Monthly Archives: August 2022

Acer Swift 3 DC Power Jack Repair

Video of Pomeroy Computing replacing a power jack on an Acer Swift 3 laptop.

How do I know if my Acer Swift has a bad charge port?

I’ve repaired multiple Acer Swift series laptops and the big problem I find with them is that the power jack is very small and delicate. This makes for a fragile and weak design which leads to a broken jack. If the socket connection is loose where you plug in the ac adapter, you most likely have a broken plug.

What does the dc jack look like?

What symptoms will it have?

  • Loose connection where you plug in the power cord.
  • Intermittently switch back and forth from Ac power to battery.
  • Power cord doesn’t fit snug like when it was new.

Can I fix this myself?

The video above is a step by step guide in how to fix the Acer Swift 3 laptop. This is board level repair that requires complete disassembly of the notebook. Once the computer is disassembled to the motherboard you will need to de-solder the old broken charge port and solder a new one back on. This will require proficient soldering skills and tools to successfully complete this repair.

What is the cost of replacing the jack?

At Pomeroy Computing we provide nation wide mail-in laptop power jack repair. We do this service for $69 parts and labor to replace the socket on a Acer Swift 3 notebook. Visit the homepage of our website to get started.

How to diagnose a laptop with a broken power jack.

This video goes from start to finish on a typical power jack replacement.

What is a power jack?


First, you might be wondering, what exactly is a power jack? Here at Pomeroy Computing, we are experts in these types of repairs and offer guides and tutorials to fix it yourself or we offer our $69 parts and labor mail in repair services. We are here to help!

The power port is a socket that is soldered directly to the motherboard or a cable connection that plugs in it. People tend to find out about this information when they are experiencing power problems themselves.

Power enters through your ac adapter cord and into the laptop to power it and charge the battery through this power jack port.  It doesn’t regulate your battery or do anything special.  It’s just the physical gateway for power to come into your laptop. If the connection is bad, then your laptop won’t properly power on and charge the battery.

This information might be relevant to you because you’re having power problems with your laptop and are seeking solutions.  There are ways you can do this repair yourself but sometimes it is better left to an expert in laptop repairs and soldering due to the complexity of the disassembly and reassembly along with safely removing the bad socket.

What symptoms does a failing charge port have?


A laptop that is experiencing power problems has distinct symptoms.  They tend to go bad over time because of stress on the cord and heat going through the solder points. That leads to a weakening of those points and a slow loosening of the dc jack from the motherboard. Another reason you might be experiencing these symptoms is because the computer took a fall, or the cord was tripped over. This results in the port becoming physically damaged and broken off the motherboard. Laptops with power jack problems start to exhibit signs such as:

  • Loose or broken connection where you plug in the power cord
  • Intermittent switching of the laptop going back and forth from power to battery
  • Sparks or heat buildup near the charge port area
  • Battery won’t charge
Typical bad power jack. You can wiggle the connector to make the laptop power on and charge.

How can I be sure my port is bad?


If you’re not sure whether your laptop has a bad charge port or not, then start with testing your ac adapter.  It is a common cause of dc jack like symptoms and can be tested and ruled out as the problem before you take it anywhere.  You can use a multimeter to check the integrity of your power cord or try another known working cord to rule out this problem. The most common way to know if you have a bad power socket is the very distinct symptom of the connection being very loose when you plug it in.  The ac adapter will feel extremely loose when you plug it in versus very snug when you first bought it.  This is the telltale sign of a bad power jack.  Sometimes, the loose feeling can start small but get worse over time.  You might start to wiggle the tip of the power cord at a certain angle to get it to work.  This can cause potential damage to the motherboard and will never get better until the charge port is replaced.

It is important to note that there are two different kinds of power jacks.  The first is a plug that is soldered directly to the motherboard with as little as three pins and as much as nine.  They are a through hole solder connection and can be de-soldered when it needs to be replaced and a new jack soldered back on.  The other type is a cable with wires that plugs directly into the motherboard.  Like the soldered-on types, they come in many different shapes, sizes and configurations.  These are much easier to replace because they are a “plug and play” situation that doesn’t require any type of soldering unless you solder a new jack on the tip of the cable.  They can usually be purchased in the full cable form, so soldering isn’t needed.

This is important for many reasons because when you’re diagnosing a bad power plug, a cable type jack will usually have some play in it to begin with.  It can be misleading when you’re trying to diagnose it because it’s wiggling around in the laptop a little. The cable sockets usually become detached from their housing and flop around inside the laptop a lot when they are bad. You should feel a noticeable change of how the laptop feels plugging it in after experiencing power problems.  The soldered-on jacks have very little play in them, so they feel distinctly different and loose when they are going bad.

What does a broken dc jack look like?


Below are some pictures of what a bad dc jack looks like.  You will notice physical damage to many of the jacks.  This is usually a result of tripping over the cord, dropping the jack on the plugged spot and stress on the power cord over time finally breaking the connection. If it is a soldered connection, those tend to be completely or partially detached and broken from the motherboard.  Sometimes, if you look at the solder points closely, you will see an oxidation of the power pin or pins.  This is usually accompanied by the symptoms of the wiggling of the cord to find the sweet spot to get it to charge.

Can I fix the power jack myself?

Yes and no.  If your computer uses cable type ports that plug directly into the motherboard and you are tech savvy and can follow a guide on YouTube, you might be able to replace the jack yourself.  No soldering is required with these cable jacks, and they simply plug and unplug into the motherboard.  Your biggest challenge will most likely be the disassembly and reassembly of the laptop.

The other type is the soldered in power jacks.  The most challenging part beyond taking the laptop apart and getting it back together properly is the de-soldering process.  You will need to have a quality soldering iron, soldering skills, and the necessary tools associated with it.  I would not recommend trying to learn this on your laptop that has power problems.  I see many laptops that have had an attempt at the de-soldering process that are now damaged beyond repair.  If you’re in doubt of your abilities, that is a good sign it’s better to leave it to an experienced professional.

Conclusion


A power jack provides power to your computer but are a common weakness to laptops. Both types of solder and cable can go bad but can be repaired.  When trying to properly diagnose a jack make sure it has the distinct power failure symptoms and test it out with the information in this article.  If you have any questions, contact us!

How to Ship a Laptop


If you’re thinking about shipping in your laptop for a dc jack repair you have a few different good options. First, I highly recommend buying a Fed Ex laptop shipping box from their brick-and-mortar store. They have removable foam cutouts that will snugly fit small and larger laptops (see picture below). They are high quality, very protective, and reusable.  At the time of this writing, they are $23 usd.

Second, the original manufacturer box is a great way to ship a laptop. Most have similar foam cut outs that were made to stand up to regular shipping conditions. If you’re like me, you have that old laptop box laying around so it can be put to good use.

The third option is buying or reusing traditional packing materials.  Buying a roll of bubble wrap and a custom box can work great too. I suggest you try and think overpack vs. putting just a little thin bubble wrap around the laptop and then using a box that the laptop barely fits into.

Lastly, don’t skimp out on a shipping solution. Using old amazon boxes, small boxes that you get for free at the brick-and-mortar shipping stores, and similar ideas can lead to a damaged laptop. It’s not worth trying save a few bucks when it comes to shipping a notebook.

How to test your ac adapter when diagnosing a laptop with dc power jack problems.


The reason this topic relates to dc jack repair is sometimes when you think you have a broken charge port you might just simply have a bad power cord. This is the first thing you want to check before sending the laptop in or taking it to a repair shop. Over the years I’ve seen many cords go bad when the power jack goes bad too due to the stress people put on the tip of the power cord to try and find that sweet spot to keep their laptop running. I’ve also seen a laptop not powering on simply because the ac adapter is bad and is giving dc jack like symptoms.

The first and best way to test your cord is to use a multimeter. You can find these on amazon and ebay with a quick search and they run around $10 usd. You will use this device to see if the cord is giving off voltage. Power cords are typically rated from 18.5-20 volts when powering laptops. You need to make sure your ac adapter is giving power to the laptop before you start diagnosing anything further or replacing hardware. In the picture below you will see a typical multimeter test on a power cord. The multimeter is set to 20 VDC because that is the normal range for a laptop power cord. In the case of the picture, this was a 19.5v cord giving off 19.55 volts, so the power cord is working properly. To test it you place the ground lead on the outer part of the tip of the power cord and the red lead inside the tip as seen in the picture. You will need to make sure your multimeter is set to VDC.

Testing a laptop ac adapter with a multimeter.

If you don’t have a multimeter, you can try checking the light in the ac adapter box and see if it is lighting up. This is not an accurate way to test because the break could be at the tip of the cord or the led in the charge box can be working but the power cord is not giving off any voltage. This needs further testing to be 100% accurate but can give you an indication of a bad cord if that light if off.

If you have another power cord lying around or know someone who has one that will work with your laptop this is an obvious way to cross check your ac adapter with a known working one. You need to make sure it has the correct power requirements and tip size, so it powers the laptop and fits properly.

If you look at the next picture below you will see an hp laptop with the ac adapter plugged in and a led light coming on orange indicating it’s charging. If you have a laptop that won’t power on but the light shows that it is charging the cord is working and the laptop has a different power problem than just a bad cord.

HP laptop with good working power cord.

Dell Inspiron Power Jack Repair

Dc Power Jack repair being performed by Pomeroy Computing on a dell 15 3000 notebook.

I’m having power problems with my Dell Inspiron laptop, what do I do?


Pomeroy Computing is a laptop repair company that specializes in power jack repair. You may need a charge port repair if your laptop has one or more of the following symptoms. We perform the dc jack repair service for $69 parts and labor. This is a nation wide, mail in repair service. Common symptoms are listed below:

  • Loose connection where you plug in the ac adapter
  • Laptop switches back and forth from power to battery
  • Heat build in the area where you plug in the power cord
  • Holding the power cord at just the right angle to get it to work.

Can I fix a dc jack myself?


Yes and no. It is difficult to take apart a laptop, replace the dc jack and then get everything back together correctly. If you are very tech savvy it’s not impossible. The biggest problem I see people run into is the intricate ribbon cables that can get damaged and knowing where to pry and apply force to get it apart. To save you the hassle of tearing apart your laptop all weekend and risk damaging it, we perform the charging port replacement on most dell inspiron laptops for $69 parts and labor. Visit our homepage to get started.

What does a broken power jack look like?


In the picture below you can see a dell inspiron 15 5000 laptop with a broken dc jack. The plastic cable style port plugs into the motherboard and is screwed onto the case. The part where you screw the jack in directly to the chassis of the computer has broken so the whole dc jack needs to be replaced. The notebook will need to be completely taken apart to access it. We have video guides in our youtube channel

Broken Power Jack on a dell 15 3000 laptop.

What models of Dell laptops do you commonly fix?


  • Dell Inspiron (11, 13, 15, 17, 3000 series, 5000 series, 7000 series)
  • Dell Latitude (14, E Series, 3000 series, 5000 series, 7000 series)
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 charging port replacement.