[staggers]

hi my daughter has dell laptop thats warrenty has run out,what my problem is that i need to push the charger into laptop and wiggle it about to get it to go on when its on i need to hold it in same position or it turns off , is this repairable ? and will it cost much? tx in advance stags

[caveman_nige]

it is repairable and you can do it yourself.. just dismantle the laptop being careful to note (i use drawing) where the screws went and what size goes in what hole etc.. When you expose the socket just use some epoxy glue and stick the bugger down good and proper, its a common issue with laptops and many a repair shop will do just this as it will actually make it stronger.. However if the solder contacts are dry then you will need to reflow them, if you are not confident with that then best take it to a repair place..

[staggers]

n1 nige i will give it a try, any idea roughly what a pc repair shop would charge?

[ss0000]

Have you tried another charger first? Try this before opening the laptop and doing something inside, might be charger tip that may be causing the problem. Just a suggestion!

[caveman_nige]

it only take me an hour and half to take it apart do the fix let it dry and re-assemble it etc.. Depends on the glue used and how fast it drys but they cannot charge you for glue drying time mate jus tthe labour charge for the time taking it apart and putting it back together, so max one hour labour, any more than that and they are amateurs who over charge..

[staggers]

Originally Posted by ss0000 Have you tried another charger first? Try this before opening the laptop and doing something inside, might be charger tip that may be causing the problem. Just a suggestion!

ye tried sevral chargers same problem

[staggers]

Originally Posted by caveman_nige it only take me an hour and half to take it apart do the fix let it dry and re-assemble it etc.. Depends on the glue used and how fast it drys but they cannot charge you for glue drying time mate jus tthe labour charge for the time taking it apart and putting it back together, so max one hour labour, any more than that and they are amateurs who over charge..

ye just phoned round shops nige as i am not to confident in doing it myself ,1st shop said common fault took them about 4 hours which i suspect is nonsense and cost £100 i feel my confidence coming back , just dont trust any shop these days their all out to rip you off

[Street Hawk]

Hey Staggers, I would have to agree with Nige but D.I.Y is better than £100+ Charge at the shop, i work with dell laptops day in & out, they are the easiest laptop to take apart & and put back together again buddy they are as simple as Lego. if you havent done it b4 it can be abit hairy haha but honestly mate its just a few screws here & there, the drive bays should just simpley slide out. what model is the laptop mate? you can get a service manual from the dell website & it has diagrams which are pretty much easy to follow you cant go wrong.. but if you do go wrong then whack another post on here & we might be able to help you further.

Street.

[staggers]

hi street hawk its an inspiron 6000 i am prepared to try and stick it down but if plug needs replaced and soldering is involved i am fooked and will not attempt it , how can i tell if just sticking it down will work and it is not faulty? tx again stags

[caveman_nige]

from your description of the fault in the first post i would say the solder joints need to be reflowed, this is simply a case of using a decent fine point soldering iron and just touching the legs to 'reflow' the solder to make the contact again, however sometimes it is necessary to add a little extra solder to make the joint stronger.. After the solder has cooled etc is when you would continue with the glueing part of the procedure in order to make the socket stronger.. they are not very well attached to the mainboads and it is therefore a common fault. do you know anybody who has a soldering iron who wouldn't mind reflowing the joints for you if you dismantle/reassemble your lappy for him etc..

[Street Hawk]

I think i have a Inspiron 6000 in bits at home that is spare, i will check the power connection on the board when i get home, i have had it that long, im not sure if the motherboard still works but your more than welcome to it if you want it & it helps? i think i still have the graphics card for it too somewhere
if i can remember rightly the inspiron 6000 is almost the same shell as my XPS. ill check when i get home & post another message on here bud.

[Street Hawk]

The DC connector on the mainboard appears to be soldered to the motherboard, its a independant part that is soldered down and would require you to take the board out of the laptop housing to be able to solder the DC connector down or replace it, in which case if you dont have any expirence in soldering you may need to find someone that can do it for you unless you change the board mate.

[Street Hawk]

Here is the Service Manual for the Inspiron 6000...

Documentation

[staggers]

cheers for all your help m8 going to have to look around for someone to do it tx again

[Street Hawk]

Good luck Staggers, let us know how you get on