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Resolved Question

I have a new charger for my laptop but it still wont start

Dec 3, 2011 7:20PM PST

Hi,

I have a Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535 that I have had for about 3 years from new. It was all working fine, until I started to have problems with the mains charger, which had got kinked over time. For months I had to jiggle the connector where it plugs into the laptop and angle the cable a certain way for the wires to straighten out enough to allow charge through.

Last time I used the laptop I let the battery run right down. That was several months ago.

I have only just replaced the charger, and plugged it in for several hours to charge the laptop up again.

The light on the charger is showing there is power getting to it from the mains but my laptop is still dead.

Could it be the battery that is now the problem ? Would the battery have died while the laptop was left alone ?

All help and advice gratefully recieved.

Thank you

Discussion is locked

moongazeruk has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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My first guess would be to agree with you
Dec 3, 2011 7:33PM PST

that the battery is gone.

Assuming that 'tweaking' the connection lead from the old charger into the charging port has not damaged the port, then the next culprit would seem to be the battery.

The test of course is, does the laptop work direct from the charger/mains supply? If so, then the new charger is working.

Laptop batteries do fail in time. The general consensus here is that batteries last for 18 months to 2 years or so, or up to 300 cycles; that's 300 'fully charged to run down to fully charged' cycles.

So after 3 years your own battery has done well, but time to buy a new one I feel.

I would suggest you get the new one as recommended by the vendor/supplier o the machine, and not any cheaper ones available. Some of those have been known to cause problems. In the meantime, remove that dead battery now and just use the mains adapter/charger. Leaving a dead battery installed can also be dangerous.

Mark

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Ah, another dilemma then....
Dec 3, 2011 7:49PM PST

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the reply. You have raised a good point, which hints at another dilemma. I have tried the laptop without the battery, but it still wont switch on using power directly from the mains. *sigh*, so it looks - to me - as tho I might have an additional problem - a damaged port.

It took me ages to track down a charger with the right connector bit to go into the port without spending a fortune on the manufacturers one. The one I have is identical in every way, including the text on the label, except it doesnt have the name Fujitsu on it.

Last time I enquired at a local repair place it was £35 just to look at it!! So is this something that I might be able to sort myself, do you think ?

Thanks again

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If there's no response at all
Dec 3, 2011 8:17PM PST

then it looks like a repair is necessary.

I've seen mention in these forums the "reset" method, usually offered as a last resort. it doesn't affect the files on the hard disk.

That is, remove the battery, disconnect the charger then press and hold down the "Power on" button on the laptop for 60 seconds, then release.

Connect the charger and re-try the power-on button.

But like I say, that's a last resort and if that fails it would seem the repair shop is next. Make sure they don't sell you any old cheapo battery.

Good luck.

Mark

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Think I have found a good priced solution to 1 problem
Dec 3, 2011 8:51PM PST

Hi again Happy

The reset method didnt do any good, and I have just been searching online for info and have found this link which might be useful to people in the UK with similar problems. I hope it is ok for me to post it here.

Its going to be cheaper than using a local repair shop, and their explanation does seem to exactly fit my problem, altho I guess I may have to replace the battery as well anyway.

Not sure how to post a link but here it is anyway

http://www.laptoppowerjacks.co.uk/fittingservice.html

Thanks again

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If you are satisfied
Dec 3, 2011 9:03PM PST

that the jack is the problem, then good luck.

At £5 or so and if you are confident you can fit it yourself, it seems a good deal. My knowledge of this technical side is nil, so I can't offer any more advice.

Just one thought if you do it yourself, and again I can't be sure of my own knowledge, but make sure you are kept grounded when you delve into the casing. A static charge build up can kill processors and motherboards, and the other circuits inside.

See if you can find a manual online for this Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535. I did find a useful looking 'disassembly' web site that might help you, and in fact it also mentions the PSU connector, (the jack?), that was broken on that one as well.

http://www.sigg3.net/entry/1395

Mark