Dell laptop 5150 won't power up...

[hockey97]

Hi I done a google search and found that it has a design flaw.

well before doing anything the problem is that the battery won't charge at all yet the AC adaptor leg is green showing that the power is getting to the laptop.

I want to say that even if I have the AC adaptor plugged in. I would still get no power at all. I press the power on button and nothing happens except a orange led lights up on the battery led light area.

I been googling for more trouble shooting ect. I even was asked to check if the power connector where you plug the AC adaptor too. I don't see any connections broken or loose. I think something may be loose don't know where or waht.

can anyone suggest me anything I could try to trouble shoopt.

I know it has to do with the power everything else is fine. I replaced the battery thinking it's the battery and that new battery lasted only 5 hours we got a warning saying battery low and then back to square one nothing booting or even powering it up.

I would like to know what to do. I contacted dell tech support and they wouldn't admit that their is a design flaw with laptop 5150.

They then cut off the connection once they found out my warrenty was expired.

Any Ideas what to do???

[lank23]

Does this laptop have a power supply with a small center pin, if so it could be the power supply DS2501 chip is bad not sending out the correct ID to the BIOS to allow it to charge and or boot, or you have a bad connection on the laptop motherboard.

Option 1, charge you battery using a different laptop, then check if it boots. If it does then you have a bad power supply and or a loose connection on the motherboard.

Option 2, swap power supplies if it charges and or boots, then the power supply is bad.

good luck.

lank23

[hockey97]

well, When this first occured we thought the battery was bad so we bought a new battery from ebay it worked for 5 hours and then back to the same state.

I know for a fact my battery can't charge, I know it's not the battery that's the problem and that is' not the power supply because I tried a friends power supply the AC power adaptor that is plugged in the wall, He had the same exact one and still has the same result.

when I first opened the laptop I found a black plastic over the chip where it's supposed to be a design flaw.

Their is power going to the laptop because I see led lights so I know it's getting power.

I have an extra computer monitor and turned it on it showed colors so then I attached it to the dell laptop right when I attached it my monitor went to sleep it was on but nothing on the screen and the led of the monitor was orange.

I don't really know what to do and what's the problem.


ALL I know is the battery is ok and the power cord well ac adaptor is ok also.

I think that it has to be a chip, because if I move the laptop I at times would see led lights blinking very dull light and if conitue to move the laptop I would then see a split of a second of a bright light the leds emitt and then goes off.

It shows as if somthing with the power circuit is loose.

I looked at where you connect the power cord from the wall to the laptop I checked that connector and find it's ok no broken connections.

I check the chip that on google I found their is a design flaw where it would damage the legs of that chip, I can see only one leg bent but the connection is still their.

any other ideas I could try to figure out where it could be the problem.

I contacted dell and they told me I have to pay for a new motherboard and also a service fee. it's expensive.

[lank23]

I do not have anymore info for you, but hope you do find the issue.

[hockey97]

well I have heard their is a design flaw in dell laptop 5150.

The design flaw is that the case puts pressure on a plastic cover on some power chip, this chip can slowly get damage and when you get power problems it could be the legs of that chip being damage which could be fixed by ....

..sodering it I tried it and still I didn't get any results. They then also said that if that didn't work then the chip is serverly damage I would need a new chip.

SO I contacted Dell telling them my problem and then they told me I can't contact the manufacotrs so I would need to buy directly from DELL.

SO I just told them thanks and got off.

I haven't figured out the problem.

The laptop is getting power but it's not starting at all. I get the battery led light orange showing their is some error in the power supply.
This can mean anything.

[hockey97]

ok I just got a chip to replace the one that gets damaged by the cpanel plastic casing. So I went online on ebay to buy the chip since I think mine is damage and can't be restored. SO I bought this chip now I am having a hard time taking the chip off the board.

any suggestions or any good websites that would teach me a techneak on removing the chip???

I have a sadder iron and I tried taking the sodder off the chip legs using the sodder wire and also the sodder sucker. I tried many ways and still couldn't get it off.

I even had my dad try it which he is a eletrical engineer and worked for gm which he had alot of experience and yet he couldn't get it off either.

this laptop is my sisters but she bought a new one and told me if I can fix it I would get to keep it.

So I am hoping that I can fix this chip.

so any suggestions would be great so I can try it out.

[lank23]

try to Google "desolder".

[hockey97]

I know how to desoder using either the tape or the soder sucker.

The problem is me and even my dad gave it a try and my dad has a load of experience in desoddering since he help maintain GM engine testing facilities where chips get damaged and he has to replace them.

He wasn't able to get it to desodder the chip.

I was told by a repair technician to add some soder to the legs to help quickly melt the soder that is holding the chip but when I thought about it I feared that this can easily burn the board.

My dad told me that they must use steel or anther mixture and have a machine to compress it into the motherboard.

My dad explained they use steel and robots usally assemble the chip on the the board and if that is the case you need alot of heat to be on each leg at the same time in order to remove the chip.