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General discussion

Gateway 400SD Laptop power issue PLEASE HELP!

Feb 4, 2005 8:40AM PST

I have been having a problem with my Gateway SD400 for over one year now. Of course the trouble started just after the 1 year warranty. Being that I never had ONE issue with our Gateway desktops, I did not purchase the extended warranty on this laptop. Yes...foolish, considering the repair costs on a laptop. I had NO idea.

One day, I was baking in the kitchen and using a recipe off of my laptop....on battery power. After finishing I came and plugged the power adaptor back in and settled in to cruise the web. The power started flickering between the adaptor and the battery power...then......a burning smell.

I contacted Gateway tech support and I was told that the "energy" used to charge a battery is great, hence the burning smell. OK, I bought it. Then it kept happening...and it was getting so bad that it mainly stayed on battery power - not keeping the connection with the adaptor long enough to recharge the battery. I called back and got another tech guy who told me it was my power adaptor, that it had gone bad and it was running too hot. Ok. I ordered a new one from him while on the phone. It came, I plugged it in...same problem. I called the same tech guy back who said SORRY NO REFUNDS but that if I would ship the laptop at MY expense, they would do a diagnostics on it for $75. Not.

I then called around to local electronic places and decided on a small independent place because the tech guy seemed knowledgable. He said my adaptor pin/plug at the back of my laptop was very loose and that's why the power adaptor wasn't keeping a solid connection. He charged me $250 to solder the pin back into place. Ugh. But at least the problem was fixed!

For about 25 days that is! Again, I unplug my laptop from the adaptor (99% of the time I use my adaptor) and run it off of the battery for about 10 minutes. The same trouble started all over again!!!!
This guy had a 30 day warranty on his work, so he fixed it.....free. This time he lectured me on being very careful with the wire of the adaptor, that I don't trip over it etc. I didn't!!
Now...this time just AFTER the 30 days.....it happens again, this time after putting it on battery power for my DD to use for a few minutes. I bring it back and paid another $250.

Now.....it's happening again and DH will NOT sink another penny into the laptop. Can anyone help me????? I love my laptop!

I STILL feel something is up with the battery. Does it run too hot and melt the solder, making this connection loose???? Can I solder it MYSELF?

Totally frustrated....hoping someone can help me or at least steer me in the right direction.

TIA

Cheryl

PS I was asked at another forum if the laptop worked after removing the battery, it did not. But after removing the battery...it didn't feel hot either. I'm just baffled. It's getting worse by the day and within a couple of days it will be a worthless piece of junk... Sad

Discussion is locked

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Or something not many tell you.
Feb 4, 2005 8:52AM PST

These batteries are good for about 500 charges or 18 months. They either develop bad attributes or don't hold much of a charge.

Did you replace the battery?

Your machine is not alone in the battery issue. So don't feel like it's a "Gateway" issue.

Bob

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No....
Feb 4, 2005 9:03AM PST

No, I have not replaced the battery. I'm a little scared to spend even more money and for it not to be the issue.

Yes, my laptop is over 2 years old now and probably needs a new battery. But would it really cause the flickering problem I'm experiencing??

I would be very relieved to know that this WAS it so I could buy a battery and move on.....lol.

Thanks for answering, I REALLY appreciate it.

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High Current = HEAT!
Feb 4, 2005 9:21AM PST

It is possible that the battery bieng so old, it is causing higher than normal current draw on charge, causing the AC socket to heat way up making the solder very soft and breaking loose. You say your adapter gets very hot. This is indicitave of high current draw. 0.02

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Possible???
Feb 4, 2005 9:28AM PST

Oh I hope so!

This is the very first place where I'm getting REAL answers to my problem. I am very grateful!!

What you say DOES make sense....I know it has something to do with the battery as my troubles always happen after I use the laptop on battery power and it needs to charge back up.

Unfortunately even if this is the problem and I order the new battery.....I am now stuck with a bad connection for my adaptor due to the solder problem.

Are laptops really difficult to get into? If I could solder it myself (well, actually DH) that would be great.

You are very helpful here.....thank you so much.

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Battey return.
Feb 4, 2005 9:34AM PST

Try and get the battery from a place with a liberal return policy. A person with moderate soldering skills can do it. The problem is usually obvious once you look at the input board. The kind of hard part is the disassembly of the laptop itself. Pay attention to what is going on and be patient. Most all of the parts go together and come apart with just a little force.

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thank you....
Feb 4, 2005 9:51AM PST

....for all of your help.

I am going to check out prices on a new battery and give it a go.

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UPDATE!
Feb 11, 2005 10:40PM PST

I took my laptop to a different electronics repair place after placing several phone calls about my problem. They called me back within 2 hours to tell me that the LAST repair place really ripped me off - they did a terrible job on my laptop. (don't ask me to repeat - something about poor, sloppy soldering job, no heat sink on processor, etc.) He even offered to put his findings in writing. He said that he would fix the problem for me for $179.

Obviously my DH was upset at the idea of spending more money and HE called the new place himself to get the lowdown. He THEN called the former repair place to lodge a complaint to which they replied, "of course this place is going to criticize our work, we are the best and they are a small local place and they're just trying to ruin our good name." DH told them to call the repair place themselves to see what they had to say.

Now, the new repair place and myself laughed and said, "you really don't expect them to call, do you??" They did! If fact, after speaking with them they called my DH back and admitted that while they weren't out to "screw us", that they certainly could have done a better job for us. They are sending us a check for $117, 50% of the amount of the labor charged to us.

I'm happy, as that was completely unexpected and honorable. AND - that $117 will buy me the new battery that I need. (right before taking my laptop in, the red battery error light started flashing)

I picked up my laptop yesterday and for some reason my touchpad doesn't work now............LOL. SO in 30 minutes when the place opens I'll be calling to find out why.

Does it ever end? Wink

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Not for us it seems...
Feb 11, 2005 11:20PM PST

I write in comiseration.

Bob

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Try this... No battery?
Feb 4, 2005 10:09AM PST

My laptop(s) will run without the battery. See if the adapter doesn't overheat this way. And ... 250 is about the going rate to crack open a laptop for the US. It's not that it costs that much, its that you have to make money to cover all the expenses and I can keep going but don't want to bore you.

Bob

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Been there....
Feb 4, 2005 10:32AM PST

.....unfortunately the adaptor plug is so loose now that without the battery..when it "flickers" it just shuts
right off.

I won't criticize anyone for charging what they charge for repair work on computers, we all need to make a living. It's just that DH is a "do-it-yourselfer" and it pains us to spend that much cash to solder something........the only obstacle being opening up the case to do it. Maybe I'll call a local computer repair school and they can do it for me for a "bargain" price hey? LOL.....worth a shot I suppose!

Thanks for your help!

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Try this... No battery?
Feb 4, 2005 11:02AM PST

$250 is NOT the going rate and there are places on the web that will do a flat rate repair for $90-$100 and give 6 month warranty on the work. Just takes a bit of research.
Bad idea to crack open your laptop when you have no idea how and no access to any material to tell you how. But yes some of us can do it.
Also don't you guys think if there is enough heat to melt the solder, then the platic would melt as well? Kind of sounds a bit out there to me.

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Not at all..
Feb 4, 2005 11:19AM PST

Not really. If the heat is at the connector, IE: Current passing through, resistance causing heat, like 6 amps or more, the heating would be localized to the weakening solder joint. A bad battery becomes more of a conductor and less and less of a storage device. Conductor = current. You ever arc weld? Same principal.

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The rate varies around the US.
Feb 4, 2005 9:34PM PST

In Silicon Valley, you don't want to know...
In Sleepytown, USA its 1/2 the rate you noted.

Get this rate... How much does the Geeksquad change to reinstall an OS onsite? Up to 400 bucks.

Bob

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Gateway 400SD Laptop power issue PLEASE HELP!
Feb 4, 2005 10:52AM PST

WOW! You are really getting screwed on the $250 to supposedly solder it back.

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High cost
Feb 4, 2005 6:58PM PST

That is way too much to resolder a DC connector.. Weve done these for 79.00 plus the return ship..It was most likey carbonized on the pins and resoldering would be a temporary fix unless the jack is removed and the pins Heated and scraped. We also use 5 minute epoxy to secure the connector so that movement on the board is eliminated..

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Just connector, No new batt?
Feb 5, 2005 3:08AM PST

Now in your opinion, would you also reccomend a new battery?

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Solution to Gateway Laptop Power Plug Problem
Feb 15, 2005 11:54AM PST

This is coming from an Engineer. The problem is the pin on the power jack, as you have said. It is a cheap press-fit part that will always loosen and fail within time. So, take out the 100 million screws to disassemble your laptop to get to the jack. Looking at the back of the pin from inside the laptop, you will see a hole in it. Solder one end of a wire inside the hole, and the other to the tab that connects to the pin. Hope you have some soldering skills. Have a nice day.