When the charger for my Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop is plugged in it says "71% available (plugged in, not charging). Until yesterday I could unplug it and plug it in again and it would start charging again although it sometimes took 2 or 3 attempts. Now I can't get it to charge at all. Unless I can fix it, I'll only be able to use it on mains power.

I just wondered if anyone else had had this problem and how it was fixed please.

Sounds like the battery's goosed. How old is the laptop?

And how much usage are you getting from a complete charge?

9 times out of 10 this is a fault with the PSU. Do you get an error message when you switch the laptop on? Along the lines of "cannot detect a Dell power supply"?

If it's still within warranty, Dell will send you a new PSU.

The battery on this model doesn't last much beyond 2 years. Your laptop must be between 2-3 years old.

Try this...

Start the laptop and go into the BIOS. Leave it on until the battery is exhausted, then charge it overnight without starting it.

Go into Windows. Is it at 100%? How much use do you get?

The battery on this model doesn't last much beyond 2 years. Your laptop must be between 2-3 years old.

Try this...

Start the laptop and go into the BIOS. Leave it on until the battery is exhausted, then charge it overnight without starting it.

Go into Windows. Is it at 100%? How much use do you get?

I'm not happy to do this because it isn't charging at all. the last time I was able to charge it it went to 100%. I don't often use it on battery but I think I only get about one and a half to two hours. I don't think it was much better when it was new.

That sounds exactly like the problem I had with my Latitude X300 - it won't charge if it can't identify the adapter. In this case it was actually a problem with the power socket on the motherboard: the contact for the central pin (which identifies the PSU) had come away from its solder pad. With enough persistent wiggling and unplugging/reinserting the power plug it could usually be made to work eventually, but in the end I just stripped it down and resoldered the offending contact.

That sounds exactly like the problem I had with my Latitude X300 - it won't charge if it can't identify the adapter. In this case it was actually a problem with the power socket on the motherboard: the contact for the central pin (which identifies the PSU) had come away from its solder pad. With enough persistent wiggling and unplugging/reinserting the power plug it could usually be made to work eventually, but in the end I just stripped it down and resoldered the offending contact.

Thanks for that. Unfortunately I have a moulded plug so I can't open it to try your suggestion. If I could be sure that was the problem I'd try to get a new charger but I'm not certain it is.

Edited 19 February, 201115 yr by Calomax

Thanks for that. Unfortunately I have a moulded plug so I can't open it to try your suggestion. If I could be sure that was the problem I'd try to get a new charger but I'm not certain it is.

RobinSLXi means open the laptop and resolder the connections for the power socket. All the plugging and unplugging can cause a dry joint because there is insufficient mechanical support for the socket.

RobinSLXi means open the laptop and resolder the connections for the power socket. All the plugging and unplugging can cause a dry joint because there is insufficient mechanical support for the socket.

and/or by yanking the cable out/tripping over it. The new mac design seems to have this issue covered though.

Another vote for knackered connecter on the motherboard, I have an inspiron laptop with exactly this problem.

RobinSLXi means open the laptop and resolder the connections for the power socket. All the plugging and unplugging can cause a dry joint because there is insufficient mechanical support for the socket.

Sorry, I misread the post. I'll have a look tomorrow. I hope there's easy access though. It actually charged this evening but that's not the first time so I expect it to fail again tomorrow.

Edited 19 February, 201115 yr by Calomax

Oh the irony! I stood up to check the dell laptop I mentioned previously and managed to trip over the power lead for my laptop and knackered the feckin plug on the end of it.

Just spent the last hour making one working charger out of the one I knackered and another one I had lying around. Got to put the soldering iron away now.

Sorry, I misread the post. I'll have a look tomorrow. I hope there's easy access though. It actually charged this evening but that's not the first time so I expect it to fail again tomorrow.

One of the reasons I like Dell laptops is that their service manuals are freely available: http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1525/en/SM/sysboard.htm#wp1183696

As with mine, it needs almost complete disassembly to get at the offending area, so best to have plenty of time and space to hand It looks like you can pick up a replacement charger board for under £20 if you don't fancy your chances at soldering, too.

Edited 20 February, 201115 yr by RobinSLXi

One of the reasons I like Dell laptops is that their service manuals are freely available: http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1525/en/SM/sysboard.htm#wp1183696

As with mine, it needs almost complete disassembly to get at the offending area, so best to have plenty of time and space to hand It looks like you can pick up a replacement charger board for under £20 if you don't fancy your chances at soldering, too.

Thanks Robin, I don't really feel confident to take so much apart so I think I'll take it in to a computer engineer to have it done. I'd rather pay than risk wrecking it. As it happens I rarely use it on battery so it isn't as serious a problem as it would otherwise be.

I have this issue on my old dell sometimes....When i switch it on it states that a non-compatible charger is plugged in. Then if you let it boot it will power the laptop but not charge the battery. do you get the error message in the POST (bios check) when you first switch it on?

Is the adaptor a PA-10 or PA-12? If so i have a couple of these spare that you could try.

tis amazing, Bodge is having the same trouble as me with his mk1 octavia and your getting the same trouble as me with the Dell.

I was thinking its the battery but as said it could be the laptop isnt Iding the PSU.

The reason for the charging problem is that the power connector is attached directly to the motherboard. On a lot of other laptops the socket is held by the case and connected to the motherboard by wires. The problem arises because everytime you plug and unplug the charger (or move the laptop around plugged in) it applies force to the connector which is only attached to the motherboard by 3 or 4 soldered pins. After a while the connections break.

It is a very common problem and a replacement power connector is under a fiver on ebay. One problem you will probably have is that the power connector is mounted on the underside of the motherboard and is only accessible if you remove the motherboard from the case which will require you to remove everything else to get at it.

I have this issue on my old dell sometimes....When i switch it on it states that a non-compatible charger is plugged in. Then if you let it boot it will power the laptop but not charge the battery. do you get the error message in the POST (bios check) when you first switch it on?

Is the adaptor a PA-10 or PA-12? If so i have a couple of these spare that you could try.

I don't get any non-compatible charger message, or any error messages. All I get, when hovering over the power icon is (for example) "70% charged, plugged in, not charging", it actually charged again last night and now it says "fully charged (100%)" I can't tell what it's doing while it's fully charged because I don't want to run it off mains power in order to conserve what charge I've got.

Thank you for the offer. My charger is a PA-12, but I have ordered one on Amazon which should be here this week. I don't actually think it's the charger though, I'm planning to take the laptop in to have a new power connector fitted.

I don't get any non-compatible charger message, or any error messages. All I get, when hovering over the power icon is (for example) "70% charged, plugged in, not charging", it actually charged again last night and now it says "fully charged (100%)" I can't tell what it's doing while it's fully charged because I don't want to run it off mains power in order to conserve what charge I've got.

Thank you for the offer. My charger is a PA-12, but I have ordered one on Amazon which should be here this week. I don't actually think it's the charger though, I'm planning to take the laptop in to have a new power connector fitted.

Ok no problem - let us know how you get on....power connectors are fairly easy to solder back on - just got a Toshiba one apart gluing the connector back onto the casing!

just got a Toshiba one apart gluing the connector back onto the casing!

I've done a fair few of those now. Epoxy glue FTW

I've done a fair few of those now. Epoxy glue FTW

I've used the special super glue we used to use at work for the PC lock kits that 'bond' (melt!) the plastics together so hopefully it won't fall apart again!

Ok no problem - let us know how you get on....power connectors are fairly easy to solder back on - just got a Toshiba one apart gluing the connector back onto the casing!

Unfortunately though, you have to almost completely dismantle the Dell just to get to it. The replacement charger arrived yesterday and after initially saying it wasn't charging, it started to charge, so now it's fully charged again, but I have a feeling it's going to remain intermittent.

As I only really use it on mains power, it's not really a serious problem but I'll probably get it fixed eventually. there are some people though who say theirs started charging properly again spontaneously, but I don't expect to be that lucky.

Unfortunately though, you have to almost completely dismantle the Dell just to get to it. The replacement charger arrived yesterday and after initially saying it wasn't charging, it started to charge, so now it's fully charged again, but I have a feeling it's going to remain intermittent.

As I only really use it on mains power, it's not really a serious problem but I'll probably get it fixed eventually. there are some people though who say theirs started charging properly again spontaneously, but I don't expect to be that lucky.

Yep same with the Toshiba - had to strip it down to the motherboard just to get to it.....About 30odd screws!

I have had this on my dell laptop, the laptop battery only has a one year warrenty this best thing to do is look on ebay for a new laptop charger mate, as this will then start to charge the laptop.

Also when you start the laptop does it beep at you and say that the charger is not charging the laptop?

I have had this on my dell laptop, the laptop battery only has a one year warrenty this best thing to do is look on ebay for a new laptop charger mate, as this will then start to charge the laptop.

Also when you start the laptop does it beep at you and say that the charger is not charging the laptop?

It's charging intermittently with the new charger just like the old one. It seems most likely the power socket or charging board is failing.

Edited 23 February, 201115 yr by Calomax