How To Fix Laptop Charger Port
All of us use laptops for a major reason- being able to use it anywhere. But that purpose will be for naught if our laptop’s charger port is not working. Then it’ll be just a box.
Usually people just replace the charging port as soon as it has any problems, but in most cases it’s easily fixable.
Physical injury to the port, damaged connector tip, displaced connector base, etc. is usually the common problem with a laptop’s charger port. So upon figuring out the damage, you will need to get started with fixing the port.
As long as the damage is minimal, you can use glue to fix it, but if it’s worse you will need to disassemble the laptop or take it to a repair shop.
To learn more about what you should do in which situation to fix your laptop’s charger port, stay tuned.
Figuring Out The Problem With Your Charger Port
As I have already mentioned, the reason behind a faulty laptop charger port can be many, and figuring out what’s that is the first step. Laptop users usually encounter faulty charger ports.
Power adapters, batteries, and cables may be to blame for damaged charger ports. Unless you can figure out where the problem is, you’ll need someone who knows this stuff.
Using a multimeter, check your charger’s voltage and make sure it is providing the correct voltage to the laptop. If the charger is doing it’s job right, then the problem is probably with batteries.
You might even need to replace the battery to get rid of the problem. And if the laptop is not getting the power supply needed through the power adapter, probably the cables are faulty.
Pretty much these are the issues that people face and you need to figure out what it is in your case. Now let’s start with how you can fix the issues with your laptop’s charger port.
Fixing Port And Adapter Issues
If the basic solutions like cleaning the port and trying to charge the laptop from some other power source didn’t work for you, then you might only have a shot at fixing it when you take it apart. You’ll get a better picture of what’s going on.
If you find the port is not in the worst condition, gather all the tools you have especially the screwdriver. Using the screwdriver, try to get the port back to its original shape. In case you don’t have a screwdriver, tweezers can get the job done as well.
If the problem is caused by a malfunctioning adapter connecting to the main power supply through a plug, you’ll need to change it.
Adapter cases should be handled with extreme caution in order to avoid electrocution. You will be able to solve adapter problems yourself if you understand how the electrical circuits function and follow safety precautions. Before taking the charger out of the outlet, be sure the power is turned off.
Tearing the plastic that is sealed with strong adhesive is the first thing you will need to do. Using a sharp knife or the edge of the screwdriver, you can open the seal. Pull out the charger once you have opened the seal and then you will have access to the internal components of your laptop.
After getting the access, you will be able to see the motherboard as well as different transistors and capacitors. If you notice that the capacitors are swollen, probably this is what damaging the adapter. And you can easily resolve the issue by buying new capacitors with the same power and replacing the existing ones.
Try to check the integrity of the cables as well and keep your hands off the PBC board, especially when the laptop is connected to the power source. Be careful about the terminals so you don’t end up interchanging the terminals. If you interchange the negative and positive terminal, the battery of your laptop will not charge when it is connected to the power supply.
How To Replace a Charger Port
The very first step to repairing the charger connector is to unscrew the rear cover and thoroughly disassemble the laptop. To do that, loosen all of the screws from the bottom panel and take out the battery, HDD (if present), flash memory, and any other component that needs to be detached.
Now that you have access inside the laptop, take out the motherboard as well so you can easily take out the damaged port by unsoldering and easily replace it. At this point, the question is how the charger port is connected to the motherboard.
Either it is connected through a connector or directly soldered to the motherboard. Depending on the manufacturer, brand, model, etc the connection of the charger port varies. But luckily most model brands use a separate circuit for the charger port.
Since soldered charger port on the motherboard is a bit risky to deal with and needs expertise. Here’s how you can fix the issue no matter how the charger port is connected.
1. If the charger port is connected through a circuit/Connector
When your laptop has a distinct circuit for the charger port, it is way much easier to fix it if it gets damaged. Not just fixing, even cleaning and replacing the port is easier when it’s not soldered to the motherboard.
All you have to do now is remove the connector and inspect the motherboard for any possible damage. If that’s the case, I’d suggest changing the power connector. If you don’t find any damage, make sure to double-check that all of the cables are properly connected. If you find any wire is missing, find it and gently solder it back into place.
Plug the port into a power adapter and test if the connection is now receiving the right voltage. If so, reconnect the connector with the motherboard, reassemble the components, and you’re done.
2. If the charger port is soldered to the motherboard
Talk about the worst-case scenario! It’s probably going to need professional help, and there’s no guarantee it’ll get fixed.
Still if you wanna wing it, what you can do is to try to do the soldering freshly and apply weld-flux all over the tips of the port. But this won’t work if the port is totally messed up and is not working at all. Professional help is the ultimate solution in such cases. It could be burned, the pins could be damaged, etc.
Alternatively, if you have all the tools to solder and unsolder the charger port, you can try that. Just be careful and don’t damage the motherboard. If the tracks on your laptop’s motherboard are burned around the charger port region, identify which one is burned and replace the existing wire with a new wire by soldering.
Fixing Cable Issues
Before jumping to conclusion that the port is faulty, don’t forget to check out the condition of the cable of the laptop’s charger as well. Cables lose their integrity over time and become brittle.
Though there’s an easy way of understanding whether the cable is faulty or not if your adapter has a LED indicator. As long as the cable is doing its job, the indicator will light up.
Nonetheless, if the LED doesn’t light up, here are a few quick fixes that you can try if you have a broken cable.
- If the LED of the adapter doesn’t work at all, start with checking whether the power cable from the AC source is providing any output voltage. A blown fuse, a malfunctioning plug, or severed wiring can work as the source of the issue. Try replacing the AC Power cable so you don’t have to deal with it in the future, and they are not that expensive as well.
- Since the AC power cable is in good condition, the problem is most likely with either the adapter or the cord of the DC outlet. If the laptop only charges when you put the cable at a certain angle or shake it, that may indicate a damaged outlet cable. In most cases, the cord is probably broken inside.
- Connectors that come in L shape are surely the best in this category. They don’t easily get damaged and Hp is one of the leading laptop brands that use the L connectors. Other brands go for robustness and it doesn’t really bring any good for their cables. Now no matter what type of cable is used, the adapter will eventually get damaged unless you stay careful about the length of the cable and don’t put stress on the cable.
- It is most likely either the connector of your laptop is not in good condition or the cable inside is broken, if you have to jiggle and wiggle the DC cable in order to charge the laptop. Upon ensuring which is the faulty part, cut along that side.
- After that, carefully peel off the outer layer of the plastic sheet of the cables, which are approximately an inch thick. To make a suitable connection on contemporaneous wires, you can glue, braid, or utilize connectors for the best results. To avoid short-circuiting the connection, use tape that can separate wires.
- If the issue is caused by a damaged pin or maybe a wire cut very closely to the connection, you simply have to change either the port or the Dc power wire, but not the entire adapter.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fix laptop charger port?
Even if you don’t know anything about electronics, you can fix a broken charging port yourself if you have all the parts and a soldering iron. Watch videos on YouTube if you don’t know how.
You might have to pay anywhere from 50 dollars to 150 dollars to hire a technician.
Can I charge my laptop through a USB port?
Simply put, you can’t charge your laptop through the USB port. Because USB ports are there to provide power, they can’t actually receive any and, therefore, they cannot charge laptops.
But new models of laptops are coming on the market pretty soon with Type C USB ports. Although they can be used to charge the laptop, it’s not clear how efficient or reliable they are.
Can a charging port be fixed on a laptop?
To fix your laptop charging port, you must first determine what is causing the issue. You may simply replace the entire power jack if it is attached to the motherboard. But If the power connector is soldered directly to the laptop’s motherboard, you’ll have to desolder first and then replace it with a new one.
How do I fix a bent charger port?
Locate the charger port in your computer and find out the small card with what the charger connects with when it is inside. Now you can use a screwdriver, needle, paperclip, etc to insert inside the charger port and all you need to do is move the tool so you can get the item back to its place.
How do I know my laptop charger port is broken?
Well, there are many indications that will tell you that the charger port of your laptop is broken starting with the laptop is not charging even though everything else is fine. Apart from that, if your laptop only gets charged when you put the cable at any specific angle or you need to wiggle the cable on the port, basically these are the signs that the charger port of your laptop is probably broken.
Conclusion
Knowing how to fix laptop charger port is quite important and everyone should know about this since it is a very common incident for laptop users. And if you can’t fix this issue you won’t be able to charge your laptop and hence you won’t be able to do your work. I hope this article was helpful enough to enlighten you about how you can fix your laptop’s charger port.