cable which many a time we tug on, yank, trip over, etc straining and eventually breaking that little jack. It is a very common notebook problem.

If you are actually loosing all power by wiggling the jack then thats a pretty good diagnosis to say with 90% certainty that its the jack or plug......yes I said plug.....because though less frequent the plug can develop a broken wire or bad connection especially if you are bending and tugging on it. But you must also consider that other 10% and before you buy costly parts or repair you should do a more thorough diagnosis.

For me I do have some back ground and ability to diagnose electronic problems and have some equipment, and have even replaced the AC jack on three notebooks and also diagnosed a bad power cable (plug) twice so I would do my own. Now when it comes to cooking I am helpless, and I know that for alot of folks the reverse is true and paying someone to fix the problem just as I like to pay people to cook my meals, is the preferred solution.

If you do it yourself you can do this with a VOM meter, a few screwdrivers, the repair manual which you can download from the HP site, and replacement parts from ebay (~$20 for AC adapter and ~$5-10 for the Jack) and a soldering pencil with a desoldering attachment or desoldering wick. This can be a fun project, especially when you have success. Unfortunately if you do not have these tools and have no use for them afterwards you will be paying way more than the $89 quote from ikenfixit.

I will say that the $89 that ikenfixit has quoted you is a very reasonable price for the repair mentioned. Even if you are good at taking apart and reassembling the notebook its like an hour just for that task and longer if you are fumbling your way trying to find the hidden clip or screw and also risking breakage while you try to pry things open. I have seen ikenfixit post at several forums offering his help/services and seen his website and other price quotes and would definitely put him on my short list of repair options.

If ikenfixit can not provide the support you need due to your location then you can try any small electronic repair shop. It does not have to be a computer shop because we are thinking its a simple power jack component that any half way decent electronic technician should be able to diagnose and repair. I will caution you though on the price and be certain to get an estimate for repair AND for Diagnosis since you can be hit with a Diagnosis fee if you decide its to costly to repair. Here in the US it would be hard to find someone to match ikenfixit quote to you. I would estimate $150 plus in my neck of the woods where its the high cost of living/housing that gets you most.

HP does not have the trained people to do something like this and their solution is to change the costly motherboard so if you use HP support and they follow the que cards/teleprompter on diagnosing/troubleshooting/what to do you can end up with a $800-$1500 repair bill.

I think I would start by checking your power cord plug. Use a VOM to see that it is giving a stable voltage without dropping out when wiggled. If you don't have one I am certain at least one of your friends has one and since this is a simple test that takes no time they should be more than willing to help. Alternatively if you know someone with an HP AC power brick with similar specs (the voltage and + - on Compaq notebooks the last couple of years has been standardized, you only need to make certain it has a wattage equal to or greater) then try that and see if it changes anything

Now if we have misunderstood and it is just the battery charging light going off when you know it should be on but the notebook works then everything, well almost everything, that I said will not be helpful and a different approach should be done. It could be something as simple as a bad battery, or bad power board which the NC's are notorious for with the infamous "battery charge light not on" symptom. Sometimes just unplugging it and resetting the notebook seems to get it working again, sometimes a replacement board is required. My only thought about this is that the infamous problem I just mentioned does not fit into the symptom you describe of it working when you bend the plug, but who knows.

GOOD LUCK!

Even i the jack requires replacement its not any more complex.. These should be pulled and have any carbonization removed from the pins prior to re-soldering anyway. Otherwise they will not hold for long..The only models I've not yet found a suitable vendor for the jacks for are the newer Dells. These are NOT available period. "Larry in Eastbay"? If you can locate these we'd definitley send you a Christmas card! And a 12 pack of your chosing.!.! (Foxconn Part and apparently theres some type of propietary sold only to Dell agreement). We get a ton of laptops in and charge accordingly.. I can generally rework a DC connector in an hour or two so the 89.00 I feel is about the max we could charge and still be able to sleep. (Even if I have to change the jack).. The high diagnostics charges from most repair facilities is most of the reason we got into this venture. I have on NUMEROUS occasions heard the story "HP, Or Sony, Or other, Said send it in w/200.00 fro the diagnostic and they would repair it" Then the poor people got hit with a 600 dollar estimate???. Already lost the 200.00. And theyed end up having more into the unit than its worth. We can usually do most repairs for under 300.00 regardless and even if it means selling board (if unrepairable) or screen at cost w/free labor to get the job done. This is how we built our customer base and keep referrals rolling in. Like I've stated Many times if you want to attempt this yourself and want to ask a question? Feel free to do so. We dont charge for talking or responding to e-mails and there are way too many greed mongors out there unwilling to help..Weve repaired laptops for a variety of individuals from Murry Shohat at Embedded Linux Consortium, (ELC)To a Phychologist in N. Mariana Islands and have not met a bad individual as of yet. We just like what we do and everyone we meet.
Have fun all!

Hi ikenfixit

Sorry to hear about the Dell. Though their CS has really slid down hill I have always liked their pricing and really liked their use of common nonproprietary parts for upgrading and repairs so I see what you say about the jack as bad news and hopefully not part of a trend. It could be they are getting out of the Design of these notebooks and doing like HP has done the last couple of years and just looking at the various designs offered by the Chinese Manufactures and rebrand models that they think will sell well and its these Chinese Manufactures/Designers that are going this way.

I had actually found myself wishing I bought another Dell due to the scarcity of parts for my HP and exhorbanant prices for parts from HP. I also like their large user base/community that is very helpful.

If anyone does have a bad AC jack and you are halfway decent at doing soldering, using a VOM, and doing diagnosis then this is definitely a do able project.

If you are not handy with your hands, have some at least hobbyist experience with electronics like building kits or such, and not good at handling/taking card of really small fragile items, like notebooks, then I do recommend paying someone to do this service. In fact the notebook is one of the rare items I strongly recommend buying a service plan due to how costly it is to even touch them and lack of a good support structure for the home mechanic that likes to fix there own stuff.

I also have to recommend ikenfixit for this service since I do see him offering his services at most of the forums I visit, spending his own time to help diagnose, and offering a very reasonable price structure for his repair options, especially compared to non warranty work from HP,

Thanks a lot for enormous information and suggestion. So far my machine still works, but I have to use a book as a pedestal, under the plug so it will hold stable connection. It dose not get so hot as used to, but just a little would say not at all.
Since I'm holding warranty option I will try to use it.
Thanks a lot one more time.

I can't get it to stay connected in the back of the computer. I've done the pin bending thing too, work for a while now back to being real touchy if you ever get it connected.

Also battery doesn't stay charged for very long either, like 10 minutes! In the model are you supposed to leave the battery in it at all times.

If I didn't I would be down half the time. I am constantly having to keep an eye on the icon to see that the electrial cord is showing. Driving me crazy.

BTW, hello, I'm new

Same issue and if you are stateside we'd be glad to help!

Yes, I'm state side and just may take u up on that offer. This is driving me nuts!