Packard Bell laptop, dead

[weekay]

I have Packard Bell Hera GL -laptop which is totally dead. It won't power up and it won't charge battery. Charger is known good one.

I have inspecter the power connector and it at least seems to fine, in this model it is separate thing and not soldered to motherboard so it can be removed and ispected closely.

There is one thing which unfortunately makes me to think this can't be fixed, apparently previous owner has tried to change bios battery and has broken of the cable / connector, not on the motherboard but on the cable end. He has then soldered it directly to motherboard with the connector still attached to mb. Whether or not it was broken before or some time after this is unclear.

It would be nice to know if there is any life at all or if it stops because of bad dc in.

[tomodachi]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

first of all can you read 3.3V on power button ?

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

Hi, I can get multimeter, but I have no idea where I should measure those voltages.

[tomodachi]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

you can measure it from the power button s legs.

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

OK, I have very little experience in that area altough I have fixed some laptops. I will get to it later. I was now able to get charger which has indicator led, it does not go away so does that immediately rule out shortcircuit or is that little more complicated?

Thanks for any info. For this model there seems to be plenty of DC IN connectors / cables available, the connector seems to be very solid design but I guess it still can fail so often that seller stock it.

[selldoor]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

in this model it is separate thing and not soldered to motherboard so it can be removed and ispected closely.

There is one thing which unfortunately makes me to think this can't be fixed, apparently previous owner has tried to change bios battery and has broken of the cable / connector, not on the motherboard but on the cable end. He has then soldered it directly to motherboard with the connector still attached to mb. Whether or not it was broken before or some time after this is unclear.

I have been looking at a picture of the motherbord and the dc connector
appears to be soldered to it. Dont follow the second part at all.

Can you post good clear pictures of the m board and close ups of the areas you mean.

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

OK, will do that later.

The DC IN connector is this kind of thing:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-P...-/371012025005

Bios battery is connected to motherboard via cable, like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Packard-Be...item1c3bb8ef03

And apparently previous owner has somehow managed to break the connector at the end of the cable. He has then resorted in soldering those two cables directly to the connector on the motherboard, but on the opposite site, where it connects to motherboard. Here is drawing where I try to explain what I mean:

http://aijaa.com/lyZOzS

Basically I think that maybe this has caused damage which renders the board unrepairable. I don't have info whether or not the machine had problems and then that soldering was done or if it was damaged because of that. Previous owner just said that the machine just wouldn't power on one day.

And sorry about my english, it is not my native tongue.

[selldoor]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

Ok so does the other end of the DC In connector have another socket on it or is it soldered to the Mboard? Need a pic of that.
CMOS should be ok soldered instead of in a socket - check the soldering and test the battery voltage.

Your English is great - are you in the uk - perhaps update your profile with country
and mains voltage.
I have to go out now for a couple of hours.

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

post some pictures of mainboard

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

the black wire of cmos battery must be soldered to ground
and the red wire soldered to other pin.
check which pin is ground and there u will solder the black wire

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

Here are some photos, I don't have very good camera (cellphone):

https://picasaweb.google.com/1076723...eat=directlink

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

first let's fix the mainboard

connect the power cord and measure points 1 and 2 on this picture for 3.3v and 5v

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

I have to apologize but I don't know how to proceed. I now have multimeter and everything ready.

http://aijaa.com/loZ0iW

What setting on multimeter ? VDC 20?
Red lead to a point, black to something metal ?

[selldoor]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

You should put the black probe to one of the copper rings where the screw holes are
and probe with the red. I would say start on 200vdc and if the result is less then 20 then switch to 20 to get more accuracy.
With it on 20vdc test the voltage on the cmos battery as before black probe on ground screw and prob red lead with red battery lead with red probe.
Make sure you are working on a non conductive surface ( metal bench top)

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

OK, thanks for your patience, I'm learning I'm learning

However, if I did everything right the value remains zero on the multimeter. Charger is connected.

http://aijaa.com/eT9Yqa

Does this mean that DC IN board/cable is broken and there is simply no power going to the motherboard? Bios battery is not connected at all at the moment, but I think it shouldn't matter.... or atleast machines should power on fine without a battery at all?

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

ok so you don't have 3.3v or 5v
next check power supply and follow steps from this page
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/laptop...k-motherboard/

[weekay]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

OK, with that same setting on multimeter (20 VDC) I do get 19 which I believe means that there is power, this laptop uses 19V charger.
So problem lies somewhere on the board then?

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

oke did you checked after and before that fuse?

[sorinac]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

and post full pictures of both sides of motherboard so i can show you where to measure next

[selldoor]

Re: Packard Bell laptop, dead

You get 19v where?
Please can you post a picture the full board - use "manage attachments"
so it easy for us to mark up and makes the thread more useful when the external pictures are deleted.