Can a laptop charging port be fixed?

Have you ever had to twist and turn your charging pin just so your laptop will charge? If you’ve ever lost progress on an important task due to a faulty power jack, you’ll know how frustrating it can be to have your power flicker on and off.

If your power jack is broken,  you may be wondering if it’s possible to fix it without soldering. 

Here’s what you should know:

There is no one way to fix a DJ power jack. 

The solution will depend on how the DC jack is connected to the motherboard.

If the DC jack is connected to the motherboard with a wire, it is possible to repair the damage without soldering. However, if the power jack is soldered on the motherboard, it is impossible to repair completely without soldering.

The good news is that making the fix with a soldering iron is straightforward –– you don’t even need the help of an electrician.

Keep reading to find three easy ways to fix a laptop power jack without soldering.

What does a laptop power jack do?

The DC power jack is a vital part of your laptop, allowing you to charge your battery and provide a steady power source. If it’s faulty, your laptop will lose power, and you won’t be able to turn it on.

What are the causes of power jack damage?

To successfully solve your power jack issue, you need to identify the cause of damage and type of damage:

Common causes of power jack damage

• Not enough reinforcement within casing and motherboard, causing stress to the system
• Loosening of parts over time
• When the charger is dropped or pulled
• Power jack was not soldered well

Types of power jack damage

• Internal pins of power jack are damaged
• Entire jack is damaged
• DC-in jack generates sparks or gets hot
• DC jack came out of the laptop
• Loose pins on charger
• Connection between jack and circuit is burnt

What are the signs that my laptop power jack is bad?

Since there are many types of power jack damage, you’ll find that there are also many symptoms of DC power jack failure.

• Power flickers on and off
• Switching between battery power and adapter
• Need to wiggle or support the charging cable in the socket
• DC power jack only works at a certain angle
• Battery won’t charge
• Unable to run the laptop on AC power
• Produce sparks after inserting the adapter into the power jack
• Laptop shuts down suddenly

You must solve these problems immediately because these power jack symptoms can result in a serious electrical issue. 

Can I repair a laptop power jack without soldering?

Repairing a power jack is only possible if it’s connected to the motherboard with a wire connector.

However, if the power jack was soldered directly into the motherboard and it came loose or broke off completely, you cannot fix it without soldering.

3 Solutions to Fix Laptop Power Jack Without Soldering

Now that you know there isn’t one answer to repairing laptop power jack damage check out how you can figure out the problem and fix it.

Power Jack Problems due to Physical Damage

If your power jack’s pin or the entire part is damaged, it is impossible to fix it. The only solution is to replace the entire power jack.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy solution when you’re out of town or on a business trip, you can attach the power jack temporarily with a glue gun. 

Solution 1: If the power jack breaks off

However, make sure that you replace it with a new power jack when you get the chance. Loose power jacks and adapter pins don’t provide a steady flow of electricity, causing sparks or heat. It can even damage your charger pin or damage the motherboard.

Check out this video on how to attach a power jack with a glue gun:

Find a compatible power jack for your laptop is simple, look up “[your laptop model] dc power jack]’ on Google or Amazon.

Here’s one of the top-selling power jacks for the Dell Inspiron 15.

Power Jack Problems due to Motherboard, Pins, or Wires

If the power jack seems physically sound, there are two ways to repair it and restore power to your laptop, depending on how the jack is attached to the motherboard.

Solution 2: If the power jack has a separate connector

First, check the power jack voltage.

1. Unplug the power jack connector from the motherboard.
2. Attach the adapter to the DC jack
3. Check the power jack voltage. It shouldn’t have the expected voltage.

Now get started on repairs.

1. Reattach the power jack while applying pressure.
2. Attach heat shrinking tubes as reinforcement.
3. Recheck the voltage, and it should appear.
4. Reconnect and reassemble the laptop.

Solution 3: If the power jack is soldered on the motherboard

This solution will require a bit more technical skill since you will be dealing with the motherboard. If you’re a bit wary of proceeding, it might be better to hire a technician.

There are two types of situations that can happen:

Wobbling power jack

Dry welding causes this issue to worsen. You will need to do some soldering to fix this problem.

1. Apply flux to all the pins.
2. Solder the jack to protect it.

Motherboard track is burned, or pins are damaged.

Making a wrong connection with the pins can make your laptop irreparable, so practice caution before proceeding:

1. Identify which track is burnt: +VE, GND, or sensing signal?
2. Solder the wire directly from the jack pins to where the track will reach.
3. Apply hot glue or epoxy mixture to reinforce the connection to the motherboard.

Conclusion

Laptop power jacks encounter many problems, and not all fixes will apply to your laptop.

If the power jack is physically damaged, you can replace it entirely without soldering in some models.

If your power jack is connected to the motherboard with a wire, it’s possible to fix the issue by reattaching it to the motherboard and reinforcing it with a heat shrink.

If your soldered power jack is wobbling or has damaged pins, you will have to use solder to fix the issue.

Let us know if these tips were helpful to you!

Can you replace a charging port on a laptop? Maybe your laptop hasn’t been loading correctly because the charging port is damaged or broken. Without a good functioning charging port, your laptop won’t charge well.

This is because the cable doesn’t fit well in the port and so it doesn’t power the laptop with energy.

Let’s discuss the different parts that you should consider if you want to replace the charging port of your laptop.

To bring it to a specialist or computer shop, might be the first thing you think of. This is not a bad idea but will cost you some money because it’s a labor-intensive job.

Yes, you can replace the charging port on a laptop. You will have to either fix it yourself which will take some time and tools or you can bring it to a shop. Replacing a charging port on a laptop is not expensive but also not cheap.

It depends on which laptop you have if it’s even possible or not. Some laptops have made it easier for you than other laptop manufacturers.

Luckily, even MacBook charging ports can be replaced so you don’t have to immediately think about buying a brand new one.

Is the charging port on the right side of your laptop? Then, it will be easier because the port is not soldered to the motherboard.

The left side will most likely need you to solder it all back into place with the replacement charging port elements.

Do you have no experience with soldering or repairing laptops? Then fixing the charging port yourself wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do because it’s a very delicate job.

In this article, I’ll cover all of the things one must consider when replacing a charging port on any laptop. After this, you’ll be ready on your way to fixing your laptop.

How much will it cost to replace a charging port on a laptop?

It depends if you want to repair it yourself or take it to the shop. Most shops, depending on where you live, will charge you anywhere from $75 to $150 for the repair. That includes the man-hours and the replacement parts.

The input port will cost anywhere from $10-50 depending on your laptop brand. You can buy the parts yourself and try to fix them if you have experience with fixing laptops.

You could also buy the parts yourself and bring them to a shop to get them fixed. That way, you’ll save some money on the parts by buying them yourself.

I will provide a small tutorial further in this article, but there are a lot of tutorials that you can find on YouTube. If you have no experience with fixing computers then I would recommend you not try it if you want to keep your laptop.

Especially, if the charging port is on the left side of the laptop because it will be directly connected to the motherboard and you could damage it.

How can I replace a charging port on a laptop?

First, you’ll need to find out where the problem is with the charging port and why it doesn’t charge. Then, you can tackle the problem and find a tutorial that is made for your laptop brand and specific model.

Is it the charging port that needs replacing or is the adapter old and doesn’t it work anymore? Replacing the adapter is easy and you can buy it for pretty cheap on the internet. It also removes any need for a computer expert to fix your laptop.

You will have to make sure you don’t use any cheap material to replace the charging port as they’re sure to fry up your motherboard. Use quality materials either provided by the shop or that you’ve bought yourself to make sure you don’t damage your laptop even more.

You will need some tools such as a screwdriver, soldering gun, replacement charging port, and a lot of patience. I’ll recommend this all-in-one tool kit (affiliate link) to use.

Replacement parts you can find anywhere on the internet and they’re not expensive at all.

There are a lot of YouTube tutorials and information online that will guide you through this process if you are skilled in fixing computers. If you don’t have any experience or skill, it’s best to take it to the shop and let it get fixed by someone who knows what they’re doing.

Does your laptop still have a warranty? Then you might be able to get it fixed through the warranty although it’s not likely. Maybe, if you have insurance on your laptop, it will cover some of these damages for you and you should contact them.

Is my charger port or my laptop adapter broken?

It might be that your laptop charger port is fine but your laptop adapter doesn’t work. Replacing a laptop adapter is a lot cheaper than replacing the charger port.

First, check your laptop adapter for any bends or kinks in the cable. Bends in your cable will interfere with a smooth transition from the energy outlet to your laptop. This could be one of the problems you face if your laptop doesn’t charge as normal.

You can check if your charger port or laptop adapter is the problem with a simple experiment.

To see if your laptop adapter needs replacement, you can find a similar laptop or brand name and see if the adapter works or not. If the laptop adapter works on another similar laptop, then your charger port might be the problem.

Does the laptop adapter not work then you will need to buy a new laptop adapter to charge your laptop.

If you have access to voltmeters, you can check the voltage that the adapter should put out and the amount that it puts out. Does your laptop adapter normally put out 20 watts of voltage? Then it should say so on the voltmeter or you need to replace it.

Can I replace a MacBook charging port?

Just like any other laptop either Windows or Apple, you will need to find a shop that can do the job for you. The last thing you want is that you buy expensive tools and replacements parts and you still can’t fix your laptop.

MacBooks are different from Windows laptops because they’re harder to fix and find replacement parts for. Apple strictly wants the consumer to send their MacBooks back to the manufacturer so they can repair them and charge you a hefty fee.

But, yes you can replace the charging port of the MacBook and it might be easier than you think. There are a lot of YouTube tutorials that show you how to do it in less than 30 minutes. However, if you’ve never done this then it will probably take longer than that.

Luckily, on most MacBooks ‘the connecter is independent of the motherboard so it won’t require a lot of soldering. It will also diminish the risk of any damage to your laptop’s motherboard as you won’t be working close to it.

To replace a MacBook charging port you will need a screwdriver, a spudger, and a MacBook MagSafe DC-inboard charging replacement part.

You can find a lot of guides that will explain this to you every step of the way or you can bring it to your local repair shop.

On either YouTube or Google, you will find videos and written articles about how to fix the charging port on any MacBook. Always check if the laptop that’s being used, is the same model as you’re trying to fix because there could be changes between older and newer models.

In summary:

There are some things to keep in mind when you want to replace the charging port on a laptop. Are you going to fix it yourself or are you bringing it to the shop?

Is it the charging port that is not working or maybe it’s the laptop adapter? Also, how does the laptop brand that you own cover any warranty charges that have to do with charging ports?

If you want to bring it to the shop, you will need to be prepared for a price anywhere between $50 to $150 depending on your location and laptop brand.

Not all parts come at equal prices and you will have to talk to your local repair shop about the prices and how they’re set up.

Are you technically skilled in working with computers or are you looking for a project to fix a laptop part? Then you will need some tools that you can buy off the internet to complete this repair.

These tools are things like a screwdriver, a spudger, replacement parts, glue, screws, and maybe some more if you need it.

There are a lot of guides and tutorials you can read or watch online on Google or YouTube on how to fix a charging port on a laptop.

You will find videos that fix Lenovo, Apple, Dell, Asus, and many more known laptop brands. Make sure, you’re very delicate with the parts on the laptop as you do not want to make the problem even worse than it already is.